Romances de Mage

MAX CRANEShe had that deer-caught-in-the-headlights look as she raised her gaze to mine. Her lips puckered into a pout, and a soft, mewing sound escaped her lips.I ran a hand through my head – probably for the hundredth time. It had been long since any woman sparked my interest to this extent, but now, her seeming oblivion to who I was irked.“I’ll ask you for the last time, who are you?”Those ocean-blue eyes widened again, giving her a sort of pixie look. Everything about her looked pixie, from the jet black hair that fell in rivulets down to her narrow waist to the heart shaped face framed by dark, sooty lashes, and dominated by her wide eyes, and cupid bow lips I could spend forever tasting.It was getting more and more obvious she wasn’t one of those million-dollar escorts paid to put up an act, she was the aunt of a baby somewhere everyone was saying was mine.The fact that she’d taken away my distraction, the only thing that took my mind off what today was should really annoy

LESLIE’S POVIt took only a moment for my embarrassment to be replaced by anger. “How the heck can you call this a private party?” I snapped, stepping further in.My hands brushed against the line up of switches, looking for the button that would restore normal lighting to the room, when I couldn’t find one, I walked over to the window and threw open the velvety curtains – too bad, it was already dark outside.“What sort of depravity is this?” I asked, hands on my hips and glaring at him. “There’s a perfectly normal party going on downstairs, but heaven forbid you engage in anything remotely normal, you have to come up to this – heaven forsaken room, and pay these women with the self esteem of dried mud to entertain you?”I was well aware I was over stepping, but I felt so angry and disappointed that this man was also not a suitable father for the baby, I wanted to turn him suitable.“I mean what the heck is wrong with men like you? –”“ Men like me?” He asked that same brow lifted ag

LESLIE’S POV“What? No! No no no!” Rochelle screamed, staring at me like I had grown horns. “I knew I shouldn’t have stepped out of the house when that man came, he’s nothing but bad luck!”She’d gone last minute shopping while Jeffrey had been around, and now, she was acting as though I had taken a bad deal in her absence.I sighed. Of course she won’t understand why I just couldn’t hand over a baby to unwilling parents. “This baby is innocent in all of this you know,” I whispered. “None of this is her fault –”“And you think it’s yours?” Rochelle exploded. “Leslie, why do you keep letting people use this huge empathy of yours to manipulate you? For crying out that’s a hooker’s baby, not your responsibility!” she enunciated the last three words like she was talking to a toddler.“For all we know, that’s not even Jeffrey’s baby. That sleaze bag I know is probably too lazy to get a DNA test done.”Her eyes flashed like she’d gotten another one of her crazy ideas, then she grabbed her

LESLIE’S POV“Have you ever thought about putting your resume into Jobsco, you don’t even have to apply, you just give them your CV, and they’d apply for you.”“No.” I answered, not even bothering to look up from the T.V at the frown that was obviously formed on Rochelle’s face.“Leslie, you have to do something – you can’t just sit in my couch all day eating pizza and watching stupid rom-coms –”“Hey!” I interrupted, feeling hurt. “They’re not stupid, this is a perfectly romantic movie where men don’t cheat, they get married and live happily ever – see! You’ve just made me miss their kissing scene. Did you see the look on his face when he – Rochelle!” I called out as she switched off the TV.“Now that I have your attention, you can’t keep moping away your life just because your ex-husband is a stupid piss of … Leslie, it’s been seven months!”“I know!” I wailed. Even after seven months, tears still threatened to fill my eyes at the thought of Jeffrey.“Leslie,” Rochelle called, her v

LESLIEChampagne tasted like a mouth full of flavored acid. I didn’t get what the hype was all about.I chugged down a mouthful either way, not even caring as a few drops slipped on my peach colored peplum dress.It was the only presentable dress I had, and it would probably get ruined, but I didn’t really care.I was drawing a few stares already, and to kill my embarrassment, I grabbed another glass from a passing waiter. “What a nice bow tie you have on Sir,” I whispered loudly at him, nodding with a smile, even though he merely nodded stiffly and walked away.I threw my head back, and poured everything down my throat, coughing out a mouthful as my eyes watered.“What are you all staring at?” I shouted as the room full of elegantly dressed people hushed and turned to stare at me. “Have you never seen a drunk woman before?”I suddenly felt like laughing. Life was one weird funny game. “Well I’ve seen lots of drunk people in my life,” I snapped as Rochelle, the only sincere person in