| PARTS 10-12 |
PART TEN Maria glanced at the clock above the door. Three hours and she still hadn’t seen him. Swallowing hard, she tried to put a smile on her face as she delivered the breakfast plates to table two. At least she’d had all of Sunday to prepare herself. Not that she’d done much preparing. Mostly she’d just sat in her room pigging out on the pumpkin pie Kyle brought home with him, and avoiding her brother’s questions about the night before. As she was dispensing change for the lone guy at the counter she heard the door chime, and knew, knew it was him. Trying to keep her mind on what she was doing, she walked back to the guy and handed him the change. “Uh, Miss, I gave you a twenty, not a ten,” the man said staring down at the bills she’d laid in front of him. “Oh, sorry,” she whispered as she walked back to the register quickly, pretending not to see Michael as he sat down. Pulling out a ten dollar bill, she walked back to the man and handed it to him, “Here you go, sir, sorry about that.” “Sure,” the man said as he grabbed the money and left. Quickly washing her hands in the small sink in the corner, she walked back and placed a cup in front of him and filled it with coffee, making an effort to keep her hands from shaking. He was watching her. She could feel it. His eyes were like lasers, boring holes into her skin. “Good morning,” he said, his voice low and flat. She jerked up quickly and splashed coffee onto the counter. He spoke to her. He didn’t speak to her, not here. He didn’t say ‘Good morning’. Using a nearby washcloth, she cleaned up the spill. “Not speaking, huh?” he asked her as she started to walk away. Her feet were frozen to the ground. Turning slowly, she tried to avoid looking into his eyes. He didn’t look angry, but his gaze was still piercing. “I…uh, good morning,” she whispered, then turned and walked into the kitchen. She hurried about, waiting on the three tables of customers, and doing her best to pretend he wasn’t there. When the cook put up his order, she had to retrieve it and take it to him. “Thanks,” he said as she set the plate in front of him. What was he trying to do? “Y-you’re welcome,” she said She accidentally met his eyes, and quickly looked away again. It was going to be a long day. *** Michael walked across the street and entered the diner. It wasn’t quite 9, so he sat down at the counter. She had seen him come in, he saw her make a run for the kitchen. When he’d come in earlier for breakfast she’d wanted to do the same thing – he could tell. “What can I get for you?” He was startled and looked up to see a strange new blonde in uniform. “Uh, nothing,” he said, wondering who she was. The girl looked at him strangely, “Well, I don’t know if we’re supposed to let people sit in here without ordering.” That made sense, but since he didn’t want to explain that he was waiting for someone to get off work he said the first thing that came to mind, “Coffee.” “Ok,” the girl smiled and walked away. When she returned, she set a cup down in front of him and started filling it. “Uh, just half,” he said holding his hand up to halt her pouring. The girl laughed softly, “I’ve still got to charge you for a full cup.” He looked up at her, irritated, “That’s fine.” “I thought maybe that was why you weren’t ordering-.” “I can afford a cup of coffee,” he said, glancing at the clock above the door hoping that Maria would appear soon. Damn, still another five minutes. “Ok, sorry didn’t mean to offend you,” the girl said with an amused look. “So, uh, do you come in here often?” Michael swung back around to look at the girl, “Yeah.” “I’ll probably be seeing a lot of you then,” she said with a smile. He stared blankly at her. Why was she talking to him? “Yeah…” he whispered, seriously contemplating waiting outside in the cold. “So, do you have a name?” “Everybody has a name,” he retorted, wishing she’d shut up and leave him alone. “Well, that’s true, do you know what yours is?” she had adopted a teasing tone, and she was batting her eyelashes. “Michael.” “Michael…?” “Guerin.” “Michael Guerin. Nice name. Do you want to know mine?” “No.” “Ok…” she laughed, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Are you scared of girls or something?” Michael dug into his pocket, pulled out a bill and laid it on the counter, then stood to walk out the door. “This is a twenty,” the girl said, holding the bill up in the air and looking at him curiously. “Yeah, thanks for the coffee,” he muttered as he turned to walk toward the door. Just then, Maria burst out of the kitchen, cast a quick glance at him then headed straight for the door. He quickly moved to follow her. “Don’t be a stranger,” he heard the new waitress call as he stepped outside. Maria was a couple of steps ahead of him, and he had to jog to catch her. When he reached her side, she started to walk faster. He kept pace with her, trying to keep an eye on her face as they made their way to her building. Her eyes were downcast, and she was biting her lip. They had just stepped up onto her block when she halted suddenly. He turned back to look at her, and followed her gaze to the yellow car parked in front of her building. She looked worried. “What is it?” he asked. She jumped slightly and glanced at him for a moment. For a moment, he thought she would speak because her lips began to move, but then she swallowed hard and started to walk again. He walked with her, and watched the nervous looks she was giving the yellow car with curiosity. When they reached her building, he stopped at the bottom of the steps and watched her walk up to the door as usual. Once she was inside, he walked over to the yellow car and looked it over. It was an older compact, and it was extremely dirty. Maybe it belonged to an old boyfriend or something. The very thought of that made him angry. There was so much he didn’t know about her. He really needed to have a long talk with Liz and get her whole story. Of course, he could always ask Maria. She probably wouldn’t tell him anything though. His fingers started to worry his eyebrow as he sat down on the steps of her building, debating what she would do if he pushed the intercom button for her apartment. *** Maria took the steps up to the apartment two at a time. There was a chance that she was wrong about the car, there were probably thousands of those cars in yellow. No reason to jump to the conclusion that-. She quickly unlocked the door and walked in. All of the lights were on, and she could hear Kyle’s voice coming from the kitchen in a yelling whisper. “…take what you want and go. I’m not going to play this game.” “Take what I want?” Vickie’s voice was loud. “I want my daughter!” “Really? Since when?” Kyle’s voiced was hushed, but full of sarcasm. Maria walked down the hall to her bedroom quickly, hoping they didn’t see her as she walked past the kitchen. Changing quickly into jeans and a sweater, she walked out of her room to see Abby in the hall sleepily rubbing her eyes. “Where’s daddy?” the little girl asked her. Maria picked her up and carried her back into the bedroom, “Shhh, kiddo, you should be in bed.” “They woke me up,” Abby said. “I know, but go back to sleep,” Maria said softly, tucking her carefully into the bed. “What is she doing here?” Vickie asked flinging open the door of Abby’s room. “That’s my mom,” Abby said softly to Maria, pointing at Vickie. “I know, sweetie,” Maria said, kissing her on the forehead quickly before walking past Vickie out to the living room. Kyle was leaned against the wall by the front door, giving Maria an apologetic look. “Why is she here?” Vickie asked, pointing at Maria. “Why do you think? She lives here,” Kyle said sharply, while trying to keep his voice low. “I don’t want her in my house. You should have heard what she said to me, Kyle,” Vickie said, putting a hand on her hip. “This isn’t your house any more,” Maria said glaring at Vickie. “It is my house, and I want you out of it,” Vickie took a step toward her threateningly. Maria tried to remain calm. Tried to remember that Abby was in the house. She couldn’t blow up like she had when Vickie had called the summer before. If only they had been able to afford for Kyle to divorce her, but they’d had to give up after the legal separation. “Vickie, you’re not staying here. That is ridiculous. Go stay with your parents, you can see Abby tomorrow,” Kyle said, obviously trying to keep his temper under control. “If I leave here tonight, she’s coming with me,” Vickie said haughtily. Kyle rolled his eyes, “Come on, don’t be stupid-.” “Don’t be stupid?” Vickie laughed. “I’ve talked to an attorney, I have rights. Now, I’m going to call the cops if you don’t get her out of my house.” Maria laughed, and Kyle did too. They both stopped when Vickie walked over to the phone. Moving quickly, Maria grabbed her coat and slipped on her sneakers, then looked at Kyle, “I’ll stay with Liz.” “Ok,” he said softly, as his wife started to smile triumphantly. “I’ll hire someone tomorrow and get this over with.” She nodded and ran to her room to throw some clothes into an overnight bag, then walked back out and started to open the door, but Kyle stopped her, putting his hand on her arm, “I’m sorry Maria.” “No,” she smiled at him, “it’s not your fault, I’ll be fine. I think this is the easiest way.” Trying hard to keep the smile on her face, she slipped into the hall and stomped down the steps. When she opened the door of the building, she sucked in a breath sharply. There he was, sitting on her steps, looking at her. *** Michael heard the door of the building opening and turned around. It was Maria. She seemed surprised to see him. The uniform was gone, and had been replaced by light blue jeans and a navy blue cable knit sweater, and she was carrying a small duffle bag. “Wh-what…?” she looked at him questioningly. He didn’t know what to say, he didn’t really have a good reason for being there, so he shrugged. “Ok…” she whispered, eyeing him skeptically as she made her way down the stairs and started to walk in the direction of the diner. “Where are you going?” he asked, moving to her side. “I-…what business is it of yours?” her tone was hostile. “Why do you have a bag?” he asked, ignoring her. “I’m going to stay with Liz tonight,” she said, keeping her eyes straight ahead. “She’s with Max,” he said, wondering if she was lying to him. Maria stopped dead in her tracks and looked up at him, “What?” “They’re skiing. He said they’d be back by Wednesday because that’s when she has to work.” “Great,” she said sarcastically brining a hand up to cover her eyes as she started walking again. “You didn’t know.” “ No.” “What were you going to do, just show up on her door step?” She looked up at him sharply, “Yes.” “Well, I guess you’ll just have to go home,” he said, turning back in the direction of her building. Instead of moving with him, she turned and kept walking the other direction. He caught up with her again. “I don’t need an escort,” she said as they passed the diner and came to a stop next to the bus stop sign. “Where are you going?” She shrugged and looked down at the ground. “You can’t go home?” he asked, narrowing his eyes. Shaking her head from side to side, he saw her chin quiver, “Well, I could try, in a couple of hours…” Sighing, she started to walk back toward the diner. “Want to get some coffee?” he called out to her when she was a few feet away. Turning slowly, she looked at him, “No, I’ll just sit in there…” she gestured toward Murray’s. “It’s just coffee,” he insisted. She was about to say ‘no’, he could see it on her face, so he spoke again, “Please?” Her brow furrowed, and then she shrugged. Not wanting to waste the moment, he walked toward her, grabbed her hand, and pulled her in the direction of his car. *** She glanced over at him as he held the door of the café open for her. He seemed so self-possessed, and sure of himself, while she was a nervous wreck. Probably a sign of how little the sex meant to him. Of course, he was all she could think about and being around him made her feel awful, but he felt completely at ease in her company. The place was smoky, two guys with guitars were singing into microphones in the corner, and the people seemed to move casually around the room from one table to another. He grabbed her hand and led her to a small table in the corner. “What is this place?” she asked quietly as she glanced around the room. “It’s just a hang-out. I used to come here all the time,” he paused and took a look around the room. “I think I’m the oldest person in here.” Maria couldn’t help but laugh, “When was the last time you were here?” Shrugging, he looked back at her, “It’s been a couple of years.” She grew serious again as she took off her coat and draped it over the back of her chair, and then rolled up the sleeves of her sweater. He watched her carefully, then took off his jacket and did the same. A girl walked over to them and asked them what they wanted. If it hadn’t been for the fact that she asked, Maria would never have known she was a waitress, she was dressed just like the patrons. “I’ll take a hot cocoa and…uh, do you have pastry?” The girl nodded, smacking her gum, “Yeah, we’ve got cinnamon rolls and danish.” “Ok, I’ll take a cinnamon roll,” Maria smiled slightly. Next, the girl turned to Michael. He looked at her, “Coffee and two dishes of chocolate mousse.” “Two?” the girl looked at him closely. “Yeah,” he raised his eyebrows, obviously irritated at having to repeat himself, “two.” Eyes widening, the waitress peered at him, “You’re not…oh my God, you are!” “What?” his voice was surly. “Are you Michael Guerin? They told me, Michael Guerin always orders-.” “Yeah, I am,” he cut her off with a glare. “Think you could say it any louder?” “Oh, yeah, ok. Sorry,” the girl said, glancing around. “I just have to tell you I love your work-.” “Thanks,” Michael cut her off. “That’ll be right out,” the waitress said softly as she turned away. “Do you have to be so rude?” Maria glared at him. “What?” “ What?” she repeated incredulously. “Yeah, what?” he sneered at her. “That poor girl was just trying to pay you a compliment and you bit her head off. She was just being nice,” Maria tried to keep her voice from hissing. “You wouldn’t understand,” he rolled his eyes. “Understand what? That you’re an arrogant prick? Oh, I think I understand that pretty well.” “What did I ever do to you?” his voice was low. “Gee, I don’t know…” she let the sarcasm flow, and felt all of the emotions of the past few weeks bubble to the surface. “Maybe act like a jerk to me for almost two years, kiss me, f*ck me, stalk me, paint me, f*ck me-.” “Stop it,” he growled, leaning forward menacingly. “What are you gonna’ do? Huh?” she taunted him softly. “Just shut up,” he whispered, staring at the table. Then, looking up at her, he said, “And, just for the record, if anybody got f*cked, it was me.” “ What?!?” she hissed. The waitress appeared with a tray, and unloaded their order onto the table. Maria gave her a small smile, “Thank you.” Smiling in return, the girl glanced once at Michael, then walked away. Michael pointed a finger at her, “ You screwed me and left me, not once, but twice. I seem to be the only person in the world who cares about your safety, and-.” Maria imitated his finger pointing, “ No one asked you to walk me home. Ever. And, so what if I left? It’s not like you care what I do-.” “As usual,” he snarled, “ you have no clue what you’re talking about.” “What am I doing here?” Maria asked herself out loud. “Driving me nuts,” he said dryly, running a hand through his hair, then taking a sip of his coffee. Watching him carefully, she took a drink of her cocoa. She was completely stumped. Finally, she’d let her feelings come out, and instead of being apologetic, he’d been angry with her. How had he managed to twist things? “You don’t have to be nice to me just because I slept with you,” she said, keeping her voice even. “Don’t worry, I’m not.” “Then what is it? Why are we here?” she gestured around the room with her hand. “You couldn’t go home.” “I know, but-.” “Last night, you were looking out for me, now I’m looking out for you,” he stated simply. She shook her head, “I don’t need anyone to look out for me.” He smiled slightly, but it wasn’t mocking, “Yes, you do.” “No, I don’t. You don’t need anybody, what makes you think I-.” “Who says I don’t need anybody?” he sounded amused. “Me,” she said, “it’s obvious, you don’t need anybody.” Michael smirked and ate a spoonful of one of the dishes of mousse in front of him, “Eat your roll.” “Don’t tell me what to do,” she retorted as she ate a bite. He was still watching her, but he wasn’t angry anymore. She really wasn’t either. “Why can’t you go home, Maria?” Her eyes blinked quickly. He’d never said her name in normal conversation. Of course, he’d called to her using her name, and then in the throes of passion… “My brother’s wife showed up out of the blue,” she said. “She made you leave?” he asked around another spoonful of mousse. “In a way…” “This is the one who left her kid with you right after your brother’s accident?” “Yeah,” she took another bite of her cinnamon roll and almost choked on it. “Wait! How did you know-.” “I read it in a magazine,” his tone was overly serious. She brought her hand to her head, “What else do you know about me?” “I dunno’,” he shrugged. “So, she won’t let you stay? Your brother must be a real wimp-.” “He’s not a wimp. She threatened to call the cops, so I said I would go.” “But you had nowhere to go.” “I thought I could go to Liz’s.” “Don’t you have anyone else?” “No.” “Stay with me.” Her breath caught for a moment, it would be better than spending the night out in the cold somewhere. She knew there was no way that she might be able to go home later, no matter what she’d told him. “I-I…” she shook her head to clear it. “ Maria? Maria Valenti?” a voice broke into their little world. She looked up and got a shock. “Doug?” *** Michael glared at the blonde guy as he pulled Maria out of her seat and into a bear hug. “How have you been? I heard about Kyle, and school – that sucked.” “Oh, I’m fine, Doug,” she pulled out of his arms with a wary smile on her face. “How are you?” “Can’t complain,” Doug smiled. “Be done with school in May, so I’m pretty happy about that.” “That’s great,” Maria smiled politely. “So, you’re lookin’ good,” Doug grazed her with a once over, “ are you seeing anybody?” ‘Am I sitting here?’ Michael thought, shooting daggers at the guy with his eyes. “No,” Maria blushed and looked down, as he put his arm around her waist. “Well, are you doing anything tonight? We could catch up on old times…” “Oh, Doug, really,” Maria shook her head, “I-.” “Come on, sweetheart,” Doug said, then had the nerve to wink down at him, “you haven’t seen my new place…we could finally have that sleep over-.” “That’s it,” Michael muttered, standing and looking down at him. “Hands off.” “Easy there, cave man,” Doug looked up at him. “We’re old friends.” Maria was staring at him angrily, but took advantage of Doug’s distraction and backed out of his reach. “Get lost,” Michael growled. “I don’t think so,” Doug retorted. “Trust me, I know her much better than you do.” Maria reached out and put a hand on his arm just as he was raising it and whispered, “Michael…” “What kind of guy are you mixed up with here, Maria?” Doug looked over at her. “Doug, I’ll see you around,” Maria said, tugging on Michael’s arm, trying to get him to sit again. Doug reached his hand out toward her, and Michael knocked it aside. He couldn’t stand to see the man’s hands on her again. He couldn’t stand to see any man’s hands on her. Every inch of her body was claimed. Now Maria’s hand was tugging him away from the table, and in the direction of the door. He reached into his pocket and took out a twenty which he tossed onto the table. Giving Doug one last glare, he let her pull him out the door. “What were you doing?” she asked angrily as she kept a tight grip on his arm, moving him towards his SUV. “Nothing.” “You have no right to-.” He reached out and grabbed her, pulling her body against his as he looked down into her eyes, “He touched you.” She seemed very nervous about their proximity, and was pulling backwards gently, her voice was soft, all anger gone, “So?” His lips crushed down against hers, and he felt her respond to him eagerly. Her hands moving up to wrap around his neck, her fingers sending shivers down his spine with their feather light touches. She pressed herself to him, and he pulled her tighter, his hands open on her back. Pulling back after a few seconds, he looked down at her. Her eyes were heavily lidded, and she was staring at him… that look. “Maria…” he whispered as he brought his hand up to cup the back of her neck. At the sound of her name on his lips, she stiffened, and blinked, looking away from him, “I have to get home.” “You can’t go home,” he said, squeezing her tighter when she started to move away. “Well, I’ll think of something,” she said, placing her palms on his chest and pushing firmly. Reluctantly, he let her back up slightly, “Just stay with me.” She shook her head violently, “Oh no. Not after-.” “Look, I don’t mean that. I have a spare bedroom. Actually, I have three spare bedrooms. Stay with me.” Eyeing him suspiciously, she sighed, “Are you sure?” “Yeah,” he said, walking to the car, “come on.” *** Maria followed him up the first flight of stairs, and then up the second. She tried not to look over the railing into the room below, the floor was a long way down. “Here,” he said, flicking on the light of the room and gesturing to the bed. “The bathroom’s right there,” he said pointing to a door in the corner of the room. “Thanks,” she whispered as she threw her bag down on the bed. “Yeah, well, I guess you know where to find me if you need anything,” his stare was intense, as he ran a hand through his hair. “Ok, thanks.” Nodding, he walked out of the room, and she heard his feet on the stairs. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed her bag and headed for the bathroom to shower. His presence was so strong it seemed to permeate every inch of the house. She could feel him, smell him, almost taste him. This was not a good idea, his house was the last place she should be. Trying not to think about the incident with Doug earlier, she stepped into the shower and let the hot water run over her. Why had he blown up at Doug like that? No, no, she wasn’t going to think about it. When she came out of the bathroom, she realized how stupid she must look in her t-shirt and sweats. Women were supposed to sleep in satiny, lacy things. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirrors on the closet doors, her hair scraggly and dripping, her clothes old and worn. For a moment, she thought about his other women, the ones who were usually here. Isabel…now there was someone who never slept in sweats, anyone could tell that with one glance. Sighing, she stepped out of the door and glanced down into the main room. It was mostly dark, and she couldn’t see him anywhere. He must be in bed. Cautiously, she moved away from the edge and made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen. Part of her thought she should ask him for permission to get something to drink, but then she remembered that he’d told her to make herself at home the last time. Opening the refrigerator, she grabbed a bottle of water and opened it, taking a long drink before turning to walk back to the stairs. That was when she spotted him. He was watching her from his studio area, paintbrush in hand. She’d met his eyes, so there wasn’t any way to avoid him. “You said to make myself at home,” she said just loudly enough for him to hear across the distance. He nodded, still watching her closely. Feeling self-conscious, she crossed her arms over her chest and walked quickly over to him, hoping that she could just tell him good night and run up to her bedroom. His eyes were traveling up and down her body, and the closer she got to him the stupider she felt, “I-I normally just wear sweats to bed…” “Me too,” his voice was even as he continued to look at her. “I’m just gonna’ go,” she jerked her thumb upwards. “Maria.” At the sound of her name, she jerked her eyes up to his. Why did he have to say her name? A muscle in his jaw twitched, and he glanced away from her for a moment. The hand with the paintbrush dropped to his side, and for some reason, she glanced at the canvas he’d been painting. “Alex and Isabel,” she murmured, taking a step toward it. It was a close-up image of the couple dancing to the left of the canvas, Isabel in her beautiful white dress and Alex in his tux. They were holding each other close, but turned to stare at one another. Somehow he’d captured their love, that look that they had for one another. Closing her eyes, she remembered watching them on the dance floor – they’d been magical. The rest of the canvas wasn’t finished, there were a few dark lines reaching out from the couple to the white space on their right. He had stepped up behind her, she could feel him, they were practically touching. “Beautiful,” she whispered as she held her hand out toward the image without actually touching it. “That’s what you said,” his breath was hot as his voice sounded next to her ear. She tried not to shiver. “What I said?” “That night,” his arm reached around her and his fingers spread next to her outstretched hand. “It’s what you said when you saw them dancing, you said, ‘Beautiful’.” “They were beautiful,” she swallowed, “they are beautiful.” She could feel him nodding, she didn’t need to turn to see it. “Do you like it?” his tone was soft, almost timid. Turning to look at him, she gasped when she came nearly nose to nose with him. His eyes were boring into her own. “Yes, I like it. It’s…beautiful,” she had to fight the urge to reach up and touch his cheek. He looked so… beautiful. “I have to go to bed,” she stated as she quickly ducked away from him and practically ran for the stairs. *** Michael leaned down and nudged her shoulder. “Hmmm…” she moaned as she rolled over. “Maria.” “Huh?” she opened one eye and looked at him. “Uh, it’s 6:30. Don’t you have to get ready for work?” “No,” she mumbled as she hugged her pillow. “You have to be at work at 7,” he insisted, pulling the pillow away. “No, I don’t,” she said, half sitting up. “Don’t have to work ‘til 9.” He tried to hide a smile as he saw her wild hair, “Ok, if you say so.” “Yeah,” she laid back down. “Back to sleep.” Michael put the pillow back into her arms and then went downstairs to get his sketchbooks. Climbing the two flights of stairs quickly, he sat on the still made side of the bed and started to outline her sleeping form. *** Maria put the phone back on the hook and breathed a sigh of relief. Thank God for Tess. She’d steered Kyle toward an attorney who’d made short work of the legal implications of Vickie’s return. Because of the separation, and the fact that Vickie had vacated their apartment almost two years before, Kyle didn’t have to let her stay there. The attorney also said that she saw cases of absentee parents returning regularly around the holidays, and that they usually gave up and left again. Pushing open the door to the dining room, the smile on her face faltered for a moment when she saw him. “Hey,” she said as she handed him a soda. “Hey,” he looked at her and raised his eyebrows slightly. “Maria?” a female voice interrupted them. She turned to see the new girl walking toward her, “Yeah?” “I thought this was my section of the counter now,” the blonde pointed directly at Michael. Maria looked down at him. His brow was furrowed and he was staring at her. “Oh, well, it’s ok, I’ve got it,” she brushed the new girl off with a wave of her hand. “No way,” the girl smiled down at Michael, “Mikey G. and I are old friends. I should wait on him.” “Really, I’ve got it. Besides, you don’t know what he wants,” Maria was getting irritated. “Why don’t you tell me what you want, Mikey G.,” the girl said suggestively with a wink. “They need you in the kitchen,” Maria pointed sharply to the back and gave her a look. “Ok, keep the big tippers to yourself then,” the blonde said with a pout as she walked away. “Yeah, ‘no-tip’, the big tipper,” she muttered sarcastically as she watched the girl go. “Not my fault you won’t take my tips.” She looked down at him. He was glaring at her. “Whatever,” she rolled her eyes. “Right,” he snorted, throwing some money on the counter as he jumped to his feet and walked out. Maria stared after him slightly stunned. She glanced at the clock above the door, 3:30, only half an hour to go. Plenty of time to think about Michael and his weirdness after work. *** Michael opened the door and was greeted with a smile by the new girl. He sat down at the counter, and she came over to him. “Half a cup of coffee again?” she teased. “Fine,” he said, glancing at the clock above the door. She was probably in the back putting her coat on, it was two minutes ‘til 9. He drank the coffee in silence, ignoring the new waitress as she threw him occasional glances. Before he knew it, his cup was empty, and he glanced up at the clock, three minutes after 9. Normally she got right out on the dot, sometimes even a little early. “Want a refill?” the blonde asked as she walked up to him, coffee pot in hand. “No.” “So, should I assume you’re here for the pleasure of my company?” she asked with another big smile. “Where is Maria?” he asked, getting to his feet, intending to go in the back to get her. “Maria’s long gone.” “ What?” The girl seemed surprised by his tone, “Well, her shift got over at 4, so…” He threw a dollar bill onto the counter and stormed out of the diner. Gone. Her shift was over at 4. Since when was her shift over at 4? Maybe that was why she hadn’t gone to work until 9. Without a conscious thought, his feet carried him in the direction of her building. At the bottom of her steps, he paused for a moment, then stomped up and rang the buzzer for her apartment, the name ‘Valenti’ written on a yellowed card under the button. “Yeah?” a man’s voice crackled over the speaker. “I’m here to see Maria,” he said. “Ok,” the voice answered, and he heard a buzzing click as the front lock was released. Throwing the door open, he ran up the stairs and stopped when he got to her apartment number. Balling his fingers into a fist, he pounded on the door twice. There was no answer, and he had just raised his hand to knock again when the door opened. She was standing in front of him, wearing boxer shorts and a t-shirt, her hair wet – it reminded him of the way she’d looked the night before. “What are you doing here?” she hissed, glancing quickly over her shoulder before stepping out into the hall and pulling the door closed behind her. “What do you think?” “I have no idea,” she whispered haughtily. “Now, please keep your voice down-.” “Why didn’t you tell me you wouldn’t be there?” his voice was low, but he didn’t attempt to filter the anger he felt. “What are you talking about? I don’t have to tell you-.” “You knew I’d be there. Waiting. How could you just-.” He cut himself off when she raised her hands to cover her face. “Maria?” he reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. Her hands slid down her face to reveal that she was crying, “I don’t get it. Why do you have to…” she swallowed hard and looked at him, directly in the eyes, “I don’t understand…and you painted Alex and Isabel,” she was sobbing now, “when he said-…and, then Doug…I don’t need this. It’s too confusing, and I know I don’t matter- so, well, just don’t…” Bending slightly at the waist, he tried to get a good look at her eyes, she was babbling nonsensically, and he was beginning to question her sanity, “Are you all right?” She looked at the floor and shook her head slowly from side to side, then quickly opened the door and started to slip through it. “Wait, wait,” he reached out and grabbed her arm. She looked down at his hand and took a deep breath, obviously trying to get a grip on her emotions. He’d known she had a lot going on, but this was…well, overwhelming. There was the stuff with her brother, and now clearly she was working less…It was all confusing, and of course, he had no clue what to do or say. She was so impossible to read. Her eyes were closed, and the tears were coursing silently down her cheeks, but she was allowing him to hold her in place. Slowly, he released his grip on her arm. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said softly. For a moment, she looked at him, then she closed the door. PART ELEVEN “No, I didn’t forget.” “…well, I just wanted to make sure,” Tess’s voice crackled over the line. “You made sure last night. I repeat – I.Did.Not.Forget.” “Ok, ok. So you’ll be on your best behavior?” “ Yes…you know this is getting insulting.” “Michael, I just want them to like you.” “What’s that? You’re breaking up…you need to get a new cell phone…” he blew into the receiver for effect. “I know what you’re doing! You better be good-.” “Sorry, Tess, can’t hear a word, I’m hanging up now.” He smiled and clicked off the phone. It rang again two seconds later. “Yes?” “You will be there, right?” “ Yes.” “Ok…and, you’ll at least make an effort…” “Yes, Tess. I won’t do anything to embarrass you.” “That’s not what I meant-.” “Won’t do anything to embarrass myself either.” “All right…you know I love ya’, Michael.” “Yeah, yeah, I know.” “Ok, I’ll see you tonight.” “Later,” he said as he clicked off the phone again. Turning back to the canvas he’d been working on, he flexed his fingers and took a deep breath. Just as he was lifting his brush there was a knock at the door. “ F*ck, what now?” he muttered as he threw down the brush and started walking toward the door. He pulled it open and was greeted by…Liz? “Liz?” “Hi, Michael,” she raised her hand slightly in a wave and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Hello.” He was baffled, she wasn’t even in her work uniform, what did she want? “Um, I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute?” she asked, smiling at him hesitantly. “Ooookay…” he stepped aside so that she could walk in the door, wiping the paint on his hands onto his t-shirt. She walked into the main room and sat in the middle of the sofa, clasping her hands in her lap and smiling. “So…what do you want?” he asked sitting down in his arm chair. “Well,” her smile got bigger, “I want to throw a surprise party for Max-.” “For what?” “For his birthday.” “His birthday’s years away.” “It’s only a month,” she giggled. “Right, years.” “Ok, just trust me that’s not very far away, Michael. Anyway, I’ve already talked to his mom and his sister, and they gave me a guest list, but…” she paused and took a deep breath, “well, I know he’s still friends with…Tess…and I feel like I should invite her. I was a little nervous about asking Diane or Isabel – and they didn’t put her on the list, so I thought I’d ask you.” “Ask me what?” “If I should invite her.” “Tess?” “Yes.” “Well, if you want to invite her, invite her. What do I know about it?” “You know them both,” she insisted. “I don’t want her to feel left out, but on the other hand if she’ll be hostile-.” “Oh, this is stupid. Just invite her, she’s an adult, it’s not like she’s going to dump the punch bowl on your head. If she doesn’t want to come, she won’t.” Liz laughed nervously, “Yeah…ok.” “Ok,” he stood quickly, ready to see her out the door. She smiled slightly and stood, then pulled a small white envelope out of her purse and held it out to him. He took it from her, and looked it over. “It’s the invitation,” she said. “Oh, right. Uh, so when is the party?” “March 2nd, his birthday,” she giggled. “Right…” he scratched his head. “Um, I’m going to take off then,” Liz started to walk toward the door. “See you later, Michael.” “Yeah,” he said, standing by the door as she walked out of the building. *** Maria gave him a once over as she walked out of the diner. Slacks, khaki slacks. He even had on shiny black leather boot-type shoes. She could just see the collar of an army green shirt peaking out of his jacket. What was he all dressed up for? Well, for him it was dressed up. His hair was even neatly groomed. At the foot of the steps of her building she glanced at him and gave him the usual ‘almost smile’ and he responded with an ‘almost nod’. Things between them had consisted of nothing more than that for the entire month since Christmas. For a while she’d thought maybe they’d start talking, but then she’d completely ruined that by freaking him out with her blubber-fest. Oh, well, it didn’t really matter – she had to go get ready. “I’m home,” she called as she walked in the door. “Auntie Maria!” Abby cried as she came running out of her room and into Maria’s arms. “Hey kiddo,” Maria gave her niece a smacking kiss on the cheek and a big hug. “Want to go play,” Abby said, squirming to be let go. “All right, off you go,” Maria smiled at her, “I’ve got to get ready.” Grinning, Maria watched Abby skip back down the hall toward her bedroom, then walked into the kitchen to grab a glass of juice. “Hey,” Kyle said, looking up momentarily from the cake he was frosting. “Uh, hey,” she laughed slightly. “All right,” he smirked, “let me have it.” “No, no. I mean you make cakes everyday, nothing unusual to laugh at there,” she teased. “Well, I didn’t think she’d make herself a cake, so…” he shrugged, and then broke into a dopey grin. Maria grabbed a glass out of the cupboard and punched him on the shoulder on her way to the refrigerator, “Well, next time I need a cake I’ll know who to call. What’s your name again? Martha Stewart?” They laughed as he finished up with the cake and she drank her juice. When they’d both stopped he glanced over at her warily, “It’s good to hear you laugh, kid.” She swallowed hard and then put a smile on her face as she took her last gulp of juice, “I could say the same about you.” He nodded, but still watched her out of the corner of his eye. It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate the concern, she did, but it was totally unnecessary – she wasn’t the one with real problems. “I’m gonna’ go take a quick shower and get dressed,” she said, placing her glass in the sink on her way out of the room. “Ok,” he called after her, “we need to leave in about forty-five minutes.” “All right,” she called back. The shower was just the refresher she needed, and as she dried off afterwards she took a long hard look at herself in the mirror. She knew Tess was inviting other friends, and she wondered what they’d think of her. They probably wouldn’t think anything. Hopefully she’d just fade into the background. If Kyle hadn’t made it clear that Tess really wanted her there, she would never have agreed. But if it made Kyle and Tess happy she could do it. Of course she had a feeling that her brother was only so insistent because he thought she didn’t have a social life. It had been a major topic of conversation over the past few weeks. Dressing quickly, and throwing on her makeup basics, she played with her hair debating how to wear it. She could put it up, but then she’d be worried about checking on it all night. Or she could wear it down, but she didn’t have time to curl is nicely. An idea occurred, and she quickly pulled it into two braids that she left dangling over her shoulders. There, if she looked young enough they wouldn’t bother her with questions about her life plans…she’d just pass as a student, because in less than two months she would be one again. There was a brisk knock on the bathroom door, and Kyle’s voice sounded concerned, “Uh, Maria, I’m gonna’ run Abby over to Serena’s. Now, you do know we need to leave in a few minutes, right?” “Yes, Kyle, I know.” She quickly pulled on her black opaque tights and took one last glance in the mirror. Gray sweater over white blouse, black wool skirt, black tights…well, it wasn’t the way she used to dress, but at least this was basic enough to be in fashion. Opening the door quickly, she breathed in the cooler air of the hallway then walked to the front door. *** “Hey.” “Michael!” Tess squealed as she threw her arms around his neck. “Happy Birthday,” he said as he pulled quickly out of the hug and slipped past her through the door. “Thanks,” she said, as she walked down the hall toward her bedroom. “So, do you want your present?” he asked as he took off his jacket and sat on the sofa, looking down at the wrapped package in his hands. “Yeah,” she called out to him, “be out in a minute.” Tess walked out a few seconds later still attaching one of her earrings. “Here,” he said holding it up to her as she went by. “Thank you,” she sing-songed as she took it from him, then went into the kitchen. “Do you want anything to drink?” “No thanks,” he called. He heard the paper tearing, then a gasp, then another gasp, then the sound of Tess running back out to the living room. “M-Michael…do you know what this is?” she held the book up for him to see. “Yeah. It’s a first edition of-.” “I know what it is. You know what it is?” her eyes widened in amazement. “That’s what I was trying to tell you – I mean, of course I know what it is, I bought it.” Suddenly, she launched herself at him, giving him a smacking kiss on the cheek, “ Thank you!” “Yeah, okay,” he said, patting her back awkwardly. She pulled back and pinched his cheek, then suddenly put her hand up to her hair, “Is my hair messed up?” “I don’t know, what did it look like before?” Grinning while she rolled her eyes she started to walk toward the bedroom again when the doorbell sounded, “Oh, no, Michael – that’s them can you get it while I check my hair?” “Yeah,” he said getting up and walking to the door. Flipping the deadbolt, he pulled the door open. What on earth was she doing there? “Uh, hi, I’m Kyle.” Michael barely caught sight of the guy on crutches extending his hand. Prying his eyes away from Maria’s face for a moment he managed to shake hands, absently saying, “Guerin.” “Oh, ok,” Kyle’s tone was skeptical as he looked back and forth between Michael and his sister. “Uh, this is my sister, Maria…” “Yeah,” Michael whispered, still staring at Maria. Her hair was in braids and she was wearing a skirt, with those pouty red lips parted in an ‘o’ of surprise. He felt his blood rush and tried not to salivate, she looked-. “ Michael!” Tess sounded out of breath as she came to the door. “You’re supposed to invite them in!” Smiling at the pair in the hallway Tess made a beckoning motion. “So, Happy Birthday,” Kyle said to Tess as he moved into the room. Gesturing at the box in his sister’s hands, he smiled, “I, uh, made you something.” “Oh, it smells good,” Tess laughed as she reached out and took it from Maria, then walked into the kitchen. Michael was watching Maria’s face as she tried to keep her eyes on the far wall, then suddenly she shook her head as if coming to her senses and called out, “Sorry, Tess…um, Happy Birthday.” “Thank you, Maria,” Tess walked back into the room and gave Kyle another big grin clapping her hands and looking almost teary eyed. “Kyle, I don’t think anyone has ever baked me a birthday cake before, thank you so much.” “Sure,” Kyle smiled back at her. Michael tried to swallow. Tess put a hand to her forehead, “Oh, where are my manners, did Michael introduce himself?” “Yeah…” Kyle furrowed his brow and glanced over at Michael. Michael tried to smile, but knew it came out as a grimace from Tess’s cringe. “Well,” Tess put on her biggest smile to try to cover up for him, “my friend Rachel couldn’t make it, which means we’re all here…so I suppose we could be on our way?” Michael nodded, and watched as Maria took a deep breath and tried to smile. Tess pinched him hard on the arm as she walked toward the door with her smile firmly on her face. *** Oh, it would figure they’d take his car. She should have known something like this would happen, it was as if fate was conspiring against-. “Maria, why don’t you ride in the front, and I’ll ride in the back with Kyle?” Tess’s voice was cheery. “Sure,” Maria managed a smile, not wanting to be a downer on Tess’s birthday. When they were all in the car and on their way the small talk began. Maria tried to concentrate on looking straight ahead and not at Michael. She knew Kyle was wondering what was going on, but she really didn’t want to have to answer any questions. “I’m so glad we’re just a group of four, makes it so much easier for conversation,” Tess said, sounding like a cruise director. “Well, with my sister in the group conversation is never a problem,” Kyle said in a joking tone. Tess and Kyle both laughed lightly, then the awkward silence descended again. “So Maria, you’re starting school again soon?” Tess asked. The car jerked as Michael ran over a curb while making a right turn. Maria saw him glance in her direction. “Sorry,” he muttered under his breath. Tess laughed nervously. “Yes, Tess, I’m starting at the end of March,” she said trying to keep her tone light. “Kyle says you’re going to quit your job?” Tess continued the conversation. Suddenly they were coming to a screeching halt. Maria had to put her hands out to brace herself as she watched the light turn red. They could have made it through, he hadn’t needed to stop. He was glaring at her. “Do you know what you’re doing?” she breathed sarcastically as she took her bracing hand off the dash and sat back in her seat. “Do you?” he spat back. “ Maria.” “ Michael.” Kyle and Tess both chided softly at once. They rode the rest of the way to the restaurant in absolute silence. *** Michael was trying to stay upbeat for Tess, but it was getting difficult. Well, he hadn’t actually spoken since the car, but still… They were seated at a booth, and naturally Tess and Kyle slid into the booth first – facing each other. He slid in next to Tess as Maria sat next to Kyle. Quitting her job? Tess took a deep breath after the waiter had taken their orders. Oh great, more ‘conversation’. “Did you know that you three are practically neighbors?” she laughed. “Really?” Kyle gave him a polite smile. Michael looked at Maria and caught her staring at him. This was ridiculous, they were bound to find out, they’d just look stupider if they didn’t say anything. “Actually, I knew that,” he said. “Oh?” Tess looked over at him curiously. Maria licked her lips, “I work in the diner across the street from his place.” “So, you two know each other…?” Kyle glanced back and forth between them narrowing his eyes. They both nodded. “ That diner?” Tess asked softly. Oh sh*t. Michael looked over at his friend. She was still wearing her polite smile. He knew that she wasn’t good with names - she thought Maria was Liz. “Are you seeing anyone Maria?” Tess asked a little too happily. Maria sucked in a deep breath and looked away, “No…” “W-,” Michael started to speak, he had to clear up Tess’s confusion. “Wait,” Kyle broke in, he’d never stopped studying them, “If you knew each other, why didn’t you- oof!” Michael just caught Maria’s elbow making contact with her brother’s ribs. “You two know each other…” Tess let out another fake laugh. “Have you met any of Michael’s friends, Maria?” “Just his friend Max and, well, Max’s family,” Maria said softly. Kyle glared at Michael suspiciously. Tess choked on her cola. Michael turned to her, “Are you all right?” Nodding quickly, Tess took another drink. “Sure you’re ok?” Kyle asked. She continued nodding while drinking. “You’ve met his friends?” Kyle looked back from Tess to Maria. “Maria’s friend ‘ Liz’ is dating Max,” Michael stated quickly. Tess let out a sigh. Kyle looked up with relief. “Oh, so that’s how you know one another,” Kyle laughed slightly, “I thought you were dating or something.” Tess joined Kyle in the relieved laughter. Maria tried to laugh as well, but sounded like she was having trouble breathing. Their food came, and Michael and Maria somehow managed to avoid speaking. Michael had a feeling that Kyle and Tess had decided to have a good time no matter what, they were currently engrossed in a conversation about their families. “…and, you know they just had their fourth. Four. Four kids in five years. Can you imagine? His wife is my age for crying out loud! Really, I hardly recognize the man as my father anymore. He’s this completely different person,” Tess giggled, “who obviously doesn’t believe in birth control.” For some reason he noticed Maria sit up a little straighter and he glanced over at her. Her eyes were narrowed, and she appeared to be staring at the salt shaker. She looked like she was in pain. Kyle laughed, “Well, I suppose when you’re in love…” “I suppose,” Tess smiled. “Really, though, spending Christmas with them was so difficult. They’re nice to me, but I feel like I’m intruding.” Michael watched as Maria looked down at her hands in her lap. Leaning forward slightly, he could see that she was counting on her fingers. “Tell me about it. I had to spend Christmas with my ex in-laws,” Kyle shook his head slightly. He caught Maria stealing furtive glances at him. She hadn’t eaten a bite since she got the ‘painful’ look. Finally, he caught her eyes, and she did a good ‘deer in the headlights’ imitation. What had her so freaked out? “Oh, Kyle you’re a saint,” Tess laughed. “Sorry, I really shouldn’t complain. After all, I only spent Christmas with them to avoid a social event.” Michael caught Maria’s eyes again and he knew. Christmas. Was this the first time it had even occurred to her? He’d just assumed she was on something, because she hadn’t stopped him… For the millionth time since he’d met her, he wished he had a clue what was going on inside her head. At the moment, she only looked frightened, not angry. Frightened not angry. “What social event?” Kyle asked Tess with a laugh. “You never mentioned you went to avoid a social event. She was staring down at her plate, she wouldn’t risk meeting his eyes. So, she didn’t want him to know. But she didn’t know that he already knew. A knot was starting to form in the pit of his stomach. He didn’t know what it was, but for some reason it was making him want to feel her skin under his fingers. “It’s silly really, just an event where I might have run into my ex and his family,” Tess cleared her throat and then glanced at Michael and Maria. Michael watched as Kyle touched Maria’s arm, “Are you ok?” “Oh, yeah,” her voice was shaky as she looked at her brother with a small smile. Tess nudged him, and Michael looked down at her. The same question was written on her face. He tried to give her a smile. It’s her birthday, don’t freak her out, act normal… *** Maria tried to keep herself together as they rode back to Tess’s apartment. It was probably a false alarm. A week wasn’t that long, and she’d never been someone to set a clock by. Bile rose in her throat. She tried not to look at Michael who was constantly looking at her, tried not to think about it. The only thing she knew was that to refuse to believe it would mean certain doom. Every time in her life she’d refused to believe something it turned out to be true. Her parent’s accident, Kyle’s… They all trooped up to Tess’s apartment, Kyle and Tess trying desperately to keep things light in spite of the obvious friction between her and Michael. Maria felt badly, she really did. This wasn’t how you behaved on someone else’s birthday. Even if you just realized you might be-. “Maria?” Kyle asked, looking at her seriously. His eyes told that he knew something was up, “Do you think you could cut the cake, I would, but…” She watched him raise one of his crutches. Of course, she should have offered to do it, he shouldn’t have to ask her. Glancing over at Tess and Michael she saw them watching her as well. Michael’s gaze was piercing, and she wondered what he was thinking. Wondered what he would think if this wasn’t a false alarm… “Uh, of course,” she smiled, “I’ll get right to it.” “I’ll help you,” Michael piped up, and before she had a chance to say anything he’d walked into the kitchen ahead of her. Laughter from the other room told that Tess and Kyle were still trying to enjoy themselves as she looked around the kitchen wondering where she would find the serving utensils. “Do you know where everything is?” she asked Michael as she removed the cake from the plastic container. “No,” he said as he leaned against the counter next to her, crossing his arms and staring at her until she felt the blood rising to her cheeks. He knew something was wrong, she could tell. More than just her usual discomfort around him, he knew there was something more. She wondered how it was even possible. “Michael…” she whispered as she stared down at the cake. What was she doing? She couldn’t tell him. He’d never understand, he’d probably laugh at her. His breath caught, and his voice was as low as hers, “Yeah?” Her hands started to shake and she removed them from the plastic container and pressed them down flat on the countertop, to still them, “I-I think…I think…” Shut up, Maria. Shut up, shut up, shut up. “What?” his voice was barely a whisper as his eyes bored into her. She picked up the small box of candles Kyle had brought and opened it pulling them out and placing them in the cake in a circle, “Uh, I know you probably don’t want to hear this, but…there might be a chance that…well, I’m not trying to freak you out. Or, you know make you feel obligated…” her voice trailed off as she tried to keep control of her emotions. “Yeah…?” “I just realized that I’m late.” Suddenly Tess’s voice filled the kitchen, “Hey, guys, Kyle said you might need matches, They’re in the cupboard to the right of the sink.” She smiled at them, then walked away. Maria walked quickly to the cupboard with the matches, wishing she’d never said anything to him. Wishing he didn’t understand her. Wishing he understood. “Can you get away after you get home?” he asked softly as she walked back to light the candles. His voice was smooth and low, almost soothing. Her hands started to shake again, “Yeah, I guess…” He took the matches from her gently and she ventured a glance up at him. His look had softened slightly. Oh no, he was trying to be nice. She didn’t know how to handle it. Stepping back slightly, she watched him light all of the candles, then he lifted the cake and walked out into the main room. *** Michael watched her as she pushed the cake around with her fork. She’d broken up her piece and pretended to eat, but he knew she’d barely taken a bite. Tess and Kyle were laughing about things that had happened while they were in school, and since he’d been there at the same time they kept trying to pull him into the conversation. He hadn’t known Tess until their last year, and he was getting tired of their stupid anecdotes about things he didn’t know…Or maybe he was just thinking about Maria. “Well, I gotta’ run,” he said, picking up his plate and walking it into the kitchen. She’d told him. At the restaurant he’d been afraid she wouldn’t, afraid she’d hide it, but she’d told him. For some reason he’d wanted to kiss her until she was breathless the moment the words came out of her mouth. “You’re leaving?” Tess asked as if she was disappointed, but he knew she was relieved. “Yeah,” he said with a slight eyebrow raise as he walked back into the room. Maria glanced up at him for a moment with her ‘terrified, but hiding it’ expression, “Uh, I need to see Liz tonight, could you drop me off at the diner?” He nodded. “Wait, Maria,” Kyle spoke up looking at his sister with concern. “I can call us a cab and drop you off at the diner.” “No, no,” she shook her head and tried to smile at her brother, “I know you’re not ready to leave yet.” Kyle was about to speak again when Michael cut him off, “It’s no big deal, it’s just across the street from my place.” For a moment Kyle glared at him, then seemed to think better of it and looked back at Maria. Her brother knew something was up, but obviously didn’t know what or how to handle it…Michael figured the guy had to be used to it, Maria was the most confusing person he’d ever met. They managed to leave with little fanfare, and as they walked to his car he thought briefly of how sorry he was that they’d ruined Tess’s evening. She sat in the front passenger seat, huddled against the door, with her cheek laid on the window. He glanced over at her occasionally and thought she looked small…and alone…and scared. Of course, she was upset…it really wasn’t fair for her… “Uh, where do you think we should go? Like a super market, or a drug store…?” he looked in her direction as he asked and saw her close her eyes tightly. “I don’t really know,” her voice was soft. “Maybe a drug store would be best.” He nodded and tried to concentrate on driving, and not the scared girl in the seat next to him, “Ok, a drug store.” “Do you just walk in and buy one?” she asked, as she slipped off her shoes and brought her feet up onto the seat, hugging her knees. For some reason it made him remember what it felt like to have her curled up against him as she slept. “I guess…” he didn’t know. “Why aren’t you freaking out?” her voice was muffled because her face was turned completely away from him as she stared out the window. “Why would I freak out?” He didn’t see her shrug, but he heard it, “Just thought you would. Probably shouldn’t have told you. I can handle it on my own.” “No, you definitely should have told me,” he stated firmly. She glanced over at him, “I cannot figure you out.” “Ditto,” he whispered as he pulled into a parking space at the drug store. Hopping out of his side, he quickly walked around to her door. She had just stepped onto the ground and looked up at him, “What?” He shrugged and she shook her head slightly, then they walked into the store side by side. Immediately, Michael started to scan the aisle signs. “Um, maybe that one?” he pointed at an aisle with a list that included ‘feminine products’. Maria looked where he pointed and started walking toward the aisle. He followed her. The selection was wide, and he had no idea where to begin. She reached out to take the box with the cheapest price listed below it. “This might not be the time to go cheap,” he said. Taking her hand away, she scrunched her face up slightly, and he could hear her muttering under her breath, “ I can handle this, this is no big deal. No big deal. I can handle this. I can handle anything…” She was staring at all of the boxes and he could see that she didn’t know what to do. Without stopping to think about it, he reached out and started grabbing. When he had eight in his hands he said, “Let’s go.” Her eyes met his, she was trying to be brave, and she told him what she’d been telling herself, “I can handle anything.” “Ok,” he said, looking down at her, wondering if she was on the verge of a breakdown. “I don’t need you. I don’t need anybody. Whatever happens, I can handle it,” she said almost angrily, clenching her little hands into fists at her sides. “Ok…” he grimaced and looked down at the boxes in his arms, trying not to drop any, hoping she’d get the hint and start walking in the direction of the cash registers. He knew she’d feel better once they knew one way or the other. “You know, I basically raised my niece for a year. I could do it.” She was starting to scare him, and he swallowed hard, maybe she needed some hope that it might not be true, “Look, there’s no reason to jump to concl-.” “Don’t say that. In my life it’s always the worst case scenario. Why fool myself? Of course I’m single and pregnant at 22,” she let out a dry laugh. “It makes perfect sense. At least this time my problem is my own fault. I can handle it, I can deal.” He stared at her not knowing what to say. Her chin was quivering. This was a completely inappropriate time to want to kiss her. “Let’s go,” he said. She took a deep breath, blinked back the tears he saw ready spill and walked toward the front of the store. He followed her. Laying all of the tests down on the counter, he glared at the clerk who had an amused look on his face. “Uh, is that everything?” the clerk asked. “Yeah,” he said angrily, handing the guy his credit card. He turned to look at her and caught her staring at him. She had picked up a magazine and was reading it. How had she gone from ‘freaked out’ to reading a magazine? Under his gaze she closed the magazine and put it back on the rack. He just happened to glance at it as her hands fell back to her sides. A parenting magazine. With a picture of a man holding a baby on the front, and a caption that read, ‘What type of Dad will your man be?’ He had to roll his eyes. Naturally they’d walk into the aisle where that was on display. As if she wasn’t freaked out enough… “Can I get your signature, please, Mr…uhh… Geerin?” the clerk held a receipt and a pen out to him, as he examined the name on the card closely. Michael handed the signed receipt back to the clerk. “ Guerin,” Maria corrected the man quietly as took the sack from his hands and started to turn away. “Oh, sorry, Mrs. Guerin,” the clerk smiled at her without missing a beat. The man’s words froze her, and her brow furrowed as if she had no comprehension of what he’d said. “Come on,” Michael said softly, putting his hand on her back and guiding her in the direction of the doors. She acted as if being mistaken for his wife was the worst thing that had ever happened to her. *** Maria let him move her toward the car in silence. What was he thinking? Why wasn’t he worried? No matter how tough he was, even Michael had to be reacting to this. She glanced at him as he started the car. He turned to look at her, his face unlined, his jaw not tense, only his eyes held intensity. Looking down at the bag in her hands she realized it wouldn’t be much longer. The truth would out. It’s ok. It doesn’t mean the end of the world. Things could be worse. The butterflies in her stomach danced as though their wings were made of lead. This was it. After everything, she herself would finally be putting the nails in the coffin of her former dreams. She was pregnant, no point in even hoping otherwise. “I can handle this,” she whispered to herself, “I’ve dealt with worse. Kids are cool. I like kids.” She knew he was watching her as closely as he possibly could while still navigating the vehicle. Thoughts of her own father drifted through her head. He was what a father should be. Strong, and happy, and there. How could someone from such a wonderful family get it so wrong? Well, she wasn’t the only one. She thought about Abby, and the fact that Vickie hadn’t shown up to take her last weekend. So Kyle sucked at picking mothers, and Maria sucked at picking fathers. But Abby was all right, maybe things could be better, but she was all right. “I don’t need anybody,” she whispered, “I can do this on my own. It’ll be ok. It won’t be perfect, but it’ll be ok.” “You’re not.” She looked over at him. Not what? He glanced at her, “You’re not on your own. You weren’t on your own, and you’re not on your own.” His tone was irritated, condescending. Maria took a deep breath, “I don’t want anything from you.” “You don’t know what you want,” he muttered. That was true. Well, it had been true. At the moment she wanted her old worries back. She wanted to be free to worry about what she was going to do with her life. Only now did she realize she didn’t want the decisions to be made for her anymore. Too late, too late… *** Michael knew she was breaking down. He could feel it. And it scared him. Talking didn’t help. He’d tried. What do you do when someone’s losing it? Pulling to a stop in front of his building he walked to her side of the car and opened the door for her. She looked at him as if she wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do. He leaned into the car and unbuckled her seatbelt, then grabbed her upper arm and started to pull her out of the car. The roughness of his touch seemed to jar her, and for a moment her eyes flashed, she jerked her arm back before hopping out on her own. Lifting her head up she walked past him into the building and stood next to the door, waiting for him to unlock it. Her eyes were wide, her fists clenched. She was trying to convince herself she could handle it. Whatever ‘it’ was. He’d heard her nonsensical babble, she was trying to tell herself she could ‘do it on her own’. Somehow he had a feeling it was more than just the possibility of motherhood, but he didn’t know what. Once they were inside, he looked down at her. He hadn’t turned the lights on yet, and the tiny bit of moonlight made shadows on her face. “Do you want to go up…” he gestured toward the stairs. Wondering if he could trust her to do it correctly. At least they had back-ups… Walking into the kitchen, he grabbed the small round timer he knew they’d need. She was still standing where he’d left her. As he walked toward her, she jumped as if she’d been startled and quickly walked to the stairs. Taking them two at a time, she tripped near the top. Without thinking he ran up to her, kicking himself for not turning the lights on. She glared at him as he approached, picked herself up from where she’d stumbled and walked up the last two stairs quickly, then disappeared into the bathroom. Moving more slowly, he leaned against the wall outside of the bathroom. Looking down at the timer in his hands, he let himself slide down the wall until he was sitting on the floor. In the back of his mind he was vaguely aware that this was all his fault, but the knowledge didn’t seem to affect him. Silently, he thought about her face throughout the evening. There was a distinct possibility that she was pregnant with his child, but all he’d been able to do was think about was pulling her into some darkened corner and capturing her lips between his own. He knew that his reaction wasn’t quite right, but he didn’t know what to do about it. The door opened and she stood above him, framed by the light behind her. “Five minutes,” she said. “All right,” he whispered turned the dial on the timer and stood up. She was looking up at him, looking him in the eyes. Her green eyes were large, and unsure, and her mouth was slightly pouted. Swallowing hard, he stopped himself from reaching for her. He really couldn’t kiss her, not here…and not now. Stepping past her, he sat down on the floor of the bathroom, leaning against the cupboards under the sink. She sat down next to him. He could see she was in control again. “It’s not that I don’t want kids,” she said softly. He turned to look at her. Was she trying to explain herself? “I get it. It’s ok,” he replied, looking over at her, startled to find her staring into his eyes. “I just never imagined it like this,” she looked away from his eyes and down at her hands. He had a feeling she needed to talk, so he made an attempt, “How did you imagine it?” Her head came up sharply at the question. She hadn’t anticipated it. Closing her eyes softly, she began to move her lips, “Later. Maybe when I’m thirty. After I’ve worn the business suits and seen the world…An old house,” her eyes were still closed, but she moved her hands as if she could see it in front of her, he was fascinated, “with large trees, and a front porch. A basketball hoop on the garage in the back…” Her voice was light and sweet, and her face had softened. It was the way she looked when she’d watched Alex and Isabel dance. He felt an aching pain in his chest. “…maybe a dog. Three kids, and a station wagon. Soccer balls in the yard. And someone. Someone who-,” her eyes fluttered open, and she brought her hands to her face, then scrunched her lids closed again. Without thinking about it, he reached out and grabbed her, pulling her into his lap. She was so tiny, and she didn’t protest. He didn’t know what he was doing, didn’t know how to hold her, he concentrated on not burying his face in her hair as she leaned against him. The timer started to ring. Reaching out, he grabbed it off the floor and turned it off. She was still relaxed in his arms, it was only resignation, he knew, but he didn’t really care - as long as she wasn’t trying to get away. Balancing her carefully, he leaned forward and reached up onto the counter to grab the plastic stick from the place she’d left it. He held it in front of his face. One line. What did one line mean? “Just tell me,” she whispered. “One line,” he said slightly puzzled. “One?” her voice was high and it cracked. *** Maria felt the waves of relief washing over her. “One?” she asked again, sitting up and taking it from his hand. She peered at it narrowing her eyes, turning it in her hand, looking at it from every possible angle. “Thank God. Oh, thank God,” she whispered. “Negative…?” his voice was soft as he asked the question. She nodded, and glanced at him, avoiding his eyes. Suddenly she was on her feet, walking out of the bathroom. He scrambled to follow her “I’m gonna’ go into advertising. I liked it for a reason, and it sounds interesting. I think I’ll even go to school over the summer – to start getting caught up.” “What are you talking about?” he sounded almost angry as he followed her down the stairs. “My life,” she whirled to face him. He looked upset. Didn’t he know he was supposed to be happy now? “Your life…?” “Yes, my life. The life that I have now. There is so much I want to do,” she smiled at him. Maybe he needed reassurance. She could hardly believe it herself. Nothing ever turned out well for her. “So…that’s it?” he lifted his eyebrows slightly, his tone was dry. He was watching her closely, and she was slightly unnerved. She nodded slowly, the smile falling from her lips. Was he mad that she’d told him? Angry that she’d dragged him into it? “Sorry. You know, for scaring you and everything,” she said over her shoulder as she walked toward the door. He was right behind her. It was too much to hope that he’d let her walk home alone. “I wasn’t scared,” he sounded insulted as he followed her out the door. “Ok,” she said lightly, pretending not to notice his hostility, as she stepped out of his building and onto the sidewalk. “What do you want now?” he asked, his tone low, still almost angry. He seemed so large, so untouchable while he was walking next to her. “I don’t know,” she answered, feeling awkward with him. Somehow that experience felt even more intimate than the sex, if that were possible. What would he have done if she’d been pregnant? There was no way that he would have been all right with it – he was just really good at remaining calm, no matter what the situation. They walked the rest of the distance to her building in silence. At the foot of the steps she turned to give him her usual glancing farewell, but he grabbed her. His lips came crushing down on hers, his hands pulled her to him. She kissed him back. Hard. Just as roughly as he was kissing her. He pulled away suddenly and looked down at her. Looked into her eyes as if he was searching for something. She didn’t know what he wanted, so she just stared at him. After a second, he kissed her again, and this time a moan escaped his lips as they met hers. It was a small sound of need, and it made her head spin. She couldn’t think, she couldn’t remember what she should be doing…all she could do was melt into him, her hands tangling into his hair. This time when he pulled back she had trouble catching her breath. His eyes were dark, and she was lost in them. He was gorgeous in the moonlight, the planes of his face were smooth and strong. Her fingers moved to touch his cheek of their own volition, and she was about to tell him to take her back to his place…he wouldn’t refuse…he was a guy, and she was a girl… You shouldn’t be here, you shouldn’t be doing this… His hands found their way to her face, he tilted her chin up, so that she had no choice but to continue to look him in the eye. She felt dizzy, the things he did to her, the way he made her feel… “Why?” his voice was a hoarse whisper. Why what? She narrowed her eyes slightly, and he leaned closer to her, his lips nearly touching hers, and asked again, “Why?” Leaning up on her tip-toes, she managed to capture his lips. She used her teeth, pulled down hard on his neck, anything to keep him from pulling away again. He kissed her back, slower and deeper than before. As he started to pull away again, she held him, roughly, not wanting to let go. This time when he looked down into her eyes, he seemed to find what he was searching for. His face became cloudy, and she was about to ask him what was wrong… “Why Maria?” She tried to pull him back into a kiss, but he held himself back, staring intently into her eyes. Why did he always need to know ‘why’? She wasn’t going to tell him. It might have slipped out once, but she wouldn’t – she couldn’t say it again. He might hear it this time. “Because…” she whispered as she kissed his jaw, his chin, his neck…Hoping he’d let it go and take her home with him. “ Why?” Did he want her on her knees? Did he want her to beg? She pulled on his neck, and he relented, leaning toward her. She whispered it into his mouth as they kissed again. This time when he pulled away, he stepped back. She was slightly satisfied to see that he was having trouble breathing too. His eyes found hers, he seemed disappointed. “You want something else,” he whispered, shaking his head, then he turned and walked away. What did he mean? Where was he going? What was she doing kissing him? She was confused, so confused. But, her life was hers again. And, that was the important thing, wasn’t it? Everything with Michael was trouble, and she was a fool for even considering… It wasn’t going anywhere. No point in dwelling on it. She had things to do. Pulling herself up to her full height, she walked up the steps of her building with confidence and purpose, but couldn’t resist one last look at his retreating back as she opened the door. PART TWELVE Michael watched her closely as she walked across the restaurant to Liz and gave her a hug. The entire place had been rented out for Max’s surprise party, and was decorated accordingly. “Michael, is that her?” Tess asked quietly as she stared at Liz. “That’s her,” he said quietly, his eyes still on Maria who was talking to Liz animatedly. “She’s very pretty.” “I guess, I don’t know,” he said, looking down to give Tess a reassuring smile. “Who’s very pretty?” Kyle asked, as he moved to Tess’s side. “Oh, uh, Maria. We were just saying how pretty Maria looks tonight,” Tess said quickly with a forced smile. “Maria, huh?” Kyle asked guardedly, shooting Michael a glare. Most of the time Michael thought Kyle was all right, but whenever he caught Michael looking at Maria he got a little bristly. “We should find out where we’re supposed to hide,” Tess said, breaking up the awkward moment. “Yeah,” Michael said, looking back at Maria who was walking toward them, arm in arm with Liz. “Kyle!” Liz smiled as she looked down at his legs. “When did you get to take off the braces?” “Yesterday,” Kyle replied with a smile. “This was originally when they thought I’d get them off, but it was still a pretty big surprise.” “Well, you look great,” Liz smiled, giving him an awkward little hug. “Oh, Liz, this is Tess Harding,” Maria said giving a quick wave in Tess’s direction. The two women smiled at one another politely and murmured greetings. Michael glanced down at Tess, and could see that she was embarrassed. “Well, we’re all going to be in the bar when he comes in,” Liz said, gesturing to the open entrance in the corner. “We’ll go wait there, then,” Michael said quickly. Kyle slipped an arm around Tess’s waist, and Michael was glad he did. Liz excused herself to speak to more new arrivals as the four of them moved toward the bar. “She seems nice,” Tess said as they settled themselves at a table in the corner. Sensing that Tess was uncomfortable, Kyle started to talk to her about work. Michael watched them carefully as they spoke to one another. They were so easy with each other, Kyle joked with her until she was laughing, and all of the doubts had left her eyes. “Oh, wow,” he heard Maria say softly next to him. He glanced down at her, then followed her eyes to the entrance of the room. Isabel. She was wearing a short red cocktail dress. It was form fitting and showed her slightly swollen abdomen clearly. This was what people meant when they said that pregnant women were beautiful. He let his eyes linger on her a moment too long, and he was starting to feel a strange twinge. It wasn’t much, he was over her. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Maria making a sudden movement. He turned to look at her, and saw that she’d crossed her arms over her chest and that her shoulders were hunched forward slightly. “Am I under dressed?” she asked him softly. He shrugged, how would he know? All he knew was that the low rising dark blue jeans and tight white sleeveless shirt she was wearing had been the cause of him turning his back and practically running for the car the minute he’d seen her. As a matter of fact, he was wishing she’d put her coat back on if he was going to have to sit there next to her. *** Maria let Liz lead her to the dance floor. They were still giggling at Max’s refusal to dance with his girlfriend. Liz knew how to throw a party, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Glancing around the room at all of Max’s friends and family, Maria marveled at how easily Liz seemed to have made a place in his life. “So, I think Max was thoroughly surprised,” Maria giggled as she started dancing across from her friend. “Yeah, I think so,” Liz smiled dreamily casting a glance in his direction. “Liz, Maria!” They turned to see Alex standing near them with a camera. Leaning toward each other, they put on big smiles as he snapped the button and the flash went off. “Not dancing, Alex?” Maria asked. “No, taking pictures for the old ball and chain,” Alex laughed at his own joke. “She says her feet hurt. I told her not to wear those heels.” Maria laughed as Alex walked away, and looked to see why Liz wasn’t laughing as well when she noticed that Max had found his way to the dance floor after all. For a minute Maria was a little miffed at being abandoned by her friend, but sighed softly, deciding to go sit down. She was glad of her decision when the music changed suddenly to a more sultry song. “Want to dance?” Maria looked up into the eyes of a blonde guy she’d been introduced to earlier. A friend of Max’s, but she couldn’t remember his name. “Oh, uh, sure,” she said with a smile as the guy reached out for her. *** Michael leaned back against the bar and watched her closely from his vantage point on the stool. “Do you have to do that?” He looked over to see Kyle at his side, “Do what?” “Stare at her. It’s starting to piss me off.” Michael smirked, “If you’re planning to have a talk with every guy who’s staring at her you’ve got a long night ahead.” “It’s mainly you that concerns me,” Kyle said. “I can’t imagine why,” Michael tried to keep his tone casual as he reached back onto the bar to retrieve his drink. Liz was leading her to the dance floor. “Because I know there’s something going on between you two. I’m not stupid. I don’t buy that you just went on one blind date.” “Well, I don’t know what to tell you,” Michael glanced over at her brother. “No need to worry anyway, she wants nothing to do with me.” “Yeah, she told me that,” Kyle said slowly, turning to look at her on the dance floor. “Then you have nothing to worry about,” Michael said, actually trying to reassure her brother. He’d known that the guy had wanted to say something for a while, but didn’t feel as though he should. “Just keep in mind that she’s different, ok? She’s a good girl, and she deserves the best,” Kyle whispered the last words as he walked away. Yeah, she was a good girl, before he’d gotten his hands on her. Sighing, Michael watched her as she posed for a picture with Liz. She spoke to Alex for a moment, smiling and laughing, then turned to see that Liz had been swept away by Max. He watched her disappointment for a moment, and then smiled as she began walking in the direction of the bar. Her hair was down, and the new cut she was sporting left it long, but jaggedly cut at the bottom. When she wore it straight like this, it drove him crazy. She oozed sexuality, and it was hard not to become intoxicated just being in the same room with her. Every movement that she made reminded him that it had been too long since he’d touched her. Too long since he’d felt her soft skin beneath his fingers. He wondered if he ever would again. Since ‘the scare’, it had become obvious that he was correct in his assumption – she felt something for him, but she didn’t want to. So, for a month, he’d stood back and watched, stealing time with her while she was with Tess and Kyle or with Liz and Max. Maybe he was making a mistake, but if he didn’t have a foothold in her life after she quit on Monday then he knew he’d never see her at all. Some guy had stopped her on her way off the floor, and now had her dancing with him. His blood began to boil as he watched her sensually sway her hips, with her hands raised above her head. Her lips were making a sultry pout below her smoldering eyes. He wanted to scream when the guy put his hands on her waist and she let him pull her close. Before he knew it, he was on his feet striding quickly to the dance floor. *** Maria was enjoying herself. The guy she was dancing with liked to grope, but she could handle him. It felt good to throw her head back and dance. She could hardly remember the last time she’d just let loose like this. Suddenly, a hand closed around one of her wrists, plucking it out of the air. She looked up to see him bare his teeth at her dancing partner. He looked angry, primal…and oh, so hot. They were on the middle of a dance floor, surrounded by people, he had just scared away the guy who was dancing with her like an uncivilized ape, and all she wanted was to throw herself at him. The affect he had on her, this strange hypnotic power, it frightened her. “What are you doing?” she asked in a low angry tone as he started to lead her off the dance floor. He either didn’t hear her, or ignored her. For some reason, she let him continue to pull her. Suddenly, she found herself in a nearly dark hallway. “What do you think you’re doing?” she challenged him again as he stood with his back to her. Turning suddenly, he slapped the wall hard then leaned against it, and muttered, “I don’t know.” She could see his profile. The strong planes of his face, his brooding eyes, those supple lips. He was like a masterpiece, but it was his inner force that drew her to him. Everything about him exuded power, strength, invulnerability. Only at moments like this did she even get a glimpse of a crack in his cool exterior. She was beginning to wonder if it was her that had this affect on him, or just his libido. Then she remembered how he reacted to Isabel - those were feelings, this was just…sexual. “Michael?” her voice was softer than she meant it to be, more vulnerable than she meant it to be. He looked at her. Turned the full force of his heated gaze on her. Then, he stood up straight and took a step toward her. Standing so close that his chest touched hers, he leaned forward slightly as if he was going to kiss her, then stopped himself with a sharp shake of his head and a wry smile. It was all that she could do not to reach out and pull him to her. All of her frustration over the past month at having him so close and yet so far had her willing to do anything for his touch. “Sorry,” he said almost sarcastically as he stepped past her, and walked back in the direction of the bar. She shook her head to clear it, hoping to dislodge his hold over her mind. Any time he was near like that, she was no longer able to think. This was becoming a problem. Instead of getting over him and moving on, she seemed to be sinking in deeper. Getting to know him was only making things worse. *** Michael walked back into the room and headed for the barstool he’d abandoned. Sitting down hard, he signaled to the bartender that he wanted another drink. What a stupid thing to do. Why couldn’t he just do what her brother wanted, what she wanted? He should just leave her alone. Never in his life had he acted so stupidly out of jealousy. “Michael.” He laughed slightly. Naturally, she’d find him at his lowest point in weeks. She must have an internal radar. “Isabel,” he tried to smile as he glanced her way. “How have you been?” she asked. “Wonderful,” he said, not bothering to disguise the sarcasm as he took a quick drink, “and you? “I’m very well,” she said softly. “Great,” he said with an insincere eyebrow raise, trying to avoid looking at her as he took another drink. “Maybe you should lay off, you’re starting to look a little worse for wear,” she said, placing a hand on his upper arm. He pulled away from her and looked into her eyes, “I’ll be fine.” “Michael, why do you do this to yourself? Everyone is enjoying themselves, and you’re sitting over here looking as though your dog just died-.” “ Isabel, it’s not your job to worry about my emotional state anymore. I’m the mistake, rememb-.” “Hey, Michael,” Maria’s voice sounded over his shoulder. He turned quickly to see her watching him carefully. She gave Isabel a polite smile, then turned back to him. “Huh?” he was confused. “I thought maybe I could get that dance now,” she said, putting her hand on his arm and pulling slightly. “Dance?” Isabel looked surprised. “But, Michael, you don’t-.” “Later, Iz,” he said as he stood and followed Maria to the dance floor. When they reached the floor, she pulled him close, and wrapped her arms around his neck. It was a good thing the song was slow, or they’d have been in real trouble. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “You just looked…you looked…” He nodded, looking down at her. Her eyes seemed so large when she was looking up at him like this. “I can’t dance, though,” he said quietly. “Can’t dance?” she asked, raising her eyebrows. Shaking his head, he tried to back away from her a little. Having her pressed so tightly to him was starting to become a problem. He was amazed when she laid her cheek against his chest. She’d come to his rescue and now she was snuggling with him on the dance floor. The song ended, and she pulled away, giving him a brief smile before she walked into the other room. *** “Maria!” “Hi, Alex. Still taking pictures?” Maria smiled. “No, my mother-in-law took over for me,” Alex grinned as he sat down at the table next to her. “So, Tess’s new boyfriend is your brother, huh?” Maria laughed, “Well, they aren’t technically to that stage yet, but I think it’s safe to say that they’re more than friends.” Still smiling, Alex nodded his head slowly, “Strange that Tess and Michael are dating siblings again. Almost bizarre.” “Oh, I’m not dating Michael – although that definitely would be weird,” she laughed. Studying her for a moment, Alex sighed, “I’m glad to hear it. You could probably do a lot better.” Cocking her head to the side, Maria wondered what he was getting at, “Better than Michael?” “Well, I don’t really know him. He was strange with Isabel after they broke up, though.” For some reason, those words put Maria on edge, but she simply smiled, “Oh, there’s my brother, excuse me.” *** Michael handed her the keys as they neared his vehicle. He’d had a little to drink, and there wasn’t any point in taking a chance. She nodded slowly as she took them and climbed into the driver’s side while Tess and Kyle got in the back. As soon as they pulled away from the curb, Kyle started a conversation with Tess, and he and Maria were left in their own world in the front seat. “So, Max seemed to enjoy the party,” she said, glancing at him. “Yeah.” “Yeah…” He looked at her, as she sat with her back straight and her arms outstretched. She looked so small, and so sexy. Turning his head back to look out at the traffic, he tried to keep his mind off her. *** Maria and Kyle thanked Michael for the ride home, then quietly went into the building. Walking behind her brother on the stairs, Maria couldn’t help but smile at seeing him able to walk up on his own. At their floor, he turned to walk down to Serena’s to get Abby, and she quickly unlocked their door and slipped inside. Her room was full of boxes. She was in the process of packing. Next weekend she was moving in with her new roommate in the U district. Flopping down on her bed, she closed her eyes and was greeted with an image of Michael. Him leaning against the wall in the dimly lit hallway, acting fierce as he scared off the blonde guy, looking sick when Isabel was speaking to him, the way that he’d held her as they danced. Her heart sped up at the thought of leaping off her bed, running out of her building and down the street to him. The idea of throwing herself into his arms, begging him to make her scream, to make her feel – was making it hard for her to breathe. She needed to get away. To get on with her life, and break all ties. He was just a guy that she’d turned to in a weak moment, and had accidentally fallen in love with. There wasn’t anything real between them. So, maybe she knew him a little better now. Maybe he made Abby smile because he talked to her like she was another adult, and maybe Tess said that he was the only person in her life she knew she could depend on…it didn’t mean that he was good for her. *** Michael walked into the diner, and sat down at the counter. She spotted him, and grabbed a cola for him as she walked his way. He hadn’t seen her since Saturday night, and it was almost a relief to see her face. He was surprised to see her give him a small smile as she set it down in front of him. “Thanks,” he said. “Sure,” she whispered. For a moment, she stood watching him, then she went back about her duties. He watched her walk away, and told himself it was stupid to get sentimental. Even if it was her last day. *** Maria smoothed her hair back as she bent down to pick up the box. She hadn't realized just how much stuff she'd accumulated in her locker. Actually, it was quite a bit. "Later, Jose," she said as she walked past the kitchen. "Yeah, Mrya," he waved slightly without looking up. He was the only customer in the diner. She walked over to the counter and sat the box down on the stool next to his. Moving behind the counter, she gave Courtney a polite smile as she cleared his plate and his glass. For a moment, it occurred to her that this would be the last time. Grabbing the rag to quickly wipe up the counter in front of him, she had to move aside the bill he'd laid there. Benjamin Franklin's spectacled face stared up from her as she replaced the rag under the counter. Biting the inside of her cheek, she walked to the register and got his change. She should have known he'd try something like this. Carefully, one at a time, she laid the bills out in front of him. Four twenties, a ten, two ones, and a quarter. Michael crossed his arms in front of him and leaned on the counter. He looked first at the bills and then glanced up at her with a smirk. Placing his fingertips on the bills, he pushed them toward her. She bit back a smile, and threw her head to the side, then shook it quickly while she exhaled loudly through her nose. Moving quickly, she sent the bills back across the counter toward him. He raised his eyebrows, looking irritated, and narrowed his eyes, but she caught the twitch at the corner of his mouth. His palm came down flat on the money and he slid it toward her again. When he'd removed his hand, she reached down and picked up the money. He was watching her carefully. Taking it in her hands, she folded it first in half, then into quarters, then reached across the counter and shoved the bills into the front pocket of his shirt. Now, he looked genuinely irritated. He reached down and picked up the quarter that was left on the counter. Before she knew what was happening, he flipped it in her direction. It hit her stomach and then fell to the floor with a clang. Kneeling down, she picked it up and was ready to throw it back at him when she stood and saw that he was already on his feet, holding her box. She sneered at him, and he gave her a condescending smirk. Without another word, she slipped the quarter in her pocket and walked around the counter. "Word of advice for your next job," Courtney whispered as she passed her, "don't turn down ninety dollar tips." "Good-bye Courtney," Maria smiled, ignoring the girl as she walked to the door. *** “You’re moving this weekend?” he asked her as they walked out the door. She glanced up at him, she still looked slightly irritated, but she nodded, “Yeah, on Saturday. It sucks, because that’s the same day that Kyle is moving into the new house, but we have to be out by Monday, and my new roommate said Saturday was the earliest that would work.” “Need any help?” he couldn’t believe he’d asked. Looking up at him curiously, she narrowed her eyes, “First, you’re thanking me for serving you, now you’re making small talk and offering to help me move?” He shrugged. “It’s like ‘invasion of the pod people’ or something,” she muttered. Shaking his head, he sighed, “Just forget it then.” “No, no. Are you serious? You’re the first person who’s offered,” her tone was almost eager. “I’m serious.” “Ok then, yeah, I could use some help,” she said. Michael sighed and switched the box to his left arm. Then, he noticed a familiar car coming down the street toward him. A certain German sports car with a certain Isabel Evans – oh, no, make that ‘Whitman’ behind the wheel. He stopped and watched her drive past them, then turned to see her park in front of his building. “Oh,” Maria said quietly at his elbow. He looked down at her. Why did she always try to cover herself whenever Isabel was around? Turning back in the direction of her building, he started walking again. “It’s ok, you can go talk to her,” Maria said moving quickly to keep up with him. “No, I’m helping you carry this home.” “Really,” she said, reaching for the box, “I can manage.” “Stop it, just let me carry it,” he said harshly, looking down at her. “No, just let me have it,” she insisted. He ignored her and kept walking, batting away her hands every time she tried to grab the box. At her building, he started to walk up the steps, but she planted herself in front of him and took the box before he could stop her. “ I’ve got it,” she hissed, then turned quickly and ran up to her door. Irritated, he simply turned and walked back in the direction of his building. Isabel was sitting on the hood of her car with her arms crossed, and when she noticed him walking toward her, she stood and put a hand on her hip expectantly. “Iz,” he nodded at her as he walked past her car on his way inside the building. “Michael. I need to talk to you,” she followed him into the building. “Ok,” he said as he unlocked his door. She followed him inside and went to stare out one of his windows. “I told him.” “Told who what?” Turning to glance at him, he heard her swallow hard, “My husband. I told him about everything.” “Oh,” he said softly as he shrugged out of his coat and threw it across the back of his armchair. “And, what does that have to do with me?” “He wants to talk to you. To apologize.” “He wants to apologize to me?” Michael asked incredulously. “Well…” “Well what?” “He’s upset that he broke us up. I told him not to be, but he was anyway,” she said hastily as she started to pace around the room. “Yeah, you should have told him he was the hero for rescuing you from the big bad wolf,” he knew he shouldn’t say it, but he did anyway. She rolled her eyes and walked into his studio corner, looking at his latest work, “You know what I meant, Michael.” “Yeah.” “There’s something else. The real reason he wants to talk to you.” “The real reason?” “Yes, the real reason. He says that he warned some girl about you.” “What? What girl? What do you mean ‘warned’?” “This is the girl from Max’s party Saturday night,” she said, picking up a drawing he’d done from memory of the way Maria had looked. “Yeah. Now, what girl?” “I think it was this girl,” Isabel said slowly, studying the drawing. “Was she your date at the wedding? He said it was a girl who’d been your date at the wedding, apparently I met her but I don’t remember.” He was staring at her, slack-jawed. What had Alex said to Maria? “What did he say?” Michael asked her angrily, striding quickly into the studio and whipping the drawing out of her hand. “I don’t know,” she looked startled. “He’s coming here to speak to you, he can tell you. I tried to talk him out of it. I knew that you wouldn’t want to talk to him, and I tried to tell him that I couldn’t imagine you caring if he’d said something bad about you to some girl.” Michael stared at her. Whatever Alex had said probably hadn’t made a difference, but it probably hadn’t helped either. |