Chapter 10: Secrets and Surprises

Two months after their spice rack compromise, Grace assumed she knew everything about Max Walker. She was wrong.

The finding occurred on a rainy Thursday evening, when she returned home early following a quick client appointment. She anticipated Max to be preparing for the dinner rush at Meridian, but instead found their flat filled with strange calm.

"Max?" she inquired, laying her damp coat near the door.

No response. His keys were on the kitchen table, and his jacket lay across a chair. He was obviously home.

Grace followed the sound of muted voices to his room…..their room, technically, since they'd officially combined sleeping arrangements three weeks ago when his lease expired. The door

was cracked open, and she could hear Max's voice, which was tight in a way she had never heard before.

"Told you, I can't do this anymore," he said. "I have a life here. "A real life."

Grace froze, her heart thumping. Was he speaking to Emma? Was his ex-wife called to persuade him to reconsider Chicago after all?

"I don't care what you think you're owing," Max said, his voice dropping to a furious whisper. "That happened five years ago. "I am not that person anymore."

After a pause, Max said, "No. Absolutely not. If you show up here, I'll call the police." The conversation ended abruptly. Grace heard Max's phone hit something hard…….probably the nightstand…….followed by a string of creative profanity that would have made the Meridian kitchen staff proud. She should have left, but instead she found herself knocking softly on the doorframe. "Max? Everything okay?"

The untruth was so clear that Grace felt nearly offended. Max had always been open and honest

with her in their two months of dating. His sudden evasiveness rang every alarm bell she had.

"Max." She sat on the edge of the bed, examining his expression. "What happened?"

"It's nothing you need to bother about."

"If it's bothering you this much, then I'm definitely worried."

Max raked his hands over his face, and Grace could see the inner dispute playing out in his expression. Finally, he broke down into the chair close to the window, appearing unintentionally tired.

"There are certain things about my past that I haven't told you," he stated calmly. "Things I hoped I'd never have to tell you."

Grace's mouth became dry. "What kind of things?"

"The kind that might make you rethink this whole relationship."

The words hovered between them as a challenge. Grace considered all the ways this talk could go wrong, all the secrets that could destroy everything they'd achieved. But she also remembered Max's generosity and integrity, how he'd held her throughout her worst moments and celebrated her achievements as if they were his own.

"Try me," she replied.

Max looked at her for a long time, as if memorizing what she looked like. Then he began speaking.

"Before I moved to New York, before Emma and I got married, I was associated with some people in Portland. Bad individuals.

"His voice was steady, but his hands were clasped so tightly his knuckles had gone white."I was young, dumb, and starving for money after culinary school. I became caught up with Derek Voss, who ran an illegal gambling organization.

Grace's heartbeat quickened, but she maintained a neutral demeanor. "What kind of involvement?"

"I laundered money through a catering company." Derek would give me cash, and I'd report it as legal catering revenue, pay taxes, and retain a cut. Max’s laughter was sour. "I persuaded myself it wasn't that horrible. I wasn't hurting anyone personally; I was simply moving numbers around."

"How long did this go on?"

"About one year. Until Derek was arrested for assault, and the entire operation came apart." Max finally looked at her. "I testified against him in return for immunity. He spent eight years in prison.

Grace pondered this information, attempting to reconcile the Max she knew with the young guy

who had taken such reckless decisions.

"That was the phone call?" she inquired. "Derek?"

"He got out six months ago. He started phoning me a few weeks after we got together." Max's voice tightened. "He wants me to help him start over. Set up another operation in New York.

"And you said no."

Of course, I said no. But Derek isn't the sort to take rejection gently. He's started calling more regularly, making threats, and implying he could pay me a visit.

Fear rushed through Grace like freezing water. "Threats? "What kind of threats?"

"There's nothing specific. Just the suggestion that I owe him the prison sentence, that he knows where I live and what my life is like here." Max's gaze met hers. "Know about you."

The final words struck Grace like a physical punch. She rose up abruptly and paced toward the window.

"He threatened me?"

"Not directly." But he made it apparent that he has been watching, and that he understands I have something to lose now."

Grace's thoughts raced with the consequences. A dangerous criminal who knew where they lived, was obsessed with Max, and saw her as possible leverage. It looked like something out of a movie, yet movies couldn't depict the awful feeling of real horror.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, turning towards him. "Max, this has been going on for weeks?"

"Because I hoped he would become bored and move on. I was afraid you'd leave if you learned the kind of person I used to be.

"What kind of person you used to be?" Grace responded incredulously. "Max, you were just out

of school, drowning in debt, and you made a mistake. Then you did the right thing by testifying against him.

"I've committed felonies, Grace. "I was a criminal.

"You were young and desperate, but you corrected it. "There is a difference."

Max stared at her as if she had grown a second head. "You're not... you're not going away?"

The question hurt Grace’s heart slightly. "Is that your opinion of me? That I would forsake you as soon as things become complicated?"

"I think you're practical and smart, and getting involved with someone who has a vengeful ex-criminal trying to drag them back into illegal activities is objectively a terrible decision."

Grace considered it. He wasn't mistaken; this was exactly the type of mayhem she'd spent years avoiding.

The former Grace would have been planning exit tactics and damage control. But the old Grace had never fallen in love with someone worth fighting for.

"You're right," she said finally. "It's an objectively awful decision. Fortunately, I've gotten better at making awful decisions lately."

Max's demeanor changed from resignation to cautious hope. "Grace……."

"We need to call the police," she added, interrupting him. "File a harassment report and generate a paper trail. And you should tell your Meridian supervisor what's happening in case Derek contacts you there."

"I can't involve more people in this mess."

"You aren't involving them, Max. Derek is. And the more people who understand what's going on, the safer we'll be.

Max remained silent for several long moments. "I can't believe you're not running away from this."

"Where would I run to?" Grace inquired, moving to sit alongside him. "This is my life right now. Our lives. And I will not give it up without a struggle.

"Even though dating me apparently comes with criminal baggage?"

"Everyone carries baggage, Max. Some people struggle with commitment, while others have crazy ex-partners or student loans that will outlive them. You have one asshole from your past who refuses to let go. Grace seized his hand. "We'll deal with it."

"We?"

"We," she replied firmly. "But, Max, no more secrets." If Derek contacts you again, I need to know right away. 

If somebody questionable approaches the restaurant or the residence, I need to know. We're in this together, therefore we would approach  it together.

Max raised their hands together to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "I love you," he stated quietly. "I'm glad you're not running. I appreciate that you want to fight for this."

"I love you, too. Even if you draw complications like a magnet."

That drew an honest smile from him, the first she'd seen since she came home.

"So, what's our next move?" he stated.

"Police report tonight. Then we phone Elena, who works in corporate security and might offer some useful suggestions. "You'll talk to your boss tomorrow."

"You've got this all figured out."

"Someone has to," Grace replied with a smile. "Besides, you handle the cooking emergencies, while I deal with the criminal harassment emergencies. Division of labor.

As they prepared to leave for the police station, Grace realized how much she had changed. Six months ago, finding that her lover was being stalked by a violent criminal would have driven her into a frenzy. She was now developing action plans and strategizing about safety precautions.

Love, it turned out, made you braver than you ever believed imaginable. It also made you willing to face challenges that would have previously driven you away.

"Grace?" Max spoke as they approached the door.

"Yeah?"

Thank you. For staying. For fighting. "For being yourself."

"Thank you for telling me the truth," she stated. "Even though it took you a while to get there."

As they stepped out into the rainy New York evening, Grace felt the weight of this new challenge settling over them. Derek Voss was a real threat, and she had no illusions about how violent the situation could become.

But she also felt something else like determination. She had found something worth keeping, and she was not about to give it up without having a fight.

The older Grace had avoided issues. The new Grace was prepared to tackle them straight on.