Dedicated to pw, who said she was waiting, albeit impatiently. ;-)
"Could we make a quick stop at the Hortons?"
Craig glanced over at Gus, who was wrestling with the white shorts, pulling at them in an attempt to keep them at a decent length. The motion caused him to observe that she wasn't wearing a bra. He sucked in his bottom lip and turned his eyes back to the road.
"No problem," he said in a strangled tone, clenching the wheel with both hands. He was wound up so tight that even his toes were curled. He had to get his mind on something else, quickly, before he pulled the car over to the side of the road and threw his vows of fidelity to Nancy out the car window.
Gus took a moment to smirk before her crossed her arms and hid her chest from view. I hope you suffer, Wesley!
They got to the Horton's in record time. Gus opened the door and got out in one elegant, fluid motion. She retrieved her bundle from the floor of the car, placing one hand on the car seat and bending from the waist as she did so. He could see clear down to her navel. Craig took a deep breath and got out of the car.
So this is hell.
Gus realized that she didn't have her purse with her and remembered giving it to Carrie. A quick knock and Alice opened the door.
"Gus, darling! How nice to see you!" she said, ushering her in. "Good lord, what happened to you?" she asked, motioning towards Gus' bandaged leg.
"Just a little accident, Mrs. H.," Gus said. "I need to get a change of clothes, then head over to the hospital."
"Of course, dear," Alice replied, taking in Gus' rather scanty attire. She noticed movement on the porch. "And who is it that you've got with you?"
Craig poked his head around the door and waved feebly. "Hi."
"Oh, you're that nice Dr. Wesley that saved my great-grandson's life. I'm Alice Horton, Mike's grandmother. Come in, have a doughnut!" Alice fairly dragged him inside as he tried to protest that he could wait in the car. "Oh, we'll have none of that, young man. The kitchen's through there. There's milk in the fridge."
Craig did not know how to handle this situation, and Gus seemed to be trying not to laugh. She turned towards the stairs and started climbing then, unaware that his eyes followed her all the way up.
Alice, noticing the look on Craig's face and the ring on his hand, pursed her lips. Better get him stuffed and find out what's going on in that mind of his.
I could get used to this, Mike thought as he and Carrie did their best to make that 4th of July kiss a pale shadow of the one they were engaging in now. Her hands were underneath his scrub shirt, running up and down his back. She was gently raking him with her nails and rubbing the small of his back with the pads of her fingertips. It had been so long since anyone had touched him like that. Anyone.
Carrie climbed on to his lap and straddled him, giggling as he grabbed her hips and pulled her closer.
Now that's more like it, she thought as she felt his hands sliding underneath her dress, his fingers stroking the outside of her thighs.
She wanted to howl as Mike's hands suddenly stopped moving.
"Carrie, are you sure?" It was a simple question, but it carried a wealth of meaning.
Are you sure you're ready for this? Are you sure it's me you want? Are you sure that you know what you're doing?. . .
She looked into his eyes. He was scared, he was excited, he was uncertain. She could see that he wanted her, but she could also see that he needed reassurance that she wanted him. She smiled and shook her head as her hands came up to frame his face.
"Mike," she said softly, as she smoothed his hair back, "I've never been more certain of anything in my life."
For the first time in his life, Craig felt kind of bad. Alice Horton was Mike's grandmother and was considered to be part of the enemy camp. But she was such a nice lady. And she made outstanding doughnuts.
"These are fabulous," he said between bites. "Where did you learn how to make them?"
"A special recipe from my grandmother, Adelaide Grayson," Alice said, accepting the compliment warmly but keeping an eye on him just the same.
Alice knew all about this young man. Mike's letters from medical school, recounting his trials and tribulations and begging for baked goods to keep him going, were tied with a blue ribbon and resting at the bottom of a wooden chest he'd made her when he was only twelve. And that chest was upstairs, on her bookshelf.
Mike had often written her about Craig, describing him as a young man bent on one-upping everything Mike did. Not dishonest, but definitely opportunistic. One incident, involving a young woman and the sabotage of her dissection tools, stuck in her mind.
"So, Dr. Wesley," Alice said conversationally as she took a sip of her tea, "tell me about your wife."
Nancy looked up and saw Roman Brady walking towards her and an evil and delicious little thought entered her mind. She considered the ramifications of what she was about to do, and decided that this was just too good of an opportunity to pass up. She doubted that the doctor and his sweetheart would be doing anything in a linen closet, but it wouldn't hurt for Daddy to get the wrong idea. Nancy knew from experience what kind of actions Daddies with wrong ideas would take.
"Oh, Mr. Brady," she said sweetly, plastering a sunshine-bright smile on her face, "Are you looking for Mike and Carrie?"
"Well, just Carrie at the moment," Roman replied in a preoccupied tone.
Better play it safe.
"I think I saw them in the geriatric wing. They said they needed to talk about something in private."
"Thank you," Roman replied, heading off in the direction she'd pointed him in.
It was either spit or swallow. Craig swallowed, but not without difficulty.
"My wife? Her name is Nancy," he said, gritting his teeth ever so slightly. "We've been married for seven months."
Alice nodded and fixed a dreamy expression on her face, taking in his strained tone and reluctance to elaborate. "My Tom and I were married for 64 glorious years. In June it was four years since he passed away."
"Ready to go?"
He turned and found himself nose to navel with Gus. She was wearing jeans and a black shirt. The urge to bury his face in her midriff was so tempting. . .
"Umm, yeah," he replied, trying to hang on to his train of coherent thought. "Mrs. Horton, those were the best doughnuts I've ever had."
Gus bent down and kissed Alice's cheek. "Thanks for taking care of him, Mrs. H."
"You're welcome, dear," Alice said, patting her hand. "Tell Mike that he'd better not work too late. He hasn't had any sleep in four days."
"I'll do that," Gus said as she risked a glance at Craig, then shoved her hands into her pockets.
He got up and took his plate and glass to the sink, rinsing them before setting them down on the counter. He walked back over to Alice and held out his hand. "It was a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."
She took it and returned his grip with surprising force, satisfied at his surprised expression. Craig was learning not to underestimate Alice Horton.
"Stop by any time," Alice said, a smile forming on her face. Craig nodded and gave her a grin.
She watched Gus and Craig leave, both trying not to touch each other unless it was necessary.
If those two aren't together in twelve months, I'll give up on love altogether.
This time when they kissed, it was sweet and soft and giving. It was everything a kiss should be, and more so.
Carrie wanted to tear his clothes off and have him, right then and there. She had always wondered if Mike was boxers or briefs. . .
Mike was entertaining similar notions that included ripped clothing and lingerie, but he was also wondering how long it would take for them to get back to his office so he could fulfill a certain fantasy involving Carrie and his desk, or maybe Carrie and his shower, or Carrie and her desk. . .
The sound of a key sliding into the lock made them freeze.
Craig opened the door for her, a movement that surprised Gus. She got into the car with a minimum of discomfort, reached over and undid the lock on his door, and buckled her seatbelt. He got in and slid the key into the ignition, but didn't start the engine.
She looked at him curiously, wondering what was wrong. Several times he tried to speak, but he couldn't get the words out.
"Gus," he said finally, turning towards her, "there's something I have to tell you."
"What?" she asked, dreading what he was going to say.
"It's about Mike and Carrie."
"What about Mike and Carrie?"
"They're in trouble."
Mike and Carrie were perfectly still, their hearts racing.
The key was having a difficult time opening the lock. They could hear the jangling on the other side of the door.
As quietly as possible, Carrie disengaged herself from Mike, holding her fingers to her lips. Mike repeated the motion and Carrie realized that, once again, he was wearing her lipstick. She hastily wiped it off of his mouth, but there wasn't much she could do with her hand.
Oh God, she thought as they stood up, trying to readjust their clothing and hair, I just hope that it's no one we know.
Rose, Salem University Hospital's head nurse, was having the dickens of a time trying to wrestle with the key. Just her luck that whoever had been here last had been so fastidious about locking doors!
"Can I help you?"
She looked over her shoulder and noticed a man in a tuxedo standing there behind her. "Oh, hello," she said, "I'm having trouble getting this door open."
"Let me help," he said, stepping in to take over.
Rose surrendered the key to him and stepped back, amused at the macho need to wrestle with metal.
He fumbled with the lock until he heard all of the tumblers go. He threw open the door.
And Roman Brady came face-to-face with his daughter and the hospital's Chief of Staff, both wearing the glazed and guilty expression of two people who have just been caught doing something that they shouldn't be doing.
Carrie looked like she'd been thoroughly kissed.
And Mike had a trace of mauve lipstick at the corner of his mouth.
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