Bad Habits (3/?)

1       2

~~~~~~~~

3:  Disruption

Bane did what she said.  Medicated via her painkillers, he took the time to walk around Positano mask-free, using the multitude of staircases that dotted the vertical village.  It made sense; if he was going to see his son, he couldn’t do it with his mask or with a multi-colored head.  Bane was usually with a soldier or two; doing subtle reconnaissance, learning the layout of the town.  He was already thinking about how to protect Max and Kyle from a distance.  And unbeknownst to her, he hid out in the vacant residence next to her villa and continued to watch them.  The little boy was adorable and sweet.  He didn’t walk; he ran.  He was loud and rambunctious like most boys and he adored his mother.  They laughed, they played, and they danced.  Max was devoted to her son.  Bane couldn’t help but feel a tug in their direction.  Maybe there was still a little bit of human left in his soul.  Maybe the darkness hadn’t eradicated everything.  But Max was determined to keep him at bay.  He knew he wouldn’t be able to stay away from her.  He needed to regroup; to find a balance, to center himself so that he could determine his next course of action.   Max’s world provided a haven outside of time where he could do that. 

Bane waited patiently, knowing that Max would arrive on time; even a few minutes early.  She wasn’t about to miss her “appointment.”  Friday night was date night and he was curious to see what she would be wearing.  Since finding her in Positano, he had many fond recollections of tearing her dress off that night in her bathroom.  Prior to his arrival, Max was a grieving genius drug-dealing recluse, devastated over the loss of her child.  But after he showed up in her life, things changed.  He believed that she’d been with no other man after he left, and while that was confirmed for a couple of years after Kyle was born; it no longer held true once she relocated.  In her own words, she got horny. 

Bane hadn’t engaged in such luxuries; the construction project around Gotham and his plans to destroy the ridiculously corrupt city occupied 99% of his time.  Sometimes he found release in the most cliché of individuals, but they were faceless bags of meat with a necessary orifice.  Whoever they were, they weren’t Max.  He didn’t like the idea of another man being gifted with the marvels of Max’s body.  He was jealous.  He was possessive.  He didn’t think he had those tendencies, but they likely stemmed from his base nature and his desire to protect her.  Bane supposed it was unfair, but he couldn’t help it.  In his mind, Max was his.  He wasn’t about to let her continue her charade and he really didn’t care what she had to say about it.

Her little blue whip pulled up in front of the residence.  Max got out of her car wearing a dress that left no doubt as to its intention.  Bane groaned.  Part of him wanted to destroy the dress she wore.  She certainly brought out his more…unrefined…propensities.  He opened the door before she could knock. 

Max looked at him and smiled, handing him the bag.  “I don’t have a lot of time.  Here’s your brand-new mask.  I added a few more analgesic injections.  Please make sure you’re drinking enough water to flush all this shit out of your kidneys.  Throw in a gallon or two of cranberry juice.”

“I’m taking care of myself, Max.  I drink nothing but water.”  He took the bag.

“I see you’ve been making an attempt to get your head right.”

“Where are you going?”

“To my appointment.”

“Dressed like that?”

“Absolutely.  I get a tune-up every week, just to make sure everything’s in proper working order.”

“You’re not talking about your car, are you?”

Max smiled again.  “Nope.  Anyway, I have to run.  Will you please remember to take better care of yourself?  I’m not going to tell you not to get up to any foolishness, but please, don’t break that mask again.  I’m not going to build you another, and I never want to see you again.  Don’t make me uproot my son, Bane.  Please.”

Bane gave a nod of his head, which meant absolutely nothing.  “Enjoy your evening.”

“Oh, I definitely plan to do that.  Goodbye, Bane.”  Max turned and left; the clicking of her heels on the cobblestone was oddly satisfying.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Max adjusted her boobs and her hair as she walked towards the restaurant.  She and Tammaro had a standing reservation at Il San Pietro de Positano, where they enjoyed a luxuriant dinner and then went upstairs to their usual suite to have equally enjoyable sex.  She’d been doing this with him for a while now.  Tammaro was a PA at the local hospital and considered to be quite the catch from the nurses who swooned over him.  Max didn’t give a damn about any of that shit, but Tammaro came at her hard.  He wanted more out of their relationship and Max was stalling him as best she could; between him and Damiano, she was getting everything she needed and had no wish to complicate her life.  Besides, she wasn’t trying to have a string of dudes around Kyle.  Neither man knew she had a child, and she certainly wasn’t about to tell them.  

She told Bane that she had a man in her life, and it was true.  Tammaro was every inch a delightful, romantic man and she liked him.  But she needed a barrier between herself and Bane.  She had actually kissed him, just the way she used to do it when they were in Macau.  He had the pinkest, prettiest lips she’d ever seen on a man, and even though they were deformed, she still found them appealing.  Max loved kissing Bane and he certainly didn’t have a problem with it.  But she couldn’t slip like that anymore.

When she arrived, she took a moment to adjust her pashmina and fluff her hair.  Tammaro was usually waiting for her at their table; Max was always a few minutes late so that she could wow him (and others) when she entered the restaurant.  Tonight, she wore a bright red Aurelio Costarella evening dress and her hair was elegantly pinned to one side.  She wasn’t blind; she saw the raw look in Bane’s eyes when she stepped out of the car.  Had things been different, the brute would have ripped off the dress and fucked her right up against the door of her car.  But Tammaro had style and finesse, and while Max had no problem with a man being up front about what he wanted, it was nice to be wined and dined.  Tammaro was great for romance.  Damiano, her other lover, was good for fucking; he had a wife and they had an arrangement.  He wasn’t Bane; no man was, but he brought enough heat to the table to satisfy her.

The maître d’ bowed his head.  “Miss Rothschild, I have been asked to inform you that Mr. Alfieri made a change of plans and wishes for you to join him in your usual suite for dinner instead.”

Max smiled at the man.  “Oh really?  Well, alright then.”  Did Tammaro have a surprise for her?  Instead of behaving like two classy adults, was he waiting to ravish her upstairs on a bed of roses or in a bathtub full of petals?  She strolled contentedly down the hall, moving comfortably in a pair of Alexander McQueen stilettos.  Tammaro had the best room in the hotel; it had a terrace that overlooked the Mediterranean.  They kept the doors open to let the salty breeze flow through the suite.  There was always strawberries and champagne and decadent extravagance to be had with her handsome Italian lover.  He liked to kiss her all over and do all sorts of fun things with her body.  Tammaro gave her massages, sucked her toes, sipped champagne out of her navel and ate chocolate off her spine.  Max always left him smiling in bed, tiptoeing out so as not to wake him.  Such overindulgence was fun for a time, but she had a little boy at home.

She knocked on the door and turned the handle.  The door opened smoothly and Max entered, smiling; already horny.  Indeed the room had been decorated and room service ordered.  And apparently, Tammaro was in the bathroom, taking a shower.  She wondered if he left the hospital later than usual and didn’t have time to dress for dinner.  Either way, she was fine with it.

“Tammaro?”

Max stopped to pour a glass of champagne, looking around the room.  Tonight was going to be a good night.  She took a sip and lifted the lids over the plates.  Filet mignon, skewered jumbo shrimp, green beans aldente and an apple salad that she adored.  There was a massive slice of chocolate cake and as usual, a bowl of fat juicy strawberries.  Max wiped a bit of frosting off the plate and stuck her finger in her mouth.

“Mmnn, so good.  Tammaro?”  She was horny; seeing Bane again woke up a couple of things.  She wondered if Tammaro could handle doing her straight up like Bane used to do.  He was a slender fellow, but it was possible.  Either way, she needed to get laid.  Max was certain that her fuckem dress would be useful in that regard.  

She took off her pashmina and laid her clutch bag on the dresser.  Max slipped off her stilettos and grabbed her glass of champagne.  She was not against joining Tammaro for a shower before dinner.  She turned around and the stem fell out of her hands.  It hit the floor, but the carpet was so plush that it didn’t break.

He was standing in front of the bathroom, big as Jupiter, mask in place.

Max swallowed.  She looked around the room.  “What are you doing here?  Where’s Tammaro?”

The mask’s effectiveness could not be denied.  Max’s puny Italian boyfriend set a speed record running away in terror when Bane grabbed him at the door.  Indeed the gentleman planned for the entire evening take place in the suite, but Bane waited just as good until he got the room ready, knocked on the door, and then threatened the man.  Tammaro grabbed his jacket and fled.  Bane entered the room and waited for Max to arrive.  She would be angry for sure, but she’d get past it.  Either way, she wasn't fucking that guy tonight.

“Where’s Tammaro, Bane?  So help me, if you’ve hurt him…”

“I want you to understand that I could have snapped his neck without any provocation.”  Max needed to know how brutal Bane could be.

“Where is he, damn it???”

“Mr. Alfieri had a sudden change of heart.”

“Tammaro doesn’t have a change of heart; not where I’m concerned.  What did you do to him, you bastard?”

“Nothing, I assure you.  I could have done all sorts of things, but I simply told him to leave.”  He threated Tammaro with a nasty death if he ever came near Max again, but she didn’t need to know that.

Max swallowed.  It was as if the rage was a knot in her throat.  “You ruined my evening, you…fucking…dick!”

“I couldn’t stand to see you looking so…tempting.  Had you worn a different dress, perhaps this wouldn’t have happened.”

Max frowned, thinking about her ruined Jean Paul Gaultier.  Bane was not about to put even a fingernail on her Aurelio.  “What are you doing here, Bane?  What do you want?”

He went back into the bathroom and turned off the shower.  Then he came out, drying his hands on a towel.  Max stared at him.  At least the man wasn’t naked.  But in her anger, she doubted that she would have cared.

“You’re supposed to be gone!  You told me that all you wanted was for me to fix your mask.  That’s what you said!  That’s what you said you needed.  Why are you here? Why are you here?  How did you even know I’d be here?  How did you know I’d be here with a man?” Max looked at him.  Realization dawned and the look on her face was one he’d never seen before.

“You sneaky, dirty, lying bastard!  You’ve been spying on me!  You knew I was coming here…you knew where I would be!!!  How long, Bane?  How long?  You know where I live...you have been lying to me all this time! You've seen Kyle!!!”  Her hands knotted into fists and she could have cheerfully wrung his neck had her hands been able to fit around it.

“I never lied to you, Max.”

She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths.  Her blood pressure was through the roof and she was so angry she thought she would have a stroke.  She needed her son.  She needed to go home to her child.  But this…this thickheaded son-of-a-bitch…she had to deal with him once and for all.

“What do you want, Bane?”

“I want to see my son.”

“I said no.”

“He is in no danger, Max.  No harm will come to him.”

“I said no.  No, motherfucker.  N. O.  No.  NO!  You’re not retarded; you understand English.  No.”

Bane stared at her.  She was wearing red; another short, leggy dress that screamed all manner of lascivious things be done to her.  And she was furious.

He was so aroused.

“What did you come here for?  I mean,  you could have dispensed with this earlier this week.”

“You wouldn’t have repaired my mask otherwise.”

She eyed him.  “You knew about Tammaro.  You’ve been watching me fuck him, you pervert!”

“You may as well know that I know everything, Max.  Why you’re surprised surprises me.  You know that I see the whole before I see the parts.  Yes, I’ve seen you with Mr. Alfieri.  I’ve seen him do interesting things with food and your body.  I also know about your married paramour that you see every Saturday afternoon.  Your encounters with him are less…elegant, wouldn’t you say?”

“You know all about Damiano too, don’t you?”

“Of course.  He and Mrs. Tomasu’s marriage is superficial because of their children.  She has a lover and he has you, but he likes you.  You have that effect on men, Max.”

She was completely put out.  “Why did you come here tonight?  Why did you ruin my evening with Tammaro?  Really?  I mean, we’ve had the conversation about Kyle already and you know my answer.  Why did you feel the need to interrupt my date?”

Bane stared at her.  He felt as if he could simply go to Max, pick her up and impale her on his dick.  “I already told you.”

Max nodded her head.  She was so mad that her head was beginning to hurt.  “Okay then. Okay.  So this is how it is.  I get it; I understand.  I know what you really want.  I thought this was all about Kyle, but it’s not.  So I’ll deal with this in the way a woman like me has to deal with hardheaded, stubborn men like you.  You want some pussy.  I told you that you’d be hard pressed to find any as good as mine when you left.”

“And you were correct.”

“I didn’t think that you’d be a completely selfish bastard about it.  But whatever.  Now that the truth is out, I can handle it.  I’ll do anything to protect my son.  If it keeps you away from Kyle, I will smother you in sex.”

Bane stared at her.  Of all the responses he expected, that wasn’t one of them.

Max glared at him.  “I will fuck your brains out twice a week if it will keep you out of Kyle’s life.  I will whore myself if it means you will leave my baby alone.”

He was truly startled enough that he could be forgiven for missing the point.  “Twice?”

“You’re not entitled to any other days of the week.  Friday nights and Saturday afternoons are my—were my—play days.  You, you son-of-a-bitch, that’s all you will get.  You’re lucky to get just that, you fucking asshole.  So I guess you want to bend me over?  That’s why you’re really here, right?  Let’s get to it, then.”

“Max, I just want to see my son.  I’m not asking for anything except to see him.”

“Then why did you come here tonight?  Why did you scare away Tammaro?  And I know you scared off Damiano too.  They have nothing—nothing!—to do with my son!  They don’t even know about him!  All I was doing was having sex.  That’s it!  So you’re going to have to come up with a better lie than that, Bane!  I need you to tell me why you saw fit to scare them off if Kyle is all you want!”

He could see a vein popping out on her neck.  Her blood pressure was obviously through the roof.  “Max, you need to calm down.”

“Calm down?  Are you kidding me?"  Max picked up her shoes and fired both of them in Bane’s direction.  She did it so fast that the first one actually hit him in the chest and the second one grazed his head.  The blow to the chest caused him to step back and he put a hand over his injury.  Then he was pelted with silverware and glassware and he ducked into the bathroom to get away from her verbal and physical missiles.  A stream of epithets flowed out of her mouth like vomit as she threw everything her hands landed on.

He kicked the door closed and took a moment, actually surprised.  He was not used to anyone fighting back; most people crumbled at either the sight of him or at his hands.  But then, he wasn’t dealing with an ordinary person.  Max was the mother of his child and he’d just as soon eat molten glass than hurt her.  He moved to block the door to keep her from entering.  Max pummeled the door with her fists.  She was so mad that she didn’t care who heard her.

“Open this door, you bastard!  Open it right now!  Get your big ass out here!  You’re not so tough, are you!  You’re running from a girl, you little punk-ass bitch!  Open this door, Bane!  I’m going to fucking kill you!”

She was pounding the door so hard that if he opened unexpectedly, her momentum would cause her to fall.  It was an edge; something to help him regain control of the situation.  He needed to calm her down.   So Bane opened the door and sure enough, Max barged into the room.  She lost her footing, fell, and thumped her head against the sink.

more...