*~*~*~*

When Max and Alex arrived at the station for Tess they found her giving orders as usual. They stood outside the producer's booth to wait for her.

"Tess Sullivan," Max smiled and shook his head pushing his hands in his front pockets. "Already running the show."

"You sound surprised. You two were always the most passionate about what you did."

"Yea I know," Max smiled reminiscing.

"So how long has it been since you two have seen each other?" Alex asked suspiciously trying to imply something.

"It's been about a year and a half I guess. I mean we were suppose to have dinner but she had a deadline to meet and...." Max went on until he glanced at Alex and knew from his look that he wasn't buying it. "What?" Max said irritated at the look Alex was giving him.

"Now, now Max.....why do I get the feeling there's some major detail you're purposely leaving out," Alex said and raised his chin as if he knew everything.

"Goodness man....what is it...." Max said avoiding the question.

"AH HA! I knew it.....you two got it on in college didn't you?" Alex said waving his index finger in front of Max. "Shame shame Max," Alex teased.

"Oh come on Alex...." Max said still avoiding the question.

"What about the book?"

Max just cringed at the word, 'book' at this point.

"Jason and Emilie.....that's you two....I knew it."

Max sighed like a teenager getting grilled by his father about missing curfew.

"What about the night of passionate back scratching love making you two....oops I mean Emilie and Jason......" Alex teased and was now irritating the shit out of Max.

"It's called fiction Alex, jeez. I'm a writer it's what I do, I made it all up. That's what sells books," Max said to Alex as if he were child.

"Oh I see," Alex said still not believing one word coming out of Max's mouth. "So what really happened then," Alex smirked waiting for the juicy details.

Max them went on to tell Alex about the night when he and Tess were up late studying in his dorm room. How they had kissed and slopped each other, it almost leading over to Max's bed until he sneezed and they both fell out laughing. It was kind of one of those moments you wished you could take back.

"And you never told Michael or Kyle, or even me?"

"Well you know you can't keep a secret?"

Alex blinked and had a surprised expression on his face feeling kind of hurt by Max's words. "What do you mean I can't keep a secret?"

"Were you suppose to tell me Tess had my book?"

"Well......no....but I.....it just slipped out and I......"

"Ah.....my point exactly."

*~*~*~*

Tess was in the producers booth touching up her make up as if she was trying to impress someone. Her and Max had always had this sort of unspoken attraction but neither had pursued the other. They had been friends forever and had the same circle of friends. But her excuse was always they were too much alike. They didn't compliment each other. One couldn't work off the others weaknesses because they were the same. But because of her hectic schedule and very demanding job she didn't have time to date. And was in a serious drought, if you know what I mean.

'Stop it Tess. These are you friends there's no need for all this fidgeting,' she said to herself and closed up her compact mirror and put it away.

"Good job Tess," Tess's boss walked up behind her and said.

"Oh thanx Barb....I mean Mrs. Long. I......"

"It that him?" she said pointing at Max ignoring Tess's blabbering.

"Oh...yes mam that's Maxwell Stewart, Michael Sullivan's best man."

"Are you sure we couldn't get a camera at that wedding? This good be fantastic for ratings."

"Well I did mention it to them but they don't want any unnecessary publicity they....."

Interrupting Tess again, "keep trying," her boss said simply with an 'I don't wanna hear any excuses' tone taking a puff of her cigarette.

"Right Boss Lady," Tess said in her 'I'm right on top of that' voice. Mrs. Long walked out of the booth before she could say anything else. Tess sighed and straightened her suit for the 100th time and grabbed her purse and headed after her.

When she got outside her boss, Max, and Alex seemed to be in a deep conversation about something. But Mrs. Long was smiling, and that was a good thing she figured.

"Hey," Tess smiled at Alex.

"Hey," Alex smiled back.

"Maxwell Stewart."

"Tess Sullivan," the greeted each other with smiles.

"Maxwell I've always enjoyed your writing. And that book of yours....WOW!" Tess's boss went on sounding as if she were chewing her face. "And your good friend here can't keep her nose out of it. I tell you, that preview copy was a real treat," Tess's boss blurted out. Tess looked around playing innocent like she didn't know who her boss was referring too.

Max's expression spoke louder than anything he could've managed to say at that point. He was pissed. 'She let her boss read it, damn she may as well have posted it on every internet news site in the world.'

"Well it is my job to keep up with what's current," Tess smiled proudly.

"Maxwell you think we could get you in the studio, discussion with Larry King maybe?"

Max looked around puzzled not really believing the question. "Sure.....that would be great," he said with minor excitement.

"Great. We could even get Tessa here to produce it. What do you think Tess?"

"That would be...."

"Fabulous!" Tess's boss interrupted her before she could finish. "This is going to be great. It was a pleasure meeting you both," she said as she shook Alex then Max's hand. "I gotta run, take care and I'll let you and Tess work out the details," she said and turned and walked away.

"That'll be you someday, running the whole show, controlling everything and everybody," Max said to Tess looking in the direction where her boss just walked to.

"Yea, well that could be good."

"So....old friends can hug.....can't they? I mean it has been over a year," Max said extending his arms and hugging Tess. They kind of half smiled and pretended as if it were just a friendly hug. But they both new better. Alex just stood there observing the whole scene with a smirk on his face.