TEST DRIVE: A Night of Forbidden Desire

“Dear God, Ma, please.”

Max’s whining voice was heard again that morning. It sounded exactly like yesterday, two days ago, three days ago, or even four days ago. Not only were the whining phrases the same, but the look of desperation on his face and the tone of his voice were also identical.

Max sat on the edge of the bed, holding the phone to his ear for the ongoing morning call. The call, as usual, was coming from Riley.

“Every day, I just want to have breakfast with salads, not with a phone call from Mama.”

A short sigh from Riley was heard from the other side. “Well, I’ll not call you everyday if you have met Vonda’s family. So, just do it and everything will be okay.”

“What?” Max blinked. “What did you say, Mom?”

“You have to meet Vonda’s parents. At least, you need to get closer to her family. Oh my God, Max. You’re dating and going to get married.”

Riley’s words succeeded in making Max dramatically close his eyes. He really did not want to bother to say that his head was spinning. His expression alone was more than enough to show how much his head was currently spinning.

Max did not expect that Vonda’s meeting with her birth mother would ignite something else. Something bigger than the canceled arranged marriage between him and Olivia.

“Mom.”Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

Max whispered that call as softly as possible. This time, he tried his luck again to be able to calm his mother’s feelings. After all, Max understood very well the reason why Riley always pushed him to get married quickly.

“Can you give me a little time?”

“Time? Time for what?”

Max thought of several reasons in his mind, but in the end, he tried to say it like this.

“Vonda and I do love each other.”

Oh dear, thank goodness I haven’t had breakfast yet. Otherwise, I’d probably vomit.

“But marriage also requires preparation, Mom. It’s not just about being financially ready.”

Now it was Riley’s turn to stay silent on the other side. It seemed that Max’s words managed to leave Riley speechless.

“Look at how many divorce cases there are,” Max continued. “We might end up in court every time there’s a problem if we’re not mentally prepared. Do you want us to file for divorce over trivial matters just a month after getting married?”

Softly, but still audible, Riley’s voice came through. “No.”

“Exactly, Mom. That’s why let us get to know each other slowly, step by step, okay?” Max pleaded. “No matter what, if we’re destined to be together, we won’t go anywhere, right? It’s a different story if we’re not meant to be together. Even if you offer a sacrifice to the Vampire King, we still won’t be a match.”

“You,” grumbled Riley.

“Mom, what I’m saying is true,” Max said firmly.

“Yes, yes, yes. You’re right.” Riley’s sigh was clearly audible on the other side. “But… I feel a connection with Vonda. You two seem to be a good match. If you get married, I hope your marriage will be full of laughter.”

Max smiled wryly upon hearing Riley’s words.

“Okay, if that’s the case, I won’t discuss marriage with you anymore, but…”

The relief Max had just felt a moment ago suddenly disappeared. His mind wondered why the word ‘but’ always had to follow every conversation they had.

“But what, Mom?”

Riley exhaled before continuing to talk. “But that doesn’t mean you neglect your duties.”

“What do you mean?”

“What Mama means is, don’t forget to meet Vonda’s family.”

“Oh.”

“And try to bring Vonda to our house, okay?”

“Huh?”

“Because your father also wants to meet Vonda, Max.”

Max opened his eyes briefly upon hearing that. He was not surprised by that request. What would really surprise Max is if, in the aftermath of Riley’s news, his father did not want to meet Vonda.

Oh God. If Vonda meeting Mom already caused such a commotion, what would happen if she met Dad too?

But what could Max do other than agreeing to Riley’s request?

“I’ll try, Mom. Just not this week, okay?” Before Max could hear any objections from his mother, he continued, “I’m a bit busy now, Mom. I have to go to the field to check on a project that’s been delayed for a few months. So, there’s a lot to handle. You haven’t forgotten, right? I came to Ashford City to help Lucas, not to play around.”

This time, Riley’s voice sounded apologetic. “Oh, I see. I won’t forget, don’t worry.”

Max felt relieved. “Okay then, I have to go now. I need to get ready. This morning I’ll go directly to the field.”

“Alright. For the time being, I won’t call again.”

Max could not help but wonder why, among so many sentences that could be said to end a call, Riley chose to say that.

For the time being? Oh dear.

“But, remember to bring Vonda home soon, Max. I’m waiting.”

“Yes, Mom. I will.”

“Okay then. I’ll end the call now. Take care and be safe on the road,” continued Riley. “I love you, Max.”

For that statement, Max did not object at all. “I love you too, Mom.”

Then the call ended. Max immediately let out a long sigh.

“Oh my. Thank goodness I only have one Mom. I can’t even imagine if I had many moms. I’d probably pass out on the spot.”

*

That morning, Vonda chose to dress a little differently than usual. She opted for a more casual outfit, leaving behind her usual pointed high-heeled shoes that she often wore to the office. This decision was because she would accompany Max to inspect a construction site for a tower that had been on hold for several months.

Vonda wore long pants and a shirt paired with cone-type heels. The safer heels allowed her to traverse the slightly rocky terrain. She still wanted to look neat and attractive rather than wearing a mismatched outfit of formal clothing with sneakers.

When she arrived in the room, Vonda did not find Max there yet. While waiting, she immediately prepared some documents that might be needed for the re-inspection later.

Ting!

Vonda heard the notification sound from her phone. There was a message, and it was from someone she really did not want to know anymore.

Andrew:

Von! Are you avoiding me? Why haven’t you paid for the car this month, huh?

Vonda let out a long sigh. She could not help but be speechless at the message from Andrew.

“Why did I ever date a guy like him?”

The spontaneous question slipped from her lips just as Max pushed the door open and entered the room. His sharp ears managed to catch Vonda’s subtle murmuring without the slightest mistake. And without any mistake, he could also guess who the subject of her talk was.

“That’s why … you should donate regularly to attract good guys,” commented Max as he continued walking. “Donations are for warding off bad luck.”

Vonda frowned but did not pay much attention to Max’s words. Instead, she got up from her seat and took a plastic folder in her hand.

“Shall we go now?”

Max nodded. “Sure. Let me put my bag away first.”

Vonda waited for a moment until Max returned to the room. They then headed to the parking lot, walking side by side.

“Just use your car, Von,” Max suggested when they reached the parking lot. With one hand in his pants pocket, he turned to Vonda while continuing to walk. “We should save on fuel. For the beloved ozone layer.”

Vonda rolled her eyes briefly. Max’s two sentences were true, but they were not related at all. At least not directly.

Five minutes later, the car was already on the road. It was not heavy traffic, but it was not very clear either. At least Vonda managed to maintain the speed of the car around forty to fifty kilometers per hour.

When they arrived, they were greeted by the contractor on site. Engaging in casual small talk, he immediately showed them around the location.

“Well, Mr. Maxwell Hernandez, the construction is planned to take place here,” said the man named Sandy Jackson, raising his hand to point at the vacant lot with square boundaries.

Max nodded and extended his hand to Vonda, who handed him the plastic folder she brought. Max examined the documents inside, containing the blueprints and plans for the construction, then proceeded to ask some questions.

While Max discussed with Sandy, Vonda attentively listened. She made sure to take note of important details and reminded Max when he almost forgot something.

“This place looks good,” Max remarked.

They were still circling the area with Vonda by his side, while Sandy searched for a specific document that needed signing for the construction to proceed soon.

“Strategic location, and the power supply is adequate.”

Vonda nodded in agreement. “Yes, Sir. The previous department head was indeed competent, even if he could be a bit difficult sometimes.”

Max glanced at Vonda and could see how adept she was at shifting her focus. He appreciated that Vonda could call him Max or Sir without mistaking the timing and situation. Impressive.

“Uh-huh,” Max responded.

Shortly afterward, Max signed the necessary documents, and the stalled tower construction was set to resume.

With nothing else to attend to there, Max and Vonda left the site just before eleven o’clock. Max adjusted his wristwatch, looking ahead as Vonda drove smoothly.

“It’s almost lunchtime,” Max said. “We might reach the office around twelve, considering the traffic is starting to build up.”

Vonda agreed and looked back at Max, trying to figure out the meaning behind his words. “Do you want to have lunch right away?”

“Uh-huh,” Max hummed briefly. “Sounds like a good idea, right?” he asked. “Besides, I didn’t have breakfast this morning.”

“I already knew that,” Vonda replied, looking ahead again. “Just by looking at you, I can tell you’re a late riser.”

Max made a face. “You’re making judgments based on just one time you saw me wake up late.”

“Hahaha! It was a clear sign. I left, and you didn’t even notice,” Vonda chuckled.

“Ugh! It’s not like I wake up late every day. You have no idea how exhausting it was. I must have sweated for hours that night. I didn’t use any stamina-enhancing drugs either.”

Vonda blushed and felt her face heat up. “Can we not talk about that while I’m driving? I might get into an accident, you know.”

“You started it by accusing me of being a late riser. Little did you know I didn’t have time for breakfast because I had to deal with Mom’s phone calls every morning.”

“Uh-huh,” Vonda glanced briefly. “Even though Mom calls me every morning, I still manage to have breakfast.”

Max tensed up at Vonda’s words. Realizing there was something he needed to ask and clarify immediately.

“Whose Mom calling?”

“Your mom,” Vonda replied casually. “She asked me to come to your house next Sunday.”

“Don’t tell me you’re really going.”

Vonda turned the steering wheel, directing the car towards a cafe. After parking the car, she turned to Max, unbuckling her seatbelt as she spoke.

“Well, Mom said she wanted to make Beef Wellington for me, Max. I can’t possibly turn down such a delicious meal.”

Max gawked.

“Oh, my goodness, Von. Aren’t you worried that being too close to my family might be dangerous for both of us? After all, we’re just pretending.”

Vonda smiled and patted Max’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. Andrew and I reached the second stage of the family meeting for the marriage proposal yesterday. The result? It failed. So, just enjoy it.”

Gulp!

Max swallowed his saliva. For a moment, he was dumbfounded by Vonda’s nonchalant grin. It was as if what she had just said was trivial. However, Max did not think of it that way. A moment later, whether consciously or not, he said,

“Andrew and I are different.”

*