Chapter II

It had taken a few days for all the boxes to be sorted through and put away, but finally she was done by the weekend. Her place of employment was holding some sort of event where their clients could visit the office to meet all the brains behind the paperwork - helping to give the corporate businesses the most out of their dollar. Due to the fact she had no life besides her job, and she wasn't from the area, Hailee had asked Max to accompany her to the event; he happily accepted.

Walking through the doors onto the floor where the event was being held, Hailee offered a smile to her bosses, shaking their hands and introducing them to her date - leaving the part out of who Max really was to her. Her bosses had held a high opinion of her and Hailee did not want to jeopardize or sully that thought with them knowing Max was her landlord and she didn't have any real friends in New York just yet. So instead she introduced him as her date - making Max smile each time the words left her mouth.

Finally, after all the introductions and small talk was done, Hailee and Max stood by the open bar - courtesy of a client - and ordered a glass of champagne. "This is something else," Max breathed, looking around the decorated office. "You must love your job to deal with these uptight assholes." Hailee snorted, her hand instantly covering her mouth.

"It definitely takes some getting used to," she replied with a nod, grabbing the offered champagne glass. "Luckily I'll have alcohol in my system to help me maintain my attitude tonight."

"And you have me," Max added, lightly nudging her arm.

"And you of course." Sliding her arm in his, the two began moving toward the crowd, making their way toward the hor d'oeuvres. Since meeting Max she had seen him in nothing but dirt or hole covered clothing, showing just how hard he worked. It was an admirable trait; Hailee always looked up to those who worked hard and still maintained a gracious attitude. Even while he picked at the unappetizing hor d'oeuvres, Hailee watched him with a smile; he definitely wasn't used to the higher end of life. "Having fun?" she questioned, popping a bacon wrapped scallop in her mouth.

"As much fun as one could have around a room full of attorneys and privileged, spoiled brats," the man answered with a smirk. Again, Hailee couldn't help but chuckle at his comment. Sure, it wasn't the best way to spend a Friday night, but they were drinking and eating for free. "Why don't we get out of here and go somewhere a little less uptight?" he suggested, a slight sparkle in his eye. Though she wanted to be part of the office environment and network at bit, there was something about Max's smile – luring her in.

Biting the inside of her cheek, Hailee eyes grazed his face for a moment. "Give me twenty more minutes of mingling and introducing myself and then we can go, okay?" Max nodded in agreement.

The two walked around the conference rooms; Hailee introducing herself as the newest Associate, shaking hands from the big corporate owners and bankers who retained the firm. Each offered a smile, looking over her curves prominent in the tight red dress she had worn for the occasion. Though many drifted toward the dark office attire, Hailee liked to add a little splash of color wherever she went. The bright colors, the charming smile and bright blue doe eyes shouldn't fool anyone; when Hailee needs to get authoritative and down right nasty, her Italian attitude does burn through.

It was their lustful glances and watering mouths causing Hailee to immediately feel uncomfortable and the 'accidental' touch to her rear-end was the final straw; she grabbed her things and stormed out.

Max, unaware of the circumstances, chased after Hailee. A careful hand reached and grabbed her arm, stopping her as they exited the tall building. "Hales, what happened? Talk to me."

"Those assholes up there," Hailee began, but quickly closed her mouth. Her eyes closed as slow breaths filtered her lungs. Just breathe,she told herself. "Forget it."

Her words told him one thing, but her tone told him another. He played stupid, acting as if he hadn't watched the men around her gawk and laugh when their associate purposefully copped a feel on the new attorney. Watching this unfold in front of him infuriated the man; he had already viewed Hailee as his property and another man grabbing her caused the viciously dark thoughts to begin. However, in a room full of people, let alone attorneys, Max decided to keep his cool and chase after her to ensure she was okay. Giving her arm a light squeeze, Max tilted his head, getting the woman's attention.

"How about I show you a little bit of New York, huh?" he offered with a hopeful smile. Personally he knew Hailee hadn't been able to get out much with unpacking and her endless amount of hours put into each case she was assigned to. Despite her first night living in his apartment building, the rest of the week had been uneventful. This caused Max's already built agitation to rise – feeling as if his capacity was at its all time highest. "Come on, I know a place I think you'd like."

Eyes glided over beautiful strokes of reds and yellows on a white canvas. Large enough to cover the gallery wall, the artist depicted a bold statement of an individual struggling to see the light in a dark place; at least that's how Hailee interpreted the artist's meaning.

Where they ventured off to was the last place Hailee had guessed Max would take her. Just a few blocks away from her office stood a well-hidden art gallery showcasing contemporary art. New York residents of all kinds flocked inside the building, resembling more of a warehouse, to feast their eyes on beautiful works of art designed from the heart. Speechless from not only the location but of all the vanity everywhere she turned, the two opted to inform the other they were close with a light touch. Even when the caterers came around with glasses of champagne, a thank you was given with a nod of their heads; their glasses clinking together in a toast.

"I have to admit, I never would have pictured you as an art fan," Hailee confessed, finally breaking the silence as they made their way out of the gallery and into the cool New York night.

"Why?" he questioned, his tone showing the slight emotion of offense. Hailee giggled at this, her fingers lacing together.

"I don't know … I-I guess 'cause you always look so – rugged?" Blue hues looked up to the man, hoping she didn't hurt his ego anymore than she had already. Much to her surprise, Max laughed with a nod – his thumb scratching the side of his nose.

"Appreciating beauty isn't just for the rich and famous." Hailee knew the was right and agreed.

Their time together was appreciated. To show him what it meant to her, Hailee asked if he'd like to come down for dinner the following day; that night, she wanted to spend it alone. Max happily agreed to the dinner and placed a light kiss against the girl's cheek before making his way toward his own apartment just down the hall. Closing the door behind her, Hailee closed her eyes for a brief moment, releasing tension she had been feeling and groaned as she stepped out of her heels. Pushing them to the side, Hailee walked over to the kitchen to grab a snack as they hadn't eaten properly after leaving the office party.

Walking into the pantry, her eyes fell on a jar of pickles and lit up. Her arm extended, reaching for the jar, when she heard a strange noise. "Son of a bitch." Watching as the jar shattered across the floor, the juices and pickles scattering along the wood had put an instant scowl on her face. An exasperated sigh escaped her lips, annoyance clear in her slumped shoulders. Moving to grab her broom and dustpan, the girl immediately began picking up the larger pieces of glass in an attempt to make the mess easier to clean. However, as her eyes scanned the hardwood floor, she noticed something off in the pantry. Underneath the shelves, a reddish light filtered in about a quarter inch.

With her brows tugged together, the girl pushed the larger pieces of glass to the side, carefully making her way toward the pantry wall. Slowly her hands crept passed the shelves and onto the wood, giving it a light push; it moved. A light gasp caught in her throat as she knew there was something off about the situation; pantry walls weren't supposed to open. Thinking back to the first day she set foot into the apartment, Max's words rang in her head 'the house is older – there's going to be bumps and rattles.' A part of her wanted to believe this was the beginning of an awesome mystery episode, however, as it may, this was the beginning of her peaked curiosity.

Max's chest heaved up and down; concentrating solely on ensuring he wasn't audible. He pushed on the wall, a lump forming in his throat while it continued to rattle and shake. Hailee was relentlessly trying to open what she believed – and was correct in assuming – was a hidden doorway leading to some fantastic find. He couldn't allow her to find out his extracurricular activities; he couldn't admit to her what he did in his spare time. No. Instead, Max turned, moving his back against the wall to give him better leverage in holding it still. 'Stop pushing. Stop trying. Stop pushing. Stop it. Stop it.' The words repeated in his head as his back felt the vibrations of her smacks against the wall.

Finally Hailee quit her expedition and opted to finish picking up the broken glass and pickles off the ground – hoping the juice hadn't ruined the flooring. When the woman gave in, Max let out a soft sigh, his heart rate returning to normal. Quickly he turned, peeking to view where Hailee had been located. She was on the floor, taking a handful of the large glass pieces and moved to throw them away. Softly he pushed the fabric he bunched together at the bottom of the doorway, hiding the red light coming from the bulbs. "That was close," he whispered to himself, letting his head fall with relief.

Author's Note: Second Chapter! I want to give a big thank you to Yugioh13 for the review and the suggestions!