“Yeah, Maria?” he
glanced up briefly from the computer monitor.
“Um, I have a little
problem.”
His jaw clenched, and he turned toward her slowly, his
voice was soft, almost scared, “What is it?”
“Well, um, a while ago
I had to dip onto my credit card. It only had a $250 limit, so I kept
telling myself I’d get it paid off eventually…You know, my old work shoes
broke, and there was that month we didn’t have any cash left for
groceries-.”
“Maria…just tell me.”
“Uh, I haven’t been able
to make the minimums for a couple of months. They’re trying to take me to
court. If they do, I’ll have to pay their attorney fees. So, I called
them, and they said if I had the money by Friday…”
Carefully he
swallowed, obviously trying to act as if it wasn’t a big deal, “How
much?”
“It’s ah, $300. There were all of these late fees tacked on.
Look, if I had anything else to sell, I wouldn’t come to you, but I
honestly don’t. This is why I took the extra shift this morning, and that
should give me an extra $60 or so…”
“Well, I must have something
left to sell,” he took a quick look around the room. Most of their
furniture would be lucky to fetch $5 at a garage sale.
Maria
couldn’t keep her eyes from sliding to his computer. He’d bought it only
weeks before the accident. Although she knew they didn’t really hold their
value, she knew it had to be worth at least $200.
Kyle caught her
staring at it and looked over at it himself. There was a brief look of
fear on his face, then he reached for his crutches, and mumbled, “I’ll be
right back.”
He returned and handed her his watch and his wedding
ring, before sitting back down in front of the computer.
“Kyle, are
you sure?”
“Absolutely. I don’t need them. Anything I have is
yours, you know that. I owe you more than I can ever repay, Maria,” he
didn’t look at her, but stared blankly at the monitor screen.
She
nodded slowly, and whispered, “Thank you.”
***
He grabbed
the last of Tess’s bags and walked out the front door to throw it in the
backseat of the taxi.
“You could have let me drive you,” he said,
looking down at her as she was moving to get into the
car.
“Michael, this is the only way to start my new ‘independent’
phase.”
He couldn’t help but smile a little, “Yeah, ok.”
She
patted his cheek, “Thank you for everything. For letting me stay, and not
prying, and just generally being your wonderful self.”
He nodded
and rolled his eyes, “All right. Get out of here.”
“Bye, Michael!”
she called as she ducked her head into the vehicle.
Smiling, he
gave her a little wave and then watched the taxi drive away. He walked
into his front door and immediately the phone
rang.
“Yeah?”
“Michael?”
“Well, yeah,
Max.”
“Um, listen…Iz…well, she’s planning to pay you a
visit.”
“Why?”
“I-I…I don’t really know. Just thought I’d
give you a heads up.”
“Thanks,” Michael said, running his hand
through his hair wearily.
“Yeah, sure. Uh, I’m gonna’ be in the
neighborhood tomorrow afternoon, so I thought I’d stop by.”
“On a
Friday afternoon? Max the workaholic in my neighborhood before the end of
the workday. That’s normal.”
“Well, I’ve got a date…”
“A
date.”
“Yeah, you do remember what a date is, don’t you? I know you
can’t get one-.”
“Shut up, Max.”
“Well, anyway, I thought
I’d stop by, in case you need to talk.”
“In case I need to
talk…”
“You know, since Isabel’s coming to see you, I
thought…”
“Yeah. What the hell is she coming to see me for,
Maxwell?”
“I’d rather let her tell you.”
“Thanks man, you
give new meaning to the term ‘friend’.”
“Mich-.”
Michael
clicked the phone off and tossed it onto the counter, taking a deep
breath.
***
Maria felt like the money was a heavy lump in
her pocket. $160 was all she’d gotten for the watch and the ring that
morning. It wasn’t enough. She’d spoken to the attorney, and he’d said
that as long as she had $298 to him by tomorrow things would be all right.
But, she didn’t have it. She was about $50
short.
“Mrya!”
She glanced over at the cook. He looked
angry, probably had been trying to get her attention. Putting an
apologetic smile on, she walked over to the order window and picked up the
plates he’d just set there. Two cheeseburgers for the guys at booth
three.
Walking over to them, she put on her biggest smile, hoping
it might earn her a nice tip, “Ok, boys, two
cheeseburgers.”
“Thanks, sweetie,” the forty-ish one said giving
her an approving once-over.
She tried not to cringe.
“No
problem, anything else I can do for you?”
“Oh, there’s plenty you
can do for me, honey,” the younger one said raising his eyebrows, and
glancing at his buddy for a sick laugh.
Just smile and nod,
smile and nod…
She gave them a smile and walked away. No, they
definitely weren’t going to leave a good tip.
What was she going to
do? She’d waited until today to pawn Kyle’s things, hoping she’d find
another solution. Of course she hadn’t. As it was she’d had to ask for a
pay advance for the money she’d earned from her Sunday shift. There was
only one thing left to do. Ask for another advance for the other $50, and
just pray she’d be able to make up the gap in their monthly budget. It
would be tough. The only area that was ever flexible was groceries, and
she hated the thought of Abby eating Top Ramen for the rest of the
month.
“Hey, Maria,” Liz’s voice sounded from behind
her.
“Hey, just get here?”
“Yup. Sorry. My class ran a
little over.”
“No prob. It’s not rush time yet.”
“Yeah, I
know. I wish Murray would let me come in at 4:30 instead of 4:00 on
Tuesdays and Thursdays.”
Maria laughed, Murray did keep them on an
interesting schedule.
“So, Liz…you getting nervous?”
Liz
smiled shyly, “No…”
“Come on…”
“No, Maria,” she
giggled.
Maria winked at her, “Sure…”
“No,” she grinned,
“stop it. Hey, he flirted with you first.”
“Yeah, like anybody
would look at me twice with you around,” Maria nudged her
friend.
Liz rolled her eyes, “Whatever, Maria. So, how are the tips
today?”
“Not great. Wish they were better, I could use the
money.”
Nodding sympathetically, Liz smiled softly. She was really
the only one who knew Maria’s situation, “I wish I could
help…”
Instantly, Maria felt embarrassed, “Oh no. Nothing like
that. I can handle it. Just complaining, you know,” she finished with a
lame smile.
Liz didn’t look thoroughly convinced, “Yeah…Well, hey
at least you haven’t had to deal with ‘no tip’.”
For a moment Maria
felt nervous, but then she saw the joking smile on Liz’s face. She hadn’t
seen the guy since the incident in the park on Sunday. In a way she was
glad, but it was strange not to see him. Sometimes he wouldn’t come in for
a day or two, but he’d never stayed away for so long. It sort of bothered
her.
“Yeah, I guess I should be thankful for the small things,”
Maria joked back to Liz.
***
Michael stood looking into his
open fridge. It had been really nice having Tess there to cook for him.
He’d even had leftovers for lunch everyday. Well, not everyday, but he
hadn’t needed to go to the diner all week…
He grabbed the phone and
dialed the number.
“Hey, Jose…Yeah, it’s really me, not dead or
anything…No, had a friend staying for a few days and she likes to cook,
so…Just the usual…Thanks, man.”
Just as he clicked the phone off he
heard a knock at the door. There was no way they were this
fast.
He flung the door open, half expecting the
blonde…
Sh*t.
“Isabel.”
“Hi. May I come
in?”
He stared at her. Of course he’d had a warning that she was
coming…
“Yeah…” he backed up a little, allowing her to
enter.
“Oh, you re-did the paneling. I haven’t been here
since…”
“I know.”
She moved gracefully into the room and
settled herself onto the easy chair in near the windows. Instantly, she
looked at home. As if the furniture and the surroundings had been created
to frame her. Her smile was thoughtful as she watched him lean against the
wall of the entryway.
“Michael, why don’t you come sit
down?”
He started to move to obey, and then realized that this was
his house and he should be the one inviting people to sit.
“Been
sitting, rather stand.”
A faint look of irritation passed over her
face, but she quickly composed herself, and gave him an amused smile, “Do
you hate me?”
“No.”
“Good. Because I don’t hate you. You’re
important to me, Michael. I think you always will be. Even if you don’t
really believe it, I just want you to be happy, I don’t want to hurt
you.”
“Isabel, I don’t wanna’ talk about it,” he rolled his eyes
and tried to look nonchalant, walking into the kitchen and grabbing a soda
out of the fridge. A voice in the back of his mind told him he should
offer her one, but he knew she’d just help herself if she wanted anything.
Obviously she felt as ‘at home’ in his place as she had when they were
still together.
“Michael there’s something I need to tell
you.”
He popped open the can and leaned over the kitchen counter,
“What?”
She turned to look at him, forced to re-position herself in
the chair, “I’m pregnant.”
Michael nearly choked, but somehow
managed to stay calm, mainly by coming up with something cruel to say to
her, “Well, that’s always been a transient state for you. Give it another
week.”
Sighing, she looked down at her hands, as if he had told her
to go sit in the corner, “Please, this isn’t easy for me…”
He
scoffed, “It’s always been easy for you.”
“I’m keeping the
baby. Alex and I will be married next month.”
“Wonderful.
Congratulations. Be sure to let me know where you’re registered,” he
turned and threw the half finished soda into the kitchen sink. It hit with
a large bang and bounced a few times before rolling to a stop over the
drain.
“Michael-.”
“What?” he whirled back to look at her.
“Couldn’t you have just told me this the other day? Why drag it out? Next
week I suppose you’ll want to meet me for coffee to tell me you have a
brain tumor.”
She looked hurt at his words, and he saw the tear
slip down her cheek, “I didn’t know until a few days ago.”
“Huh.
Didn’t need weeks to debate about what to do? Already decided to keep it.
So, uh, was this ‘Alex’ guy lucky enough to be informed of your
‘decision’? Does he know he’s going to be a father?”
“Yes,
Michael, of course he knows,” she stood, and walked toward the kitchen.
She almost seemed to glide, holding his gaze.
God, he wished he
could hate her.
“Well, of course he does,” his voice was
sarcastic but hoarse. “He must have passed inspection. Been found worthy
to impregnate the almighty Isabel Evans.”
Stopping in front of him,
she reached up to touch his cheek. He shied away from
her.
“Michael-.”
“ Don’t,” he whispered.
“This
is why I wanted to tell you in person,” she said softly, looking forlornly
at him, “I was afraid you’d think that. Please, don’t hate me. It
was what was right at the time.”
“ For you,” he wished his
voice was harsher, but he knew it was weak and pathetic.
She
nodded, slowly, another tear sliding down her cheek. Again, she reached to
touch him and he took another step backwards. Her fingers reached out in
his direction for a moment before her arm fell gracefully to her
side.
“Michael…”
He cleared his throat, regained a little
bit of his composure. Crossing his arms over his chest, he nodded toward
the door, “I think you know your way
out.”
“Please-.”
Narrowing his eyes, he pointed at the
entryway, “The door’s over there.”
Isabel shook her head sadly and
sighed, giving him a sad look. He tried to ignore her and turned back to
the fridge to pull out another soda.
Just keep it together for
another minute…
When he backed away from the refrigerator he
saw her standing by the door, watching him.
“I’ll always love you,
Michael,” her voice broke.
He almost cracked. It took all of his
strength to stop himself from going to her and wrapping her in his arms.
She might deserve his anger, but she didn’t really deserve
this…
“Bye,” he said, looking her in the eyes, trying to look
impassive.
Nodding, she turned and walked out the
door.
***
Maria was lost in thought as she refilled the
napkin holders. Murray had just brought her the second advance she’d asked
for. There had been questions in his eyes, but she’d somehow avoided them.
He was a nice guy, she was lucky. Now, she just had to figure out how to
tell Kyle that she’d had to take money out of her normal pay. He wouldn’t
say anything, she knew. If he did, it would probably be about the fact
that it was her money, and she could do whatever she liked. That just made
it worse.
“Maria…” Liz’s voice called behind
her.
“Yeah?”
Liz laughed softly, “Uh, you were lost in space
there for a little while.”
Maria tried to smile, “Oh, sorry. Just
thinking about stuff.”
“Yeah, sure,” Liz teased. “You were dreaming
about going home. I know that ‘my shift is over in five minutes’
look.”
Trying to laugh, Maria put down the dispenser she was
holding and grabbed the box of napkins to return it to the back
room.
“Liz,” the cook said sharply. “Got a delivery.”
Maria
turned to hear Liz say a quick “Ok.”
“Uh, I’ll do it for you, Liz.
I’m leaving anyway.”
Liz peaked her head into the kitchen as Maria
exited the back room, “Did I hear you right?”
“Well, it’s for the
guy across the street, right?” Maria asked, looking in Jose’s
direction.
He nodded absently, not really looking up at
her.
“Maria, are you feeling all right? I never thought I’d see the
day that you’d volunteer to go over there,” Liz looked at her with
scrutiny.
If she was honest with herself, Maria would have to admit
that she never thought she’d see the day either. She didn’t really know
why she wanted to do it. For some reason it sounded exciting. It would
give her something to worry about other than the money situation,
for a few minutes anyway. Something about the situation with Michael
distracted her. Of course, it put her at about a seventh grade maturity
level to think about it so much, but still…
“Yeah, Liz, I feel
fine. I’m leaving anyway, no big deal.”
“Right…” Liz said amusedly
as she turned back into the dining room.
Maria quickly put her coat
on and grabbed the paper bag containing his food. The night air was
bitterly cold on her face as she stepped outside, and the rain drops that
pelted her were blown in from the side making them sting. She pulled her
collar up and dashed across the street, pausing just inside the door to
his building to shake the water off of her hair and coat. It was a moment
before she noticed the woman standing outside his door.
The woman
was tall and blonde, dressed very nicely in gray slacks and a crisply
pressed maroon shirt. Her black leather coat was laid over her crossed
arms, and her eyes were closed, her head leaned back against the wall. She
looked chic, perfect. Feeling horribly inadequate, Maria awkwardly shifted
her weight from one foot to the other, knowing she needed to alert the
woman to her presence, but not wanting to disturb her.
Before Maria
had a chance to speak, the woman opened her eyes and looked in her
direction. A small smile spread across her perfect lips, and Maria
couldn’t help but give her a tiny one in return.
“I was just
leaving,” the woman said softly, moving away from the wall and walking
past her out the door.
For a moment, Maria stared after the woman,
but then remembered why she was there and walked over to the door and
knocked. No answer, so she knocked again. Maybe he wasn’t here and that
was why the woman had been waiting in the hallway, no that didn’t make
sense.
Just as she raised her hand to knock again, he threw the
door open.
“What?!?” he seemed surprised to see her, and his face
relaxed slightly. “Oh, it’s you.”
The apartment was dark behind
him, and his face was pale and drawn. Maybe he’d been sick and that was
why he hadn’t been in. Whatever his problem was, he looked awful, and she
felt badly for him.
He was just sitting there staring at her, so
she spoke, “Uh, do you want me to bring this in for you?”
A look of
confusion passed over his face, but then he stepped aside and let her
in.
***
He was surprised to see the girl. Turning, he
watched her walk inside the apartment to his kitchen. Closing the door, he
followed her, and saw her unpacking the bag, laying the items out on the
counter.
She looked up at him, and her brow was furrowed slightly,
her face was lit only by the light streaming in from the large rain soaked
windows in the living room. Her hair was pulled back into a bun as usual,
and as usual, several strands had escaped. There were raindrops shining on
her everywhere: in her hair, on her face, on her coat. Those eyes looked
large and dark in the moonlight. He had the sudden urge to paint them
again.
“So, uh…Thursday…chicken fried steak, dinner salad, slice of
cherry pie…” her voice trailed off as she moved her eyes to the ceiling as
if in thought.
“$11.50,” he said softly, answering her own question
for her.
“Yeah,” she looked down at the food on the counter and bit
her lower lip. Then, she shivered.
“Let me go get my wallet,” he
said.
She nodded, and then sneezed as he walked toward the stairs.
While he was in his bedroom he heard her sneeze a couple more times, and
then she did it again as he was walking down the stairs. He noticed that
she was shivering almost uncontrollably.
“Uh…sorry… achoo,”
she paused to wait for the sneeze to pass then looked at him again, “the
chills, this always happens… aaaaachoooooo,” she sniffed, and
wrapped her arms around herself, still shivering, “…need warm water. Can I
use your… achoo…”
He nodded and motioned his hand toward the
stairs without waiting to hear more. She looked gratefully up at him as
she sneezed again, then threw her coat onto the counter and ran for the
stairs.
Michael watched her as she disappeared into the bathroom.
She was so strange. Always doing something totally unexpected. After that
day in the park, when she’d been so tough and put him on his guard, it
seemed almost bizarre that she was now being polite and asking for his
help. If it weren’t for the fact that she’d got him really working again
he’d just ignore her, but she was slightly intriguing.
For about
five minutes, he leaned on the kitchen counter, wondering when she would
be down. He pulled a twenty out of his wallet and laid it on the counter.
She probably wouldn’t have change with her. It would be interesting to see
her unable to refuse a tip. Yeah, that would restore the balance between
them. After all, she was just the waitress in the diner across the street.
Being inspired by her was like being inspired by the check-out girl at the
grocery store, or the guy at the post office, just people with pathetic
dreary lives that made him think.
Ten minutes later, he moved to
sit on the couch. What on earth was she doing up there? He looked outside
at the rain pounding down on the windowpanes. Right now, he wanted to be
sitting by himself, obsessing about why he had never been good enough for
Isabel. She was interrupting his self-torture, and it was pissing him off.
Now was the time to be wondering what made ‘Alex’ worthy of her when he
never had been. He really didn’t want to spend time sitting in his living
room wondering if the ‘waitress’ was snorting lines of coke off his toilet
seat.
Five minutes passed, and he rose to climb the steps. He was
standing in front of the door, and ready to knock when she opened it, and
turned off the light. His presence made her jump. She let out a small gasp
and put her hand over her heart.
“Sorry,” she said softly, staring
down at her shoes, “ever since I was a little kid that’s
happened.”
She glanced up at him through her lashes. It had to be
the moonlight. Suddenly, she looked very appealing, and he had no idea
why.
Michael wasn’t sure which one of them moved first, although he
had a sneaking suspicion it was him.
His hands gripped her
shoulders and pulled her forward. Her head tipped back, and her eyes
closed as his lips met hers.
The taste of bubblegum was on her
lips, and her small hands felt feather light as she slid them up to cup
his neck. Her touch excited him, making him want more. He flicked his
tongue out to lick her lips, and she opened her mouth to him. Moving his
hands down, he gripped her hips and pulled her tightly to him. Oh
God, she was turning him on.
He broke away from her mouth and
placed rough kisses along her jaw, working his way down to her neck. She
moved her head to the side, giving him easy access. Her skin smelled
faintly of flowers, and he bit softly at the crux of her neck before
moving back to kiss her full lips again.
She stood on tip-toe,
pressing herself to him as she kissed him hotly, completely.
When
he reached down and grabbed her ass pulling her up, she complied, wrapping
her legs around his waist, and burying one of her hands in his
hair.
So, she was just another chick after all. Just another in a
long line who wanted to screw him, probably so that she could brag to her
friends. Well, he’d let her. He needed a distraction. Holding her with one
hand, he reached into the drawer below the bathroom sink, feeling around
blindly for a condom as he kissed
her.
*************************
Part
4B *************************
Finally, he found one and slipped
it into the pocket of his jeans as he set her down on the counter, and
began unzipping her uniform. Their lips never broke contact as he worked
her zipper down and she slid her hands up under his t-shirt. When the
zipper was all the way down, he moved his hands around her waist. Her skin
was smooth and tight, and he spread his fingers wide on her back, grabbing
her, pulling her closer.
Moving back for a split second, she sucked
on his bottom lip and shrugged quickly out of the sleeves, letting the
uniform fall back onto the counter behind her. He moved his hands up
quickly to undo her bra in the back, and she rolled her shoulders forward
slightly so that he could pull it off. Then, he let his hands wander down
to her tiny cotton panties. She shifted off of the counter slightly so
that he could pull them away from her.
He pulled back, breaking the
kiss and looked down at her. She seemed slightly self-conscious under his
gaze and reached for him, urging him back into a kiss. Her breasts were
almost perfect, and he couldn’t resist moving his right hand up to feel
one of them. Sliding his hand over it, he felt her nipple harden and
flicked it with his thumb. She moaned.
Her hands grabbed the hem of
his shirt, and pulled upwards, he let her pull the shirt off of him
quickly, and then he picked her up off the counter again, feeling her legs
wrap around him. He turned and pressed her back against the open bathroom
door. She moved one arm from around his back and slid it down between them
to caress him through his jeans, he was so hard it was beginning to hurt.
Kissing him hungrily, she deftly opened the button on his jeans and
unzipped them using only one hand.
Thinking quickly, he snaked one
hand into his pocket and pulled out the foil wrapper before she began
shoving his pants down. Soon they were pooled at his ankles and he stepped
out of them, kicking them to the side. He wanted her, and he wanted her
now.
Pressing her against the door to steady her, he brought
his hand around to touch her lower lips. He felt her wetness before he
even slipped his fingers inside. Flicking her clit once with his thumb, he
roughly pushed two fingers inside her. She leaned her head back against
the door hard, letting out a long gasp as she broke his kiss
again.
So, she was one of those. Ready to go at the drop of a hat.
Briefly he wondered how much practice she’d had, as he ripped the condom
wrapper open with his teeth and quickly pulled his boxers off before
sheathing himself with the latex. He was painfully hard, and almost
shaking with anticipation. It was probably because it had been a while
since he’d actually had a girl.
He moved himself to her entrance,
and teased her, moving himself back and forth across her slick, puckered
lips. She groaned, and pushed back against the door, as if she was bracing
herself. Her eyes were closed and she was biting her lower lip, as her
arms wrapped around his neck and her fingers brushed softly against his
neck. If she wanted it like that, she could have it. Quickly he used
himself to open her and then drove home.
Oh God. Oh
no.
Too late. He felt it too late. The barrier, the resistance,
there for just a brief second before his momentum tore through
it.
Her head was turned to the side, and she was biting her bottom
lip even harder. She had her eyes closed tightly, and her arms squeezed
his neck tightly. Two tears fell quickly, one after another from the eye
that he could see.
No. Why? Why had she let him do
it?
She was in pain. It was written all over her face, and her body
was horribly tense. Not to mention that she was so tight it hurt him. He
wasn’t sure what to do. It seemed as though time had frozen and he
contemplated what to do next, unable to breathe, still buried deep inside
her.
Just as he had decided to pull out, her death-grip on his neck
loosened, and she slowly exhaled. Opening her eyes, she turned to look at
him full on, staring right into his eyes. She looked uncertain, and cocked
her head to the side. Her eyes seemed to be pleading, and when she moved
slightly underneath him, her gaze growing wider, he understood that she
wanted him to continue.
He couldn’t let it be like this. This
wasn’t right. Not here, against his bathroom door. He gripped her and hips
and lifted her, sliding himself out slowly. Carrying her, he walked a few
steps down the hall and entered his bedroom. She still had her arms around
his neck, and she leaned forward slightly, so that her cheek was pressed
against his. Feeling the wetness of her tears against his skin, his chest
tightened painfully.
Laying her down gently on the bed, he leaned
down on one forearm, looming over her. His other hand caressed her face
softly, fingers trailing lightly from her forehead down to her jaw. She
watched him carefully with her eyes wide as he did this, and then closed
her lids softly and leaned her head against his hand.
She was
beautiful. He’d never noticed before. Her features were soft, and round,
like a china doll, and her skin was like porcelain. Something about the
picture didn’t seem quite right, and he slid his hand under her head,
finding the pins that held her hair back he pulled them out one by one and
loosened her hair so that it fanned out slightly, loose beneath
her.
Her lips pouted slightly as he ran his hand lightly down her
body and he leaned down to kiss her again, this time with a passion that
seemed to consume him. She slid her hands around his waist and up his
back, pulling him closer to her. His mouth still locked to hers, his hand
found it’s way to her core, she was still wet. At his touch, she writhed
under him and ground her pelvis against his fingers.
Carefully, he
moved himself between her legs and entered her again, gently. She tensed
slightly, then sighed as he sank fully into her. He closed his eyes
tightly, fighting for control. The sensation was so strong, he moaned, “Oh
God…”
Slowly, he began to move. She tilted her hips up, giving him
easier access. After a while, she wrapped her legs around his waist.
Somehow, everything moved naturally, smoothly. Her legs urged him to move
faster, to go deeper and he did, filling her to the hilt, then leaving her
body quickly to do it again…and again…and again. No words came out of her
mouth, only moans and sighs and groans. Her eyes remained closed, and she
thrashed her head wildly on the pillow beneath him. If he would change his
rhythm, or reposition her hips, she would let out a little gasp and arch
her back off the bed.
Every new thing she felt, he felt. Each time
her lips would form a silent ‘o’ of pleasure, he found himself closer to
the edge. She was intoxicating. Her complete abandonment to the moment,
her reaction to every thrust, her tiny fingernails digging into the flesh
of his neck…
He couldn’t hold out much longer, it was torture.
Moving his hand down, he worked his forefinger in circles over her clit
until she was unable to contain her cries. The muscles of her inner walls
clenched and unclenched repeatedly as he drove into her, milking him,
bringing him with her.
When it was over, he lay still on top of
her, spent. Moving his hands to her face, he brushed her hair back,
smoothing it and she opened her eyes. Her look was soft and tender at
first, but then as she searched his face she started to look uncertain. He
stared down at her, wanting to speak, but not knowing what to say.
Finally, realizing he couldn’t stay inside her forever, he pulled out and
rolled over to lay on the bed next to
her.
*************************
Part
4C *************************
Michael turned his head to stare at
her naked form lying next to him. Virgin. She was a virgin. No, she had
been a virgin. Not anymore. He wanted to ask her why. Why him?
Why?
She was staring up at the ceiling, then she reached up behind
her head and grabbed one of his pillows, pulling it down to cover her
body. Her tiny hand covered her eyes briefly, then slowly began to massage
her forehead.
He wanted to ask her to remove the pillow, he wanted
to go get his sketchbook and catch her on paper. It seemed that she sensed
his eyes on her, because she glanced over at him.
“ Why?” he
managed to choke out.
Her voice was soft as she stared at him, “Oh,
I’m sorry. Everyone always said it just came naturally, but I know I
didn’t do it right.”
What was she talking about? He was
confused.
“No…” he shook his head slowly.
She inhaled
sharply and sat up, still clutching the pillow to her body. As soon as she
was standing, she threw it onto the bed and walked out into the hall. He
stood and threw the condom in the trash, then followed
her.
“Wait-,” he said as she closed the bathroom door in his face.
He leaned on the doorjamb, running his other hand through his hair. When
he heard the shower switch on, he went back into his bedroom and pulled a
clean pair of boxers and some plaid pajama pants out of his dresser
drawer.
There were still no lights on, so he switched on the lamp
next to his bed to dress by. That was when he noticed the small bloodstain
on his comforter. He walked over and touched it. Warm, still wet. Sitting
down hard on the bed next to it, he listened to the sounds of her
showering in his bathroom.
Why, why, why? He couldn’t
understand it. So, she didn’t have rugrats at home, and there must not be
a lazy guy either. Thoughts of the little girl in the park swirled through
his head. Maybe she was a neighbor’s daughter. Was this girl a saint?
Coming home after her seventh day of work in one week to take someone
else’s kid to the playground?
He heard the shower switch off and
quickly pulled on the pants, before going out to stand by the bathroom
door. She emerged a few minutes later, letting some steam escape with her.
The long blonde hair had been pulled back into a simple ponytail at the
base of her neck, and the uniform was once again in place.
Michael
reached his hand out to touch her, but she darted past him and moved to
the stairs. He followed her. When she grabbed her coat from the kitchen,
he called out to her.
“Maria!”
She hesitated and turned to
look at him, then slowly began walking backwards in the direction of the
door, “I’m sorry.”
“No,” he said softly, shaking his head. As he
walked past the kitchen, he grabbed the order ticket, the twenty, and his
wallet off the counter.
Turning, she was at the door in a few more
steps. Quickly, he moved to catch her.
“ Wait,” he said as
she opened the door.
She half turned, and stood framed in
silhouette in the doorway. Her eyes were on the ground as she spoke,
“Look, I’m sorry. It was a stupid thing for me to do. I really have to go
now.”
He didn’t understand. Had he done something to make her run,
or did she just regret the whole thing so much she needed to get
away?
“Here, at least…” he reached into his wallet and pulled out a
fifty and held it out to her along with the twenty already in his
hand.
Tears fell down her cheeks almost immediately when she looked
at his hand. She shook her head violently, and her lips twisted into a wry
smile, before she whispered sarcastically, “Uh, this one’s on the
house.”
Before he could react she had turned and was exiting the
building. Shoving his feet into the worn out old sneakers he kept by the
door, he grabbed his jacket and his keys from their hook by the
door.
***
She could hear his footsteps behind her.
Thankfully he didn’t move to catch her, just followed at a
distance.
It wasn’t supposed to happen like that. He wasn’t what
she wanted, and he certainly wasn’t what she needed. Who was she kidding?
It wasn’t as if there was anything real between them, so there was no
point in speculating on how well they fit together. No, this was just sex.
Just sex.
Sex. She’d spent most of her high school years trying to
avoid it, and then she’d spent the summer before her sophomore year at
university trying to give Doug Sohn the hint that she was ready. Of course
she hadn’t been close to anyone since, and it was just one of those things
that fell through the cracks of her life.
So, she wasn’t a virgin
anymore. Well, it had to happen sometime. And, so what if she hadn’t been
good enough at it for him, he’d never have to be with her again. No point
in getting all sentimental about it…
No point in entertaining
thoughts that she might be falling in love with the
weirdo.