Slade was amazed as they walked into the building where the ball was being held. The Annual Christmas Ball. No one seemed to know who he was or even look at him. He was kind of relieved. He stayed beside Brooke for most of the night and she just networked all night. She was always looking for bigger and better. He liked that about her actually. She never settled.

"Slade, be a dear and get me a drink while I talk to this executive." Brooke smiled. She had weaseled her way into a crowd of successful and prominent men and never gave a thought to Slade. He was her arm candy.

Slade nodded and walked off. He needed a drink anyway. He caught something out of the corner of his eye, Max just walked in. He was in a tux. Slade almost swooned. Max was very sexy, how was he single?

Slade stared as a very sexy forty-something woman slid onto his arm. She was wearing a very sexy Christmas red dress. She was gorgeous. Her mocha skin was beautiful against the red dress. She whispered to Max and he smiled a shy smile and shook his head. She shrugged and walked over to a man. She was dancing while Max walked to the bar. Alone.

"Hey, Max." Slade smiled as he walked up. "You look great in a tux."

Max nodded. "Everyone does!" He turned to the bartender. "A very dirty martini. Please." He was trying not to die. Slade in a tux was mind blowing. He almost fainted at the subtle glance. That image was seared into his brain.

"Make that two." Slade smiled. "This is amazing. Your dad does this every year?"

"He does. He loves to entertain people. You two have something in common." Max smiled and took his drink. He hadn't looked at Slade, directly. It would be like looking into the sun. He would go blind or die.

"Me and you have nothing in common." Slade smiled and sipped his martini as he leaned against the bar.

"Well, we like the same drink." Max smiled as he turned to watch the crowd of people dancing.

Slade toasted him. "It's my favorite. Especially now that I know that it's yours too."

Max smiled that shy smile. "Well, thanks. Enjoy the party." He started to walk off.

"Hey, who was that woman you walked in with?" Slade watched people dancing and he wanted to talk to Max some more. He wasn't ready to let him go. He noticed that Max took off every chance he got.

"My receptionist, Alyssa." Max took a sip. He could use several of these drinks right now.

"She's sexy. You're not together?" Slade watched Max, who still hadn't looked at him.

"No. She loves to flirt." Max sighed.

"She's gorgeous." Slade smiled. He was trying to get an idea about Max. He couldn't read him but he was curious. He kept reliving the looks he got from Max since they met.

"Alyssa is gorgeous and she's a great receptionist." Max smiled. "A good friend too. Enjoy the party, Slade."

"Max, you too." Slade inhaled. "Well, I have to find Brooke. She will leave with some other guy." Slade smiled and walked off.

Max watched him and shook his head. Slade was delicious in a tux. Max was about to drool and chase him down, tackle him and fuck him on the dance floor.

He took a breath and took a sip. He allowed just this one drink all year. He savored it while he enjoyed his imagination.

Slade walked back to Brooke. She gasped. "Guys, this is Slade. He's the drummer for a very famous band! Sexy, isn't he!"

Slade smiled. He just wanted to be a person tonight, not famous. He hated that she did this. He listened to the men ask pissing contest questions about whose penis was bigger. He slowly walked off. He hated having to prove himself to strangers. He loved that Max didn't do that.

Max sat in his corner eating shrimp and sipping his club soda. He just watched people dance all night. He saw his sister flirting and dancing with random men all night but never saw her with Slade. He searched the crowd for a couple of hours and there was no sign of Slade.

He found his dad. "Dad, this was amazing. Thanks. I'm heading home."

Bill smiled. He was dancing with Alyssa. "Good night, Son. I'm glad that you came. Uh, Slade just left." He winked and twirled his date.

Max glared and walked to the front door. He gave a man his ticket for his car. He could hear the Christmas music playing from inside.

"Max?"

"Hey. I figured you would be gone already." Max watched Slade.

Slade shook his head. "Nah, I left and Brooke didn't notice. I think I got her far enough. She's looking for someone better." He shrugged.

Max nodded. There was no one better and he was screaming on the inside. "At least you know that. I'm sorry. I wish she was a better person." There was no one better than Slade. His sister was stupid. He took a breath and tried to tame his heart that was beating too fast.

Slade nodded. "It's only been two months. I was hoping for something more but...I don't know. How about you?"

Max shook his head. "No. I'm not Brooke's type!" He chuckled.

Slade glared but Max saw a smile.

"Where are you staying?"

"Uh, I was staying at Bill's but...I don't know because all of the hotels are booked. I was actually calling a couple of hotels on the highway." Slade sighed.

"Just stay at my house tonight. I have a guest room." Max sighed as his car was brought up.

"Get in." He had no idea what he was doing and he felt possessed. He had no idea what he said for the last five minutes.

Slade didn't argue.

"So, what happened?" Max was heading home with Slade in his car.

Slade smiled. "Nice car."

"Why do I sense sarcasm?" Max watched the road with his hands on ten and two.

Slade chuckled. "It was. This is a family car?"

"Reliable." Max glared at the road.

"Stuffy." Slade teased and Max chuckled.

"Sensible and safe. That offends you?"

Slade loved this. "It does! Safe and reliable are boring and offensive."

"It's leather." Max smiled.

Slade nodded. "It's pretty." He touched the console between them.

"You okay?" Max had to ask.

Slade sighed. "She was kissing some guy in the coatroom. I think she was drunk."

Max laughed. "Every year. I'm sorry." He cleared his throat. "Did you love her?"

"I try to avoid that word. No. We really just started dating. I have only spent a few actual days with her. We are touring and I'm trying to find time. I think the only thing she really liked about me was that I'm in a band." Slade sighed.

"Bill said that if you have to try then it's not love. I thought she was fun and a little dangerous." Slade sighed. "I tried to make her something she wasn't and I think I wanted a relationship more than she does."

"You sound like a woman. They go for the dangerous guy." Max smiled. "The bad boy."

"Is that why you're single?" Slade smiled.

Max laughed. "Yes. I am very vanilla."

"Dr. Vanilla." Slade smiled.

Max nodded and smiled. He liked Dr. Vanilla. "I need to change my sign out front to Dr. Vanilla. I don't have any tattoos or piercings, I don't do extreme sports. My car is boring. No one wants boring."

Slade nodded. "Dr. Vanilla. I don't think you are boring, Max."

Max pulled into the driveway and into his garage. He was letting that comment go. What was he supposed to say? "Welcome to my house. Make yourself at home." He got out of the car. "We can work stuff out in the morning. Come on, Slade."

"Max." Slade smiled. "Nice house!"

"Thanks. The biggest guest room is up the stairs to the left. My room is down the hall, all the way." Max was in the fridge.

"Okay." Slade took off his jacket of his tux.

"Hungry?" Max was pulling things out.

"Uh, I'm vegetarian." Slade was worried.

Max smiled. "Me too." He looked up at Slade. "I ate five shrimp tonight. Sometimes I cheat."

Slade smiled as Max pulled leftovers out of the fridge. "Alyssa keeps cooking for me and thinks I'm six people. Please, eat some of this!"

Slade searched for plates and they reheated some pasta and mushrooms. Slade took a bite. "Mmmm. This stuffed thing is to die for!"

"Oh, that is stuffed manicotti with mushrooms. I made that one." Max smiled and took a bite of some bean thing. It was nice to share a late night meal with someone. Slade was the hottest someone he ever met. "So, vegetarian?" Max smiled.

Slade smiled. "Yes. I also don't drink very often."

"Me either." Max smiled. "That drink is my last until...Easter?"

Slade nodded. "Me too. Maybe until Thanksgiving next year."

Max agreed.

Slade smiled. "My lip piercing is fake." He pulled it off. He had no idea why he was saying this to Max. He wanted to.

Max fake gasped. "Faker!" He smiled.

"Don't tell anyone!" Slade smiled.

"I would never." Max laughed. "I think it's great. It's kind of hot!" He cleared his throat. He looked at his plate and wanted to hide. He should shut up. "Does Brooke know?"

"No. I'm not sure why I just told you!" Slade looked at Max and that shy, sexy look again.

"Because you find me trustworthy. It's the vanilla flavor. People tell me all kinds of things. Who will I tell?" Max sighed. He picked up the fake lip ring and looked at it.

Slade smiled. "Right. You drive a Lexus."

"Hey, that is a nice car!" Max glared.

"Paid off?" Slade glared.

"Yes. It's safe and reliable." Max glared some more. "You probably own a Porsche or a two-seater."

Slade smiled. "Something like that."

Max put the lip ring on and looked at Slade. "How's that?"

Slade shook his head. "It's not you."

"I know." He took it off and handed it back to Slade.

"I meant that as a compliment, Max. I like you just the way you are." He watched those blue eyes focus on him. He put the fake lip ring back in its place.

Max sighed and slowly smiled. "You are helping me do dishes!"

Slade shook his head. "No way!"

"Yes. Come on and earn your keep." Max pulled Slade out of his chair. They were close and Max backed up.

Slade smiled. "Okay. No dishwasher?" Slade complained.

"No, it's just me. A plate and a fork, not enough for a dishwasher." Max sighed.

Slade caught the sadness in Max's statement. It was just him. He wondered why but left it. He found himself doing dishes in a tux at two in the morning. "I can't believe we are doing dishes in tuxedos."

Max laughed and rinsed.

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