Title:One in the Same
Author caraedoormat
Category: M/L AU No Aliens!
Rating: Probably NC-17 eventually
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters and have no intention of stealing them.
Summary: Max and Liz both make bets as to whether or not they could land each other. But the bets backfire...
I know this has been done...but oh well, thought I'd give it a go. I wrote this a while back and wanted to post it. So Feedback would be good!
-Rae

Chapter 1

“Can I help you with something?” the young man at the counter asked. Liz looked at his name tag. It said Max. Underneath it said the words Albequerque hotels.

“I guess,” Liz said. “My name is Liz Parker. My parents have a room here at the moment. Could you tell me which one it is?” she asked. She hoped that this didn’t take her very long. She was three hours late and probably in big trouble. They were expecting her for lunch. They had probably long since given up on her coming.

“What’s your father’s name?” Max asked her.

“Jeff Parker,” she replied.

Max typed something into the computer on the counter. Then he picked up the phone and called someone.

“Great!” Liz muttered under her breath. She was late and “Max” was using the phone. Liz began to tap her fingers on the counter. Suddenly she could hear Max talking.

“Sir, this is the front desk. There is a Liz Parker here asking for your room number. Would you like me to give it to her and have someone escort her to the room?” There was a pause as Liz’s father answered. “Thank you sir. We will have her sent up immediately.” Max hung up the phone and smiled at Liz. “Your father said we could give you the room number, but we’ll have to escort you to the room. He mentioned something about you getting lost on the way up.”

Liz gave him a fake smile. “Whatever.”

“Go wait over by the elevator and someone will be there in a minute,” Max instructed.

Liz did what he said. Not because she liked taking orders from that guy, from any guy for that matter, but she had to get up to see her parents somehow.

After just a minute of waiting Liz looked up and there stood Max.

“I’m taking you up. No one else has time right now,” he said smiling. He hadn’t stopped smiling once the entire time she’d been in the hotel.

“Fine. Let’s just go. I’m already late.” Liz couldn’t believe how laid back this guy was. It was like time wasn’t apparent to him. Max just nodded at her and they got on the elevator. He pushed the button for the fifth floor.

When the elevator finally stopped, Liz practically jumped off.

“Ok, tell me what their room number is. Please, I’m in a big hurry. I’m three hours late meeting them.” Liz said as if to explain.

“What, couldn’t you get out of the parking lot at the mall?” Max asked sarcastically. Liz shot him a dirty look. But she recoiled when she saw his face. He looked as if maybe he pitied her. Finally he spoke.

“Its room 12E. I think. No wait, its room 13. No, that’s not it either.” He was back to teasing. Liz followed Max as he led down the hallway. He stopped in front of room 16E. “Maybe this is it.” Before Liz could stop him, he knocked on the door.

The door flung open and there stood her father. “Daddy,” Liz said.

“Liz,” he said, “Nice of you to join us.” As he spoke he stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out some money. Then he turned away from Liz towards Max. “Thank you very much young man,” he said handing Max the money. Max took it. “It was no trouble sir. Enjoy the rest of your stay.” Max put the money in his pocket. Then he winked at Liz. “Bye Liz, see you later.” He walked away grinning. Now she was really in trouble.

Liz followed her father into the room. He motioned for her to be quiet and to have a seat. “Your mother is sleeping. She wasn’t feeling very well.” there was a slight pause. “So, care to explain what happened to you? I’d really like to hear about it. Especially what that boy might have had to do with your being late.”

Liz sighed and decided she should just start from the beginning. Well, maybe not the very beginning. “Daddy, that boy doesn’t have anything to do with it. He was just being a pain. The truth is that I was trying to get a job.” Max has been right earlier. She’d been at the mall. “ I had my interview and then I had to fill out all these forms. The entire experience was traumatic. But I did it and I start training next week. I thought that you and mom would be impressed. I did try to call but you weren’t in the room. Then we got stuck in traffic. And that took longer than anything. Then that dumb bell boy at the front desk wouldn’t just give me your room number. I had to practically beg them to call you to see if I could come up. This day did not go as planned,” she said as she finished.

“Liz, I thought we had discussed the whole job idea. You’ve got to concentrate on school. I’m not paying thousands of dollars for you to go to that private college to have you spend most of your time working instead of studying.” He looked disappointed rather than pleased like Liz hoped he would be.

“Dad, I realize that you think it will distract me. But it isn’t like that. I have too much time on my hands right now. Having a job won’t effect anything. I promise.” Liz said. Her father put his hand up to get her to stop talking.

“Fine, you try it and see how it works out. But don’t complain to me if it doesn’t work the way you want it to. Now, who is the other part of ‘we’ that got caught in traffic?”Jeff Parker looked slightly frustrated. These conversations with his daughter always led to new and interesting developments in his view of his daughter.

“Oh, that’s my friend Maria. She’s in the choir with me. Maria is so funny. She drove me to the mall and here. She’s waiting in the lobby.” Liz knew her father was beginning to think the worst. But she saw him relax.

“Daddy, I’m not like I was before. You don’t have to worry.” She tried to reassure him, but he still looked wary. She managed a smile when she saw his surprise at her admission. They’d never actually talked about what had happened in high school.

“All right, I believe you. I guess there isn’t anything to talk about right now. Your mother and I are going to come by your room tonight. So just make sure its clean,” he said smiling.

Liz left feeling guilty and all together terrible. Not so much about being late today, but more so about everything she’d put them through in the past few years. She regretted that. Regretted making them worry like she had. But things were different now. And she would prove that to them.

As the elevator went down to the lobby, Liz made an important realization. She missed her family. It was hard being away, even if it was for the best.

When she stepped out into the lobby, Maria was there surrounded by a number of young men. You could hear her laughter floating over their voices. Clearly she was in her element. Liz didn’t feel like interrupting. She looked around expecting to see that annoying Max boy over by Maria as well. When she didn’t see him, she almost felt relieved. She hoped that she would never have to deal with him again.

Max kept looking up from his work at the desk. He was just watching the action. At least that’s what he kept telling himself. Because the truth would have been too terrible to admit to. He was looking for that Liz chick. Ok, so she wasn’t exactly a chick, but she definitely wasn’t just a girl. She wasn’t a full on woman either. She was somewhere in the middle, and that was more than ok with him. For some reason, he wouldn’t want it any other way. It fit her. Of course he didn’t know why he was even wasting his time thinking about her. In the few minutes that he’d talked to her, she’d come off as a complete bitch. But sometimes bitchy was good. That meant that she was the kind of girl who didn’t put up with any shit. Of course if she was a bitch because she was spoiled, that was another thing. Jeffly, he saw too much of the spoiled princess routine. If that was the case, then this Liz, wasn’t worth the obscene thoughts he was currently entertaining.

Max took a phone call then and set up a reservation for a family of 5. When he looked up, he couldn’t help but smile. Liz was standing about ten feet away looking around. She was probably waiting for someone. He looked in the direction she was looking in. He had to laugh. She was definitely a typical female. She’d found a group of guys to eye.

Max studied the group closer. It was a bunch of guys from a rival soccer team. There was a game this weekend so they were staying at the hotel. And they were surrounding a girl. A very attractive girl.

Max’s eyes went back to Liz. She’d gone back to looking bored. Maybe he’d take a little stroll past where she was waiting.

“So, did you miss me?” Max asked coming up from behind her.

“Listen, I don’t know why you’re bothering me, but I’d appreciate it if you would stop. I thank you for taking me to see my parents. But you’re little task is finished now. And as soon as my ride is done flirting, I’ll never have to see you again.” Her eyes were on fire. Max was mesmerized.

“You have really beautiful eyes,” he said quietly. He got flustered then because he hadn’t meant to say that out loud.

For a second Liz looked dumbstruck. “Listen, I don’t know what you’re trying to pull. But whatever it is isn’t going to work. If you are that hard up for a date that you have to resort to lines like that, I can get you a date with Maria. She’ll like you. You’re semi-cute. She goes for the whole muscle look.”

All Max did then was smile. This girl was not worth his time. Now even those beautiful eyes of hers were screaming “Bitch”. He didn’t need the hassle.

“Are you done? Because I don’t know what crawled up your ass, but whatever it is get over it. And as for your friend Maria, I’ve got a girlfriend right now. But if you give me her number I’ll be sure that I call her the next time I need a piece of ass.” Max gave her a half smile.

Liz stormed off over to the group of guys and Maria. She looked royally pissed. Max was pleased that he’d had the extreme pleasure of putting her in that disposition. He watched as Liz scattered the group of males with a just a look. He stifled a laugh. Not many girls could scare a guy with a look.

Max’s friend Michael emerged from the group and came and stood next to him. Max gave him a confused look, wondering what he was doing talking with a team from another school. They both watched as Maria and Liz made their way out of the hotel and his question was answered when Michael spoke.

“Man, would I like to get a piece of that!” Michael exclaimed.

Max shook his head. “No way. That girl is frigid.”

“No, dude, not the ice princess. Her friend Maria. Although princess there does have a cute ass. Not to mention a nice pair of perky....”

Max cut him off. “That girl is an ugly duckling. No one would waste their time. Especially with the chip she’s got on her shoulder. Her entire being screams the words ‘bitch’ and ‘untouchable.’

“I bet she’s not that bad. She’d probably be a nice little jam. I mean she’s got you wound up. What did she do?” Michael asked.

Max just shook his head.

Michael started laughing. “This is classic. She shot you down cold didn’t she?”

“Dude, why would I waste my time on a girl like that?” Max asked. This whole conversation was going the wrong direction.

“Admit it, she’s got some great assets. Some that any guy might like to come in contact with at some point or another. With those petite curves and that long brown hair....she’s got major babe potential Max, and if I’m correct, that is what you look for isn’t it? The potential.” Michael waited for Max to respond.

Max was quiet for a second. “I don’t know what you are talking about Michael.”

“Sure you do Max. The last three girls you’ve been with, you’ve turned from geek to hottie. Of course once that happened, they dumped your sorry ass.” Michael was laughing.

“I’m glad that you think this is so funny. So maybe there is some validity to what you are saying. But it doesn’t apply now. Especially when I’ve got Kira. Explain that,” Max said. Kira was a full on babe. Max was the envy of every male on campus. The only problem was that there wasn’t anything there anymore. At first it had been great sex. Now he was loosing interest. She was his ego booster. That’s all.

“Ok, so I’ll give you Kira. But think about this, what is making you look at other girls when you’ve got Kira? Obviously something is either seriously wrong with you, or with her. And from what I’ve see, Kira is completely unflawed in so many ways. The problem has to be you.” Michael was on a role today. Max hated that. He hated that he was probably right.

“Max, I’ll make you a deal. You make it with this girl, melt her ice a little, and I’ll make it worth your while. You need a new project. You and Kira are getting bored with each other. “ Michael waited for Max’s response.

“What are the terms?”

“We’ll figure that out later. What’s your answer? Yes or No?”

“You’re on, bro,” Max said.

“Ok, you’ve got through the last day of spring break, to make that little princess love you.”

“Why so much time?” Max asked.

“Two months isn’t a whole lot of time. Believe me, the way you and the ice queen get along, you’re going to need it.” Michael laughed and left. Max went back to work. This girl was nothing but trouble. And now he had to hook up with her. That was just what he needed. Besides, what was he going to tell Kira?

****

TBC... Let me know if you want to read more!