A big THANK you going out to Trev, Skid and Jim who answered my questions patiently and occasionally overwhelmed me with MORE information than I needed or ever wanted! You guys rock! And thanks also to Al, you're an angel honey.
Micah Dreams
Locating Micah's car turned out to be a bit harder than either Kel or Micah had figured. The club manager was belligerent, yelling about free loaders and losers leaving their junk all over the place and expecting HIM to take care of it until they could be bothered to come and fetch it. None of Kel's diplomacy seemed to be working with him. Micah, his head pounding from the hangover, finally planted both hands on the manager's desk and leaned very close.
"If you don't answer my question in the next 2 seconds," he growled. "I am going to take this office apart with my bare hands!"
Whether the manager believed Micah or he suddenly decided to get that raving drunk out of his office is irrelevant. Micah was a lot of man to have suddenly thrust into your face, especially when the 6'2", 200 lbs man was tired, frustrated and hungover! The manager suddenly recalled that the car had been towed and gave them the name of the impound lot where it was taken .
A quick call, from the pay phone by the bar, to the lot confirmed that the car was still there. Kel drove there, one eye on the road and one eye on Micah who was sitting slumped down in the seat. Micah stared out the window, brooding. Kel, he wanted Kel, he NEEDED Kel so badly. He ached deep in his soul to hold the thin man in his arms and tell him all that he meant to Micah. Micah pouted. Why couldn't Kel see how much Micah loved him? How could he not CARE about how much Micah loved him?
They arrived at the impound lot without having spoken a single word the whole trip. Micah climbed out and started up to the office. Kel ran up behind him and squeezed his arm. Micah looked down into Kel's shimmery green eyes and felt the knife in his heart twist again. He wanted nothing more than to throw Kel down and devour him right there. But oddly at the same time, he wanted to just get his car and drive away.. far away from Kel and his eyes, his smile and most of all from Kel's quiet non-judgmental acceptance. Micah shivered.
Getting the car out of impound proved again to be a lot harder than either of them expected. The young man behind the desk demanded ID and when Micah couldn't offer any, refused to deal with him any further.
"Come back when you can PROVE you are who you claim to be," sneered the young man.
Micah was beyond frustrated and started to yell very loudly at the clerk, when an attractive woman in her mid 30s came out of a back room. She was blond, with a clear complexion and cheerful smile, a little on the heavy side, but not unpleasantly so, Micah thought. He turned his smile on her. She blinked and smiled back.
"What is the problem?" She asked.
"This schmuck," Micah gestured to the young man who squawked a protest. "is unwilling to help me out."
"Rob? What's the problem here?" She asked walking over to the counter. She smiled up at Micah. "I'm Kim Reed, the manager."
"He SAYS he has a car here," Rob said sulkily. "But he doesn't have any ID."
Micah felt himself start to get hot again. "I TOLD YOU.."
Kel jumped forward. "Micah," he said gently. "I'm sorry, Ms. Reed. Micah is a bit upset right now. He's been, umm, out of town and has only now returned to find his car impounded and his wallet missing."
The woman looked from Kel to Micah. She smiled at Micah who gave her his `aw shucks' smile in return. Micah leaned on the counter, his body was turned so that the young man was subtly pushed aside from his supervisor's attention. Micah leaned forward just enough to silently tell Ms. Reed that his attention was wholly on her.
"I believe my wallet with my ID is inside the car, along with my car keys and checkbook. IF I could just be allowed to get into my car.. I could clear all this up in a moment." Micah touched her hand lightly.
"Where was your car towed from?" She asked.
Micah told her. She looked surprised and Micah smiled sheepishly and murmured something about a whirlwind romance that had crashed and burned. She turned to the young man.
"Rob, bring me that file. If, as he says, his ID is in there..well, we will know soon enough."
Rob scowled and slunk over to a file cabinet. He thumbed through it and pulled out a paper and handed it to Ms. Reed. She looked down at the paperwork.
"It's locked. I'll have to call a locksmith."
Kel jumped forward. "I have a key." He smiled and handed her his key. She looked from Kel to Micah, then gestured to the two men to follow her. Micah resisted the urge to stick his tongue out at Rob as he passed him. They walked out the front door and around the side of the building and back through several rows of cars to an open spot, where they found a light blue Volkswagen Cabriolet convertible. Micah sighed in relief. It's top was up and undamaged.
Ms. Reed checked her paperwork again then walked up to the car. She unlocked the door as Micah and Kel peered in through the windows. On the rear floor was a tattered sweatshirt. Ms. Reed tipped the drivers seat forward and reached in to pick up the sweatshirt, underneath it was a wallet, a set of keys and a rather expensive watch. Micah sighed again in relief, he had been worried about them, fearing they had been stolen by the two guys in the apartment.
"You're lucky no one cut the top before it was towed here," Ms. Reed said. Micah nodded.
Ms. Reed picked up the wallet and glanced at Micah who smiled and nodded. Ms. Reed opened the wallet and found Micah's ID. She looked up at him and smiled.
"Well, the wallet is yours. So I think it would be fair to assume this is your car."
Micah grinned. She handed the wallet to him, he scanned it quickly. There was no money in it, but his credit cards, ID and bank card was there. Plus all the other little junk that tends to find a home in one's wallet: receipts, notes, grocery lists, sandwich shop club cards, etc. In the last plastic sleeve was a picture. A picture that stabbed Micah to the core: it was of Micah with his arms around Kel's shoulders. They had had it taken for a lark in a one hour booth at a summer music festival they had attended. They both looked so happy, how could it have all gone to hell so soon afterwards? Micah stopped short of admitting his drinking had something to do with it. Kel's love would have stopped him from drinking, he knew it! He wondered if Kel still had his copy of the picture.
Kel cleared his throat. Micah jerked his head up. Ms. Reed and Kel were looking at him. He flushed and shoved his wallet into his pants pocket. He walked around to the trunk and unlocked it. Inside was his leather jacket, another wave of relief flowed over him. That coat had cost him $200 and his checkbook was in it.
From here it was easy to get the car. A quick call to the bank and some sweet talking to the person answering the phone confirmed that Micah's account hadn't been plundered and there was plenty of money in it to get his car back. He paid the impound fee and towing fee. Kel winced at the charges but didn't say anything. Micah drove the car out to the front. Kel was standing by his car.
"Do you want me to come with you or are you okay to go find out about your job?" He asked softly
Micah paled. He reached out the window and took Kel's hand.
"Please, come with me. I can't face this alone."
Kel nodded. "Lead the way then."
"I need to go home first," Micah said. "I can't go in there looking like this."
Kel nodded and asked for directions to Micah's in case they got separated. Micah watched him climb into the Cougar. He had hoped Kel would come on the bike. There was no grander paradise to Micah's mind than being on the Silver Phantom with Kel in his arms. Instead, Kel had to show up in his car, with his new lover in tow! Micah slammed his fist against the steering wheel. The horn honked and Kel looked up in surprise and started to get back out of his car. Micah didn't respond, he just put the car in gear and peeled out of the lot. He could see Kel in his rear view mirror, looking alone and sad. Micah felt like a jerk. Why, if he loved Kel as much as he claimed, did he always have to hurt Kel? Poor Kel, who half the time didn't understand the reactions of people around him anyway.
The traffic into Auburn was pretty light, it being only mid morning. Kel followed Micah into a quiet neighborhood. The house Micah was renting sat on a fairly good sized piece of property. It was an old house with a long porch and a bay window on the south end. The curtains were pulled in the window. Micah pulled into the muddy drive on the north side of the house. He pulled far up the drive to allow Kel room to park behind him.
Micah waited at the side of his car for Kel. Kel walked up slowly, his eyes taking in the neighborhood, the yard and the house. His face said clearly that it was a much better area than he had been expecting.
"I'm sorry," Micah murmured.
Kel cocked his head and looked up at Micah. "For what?" He asked puzzled.
"For peeling out like that at the impound... I feel like a heel."
Kel shrugged. "I didn't know if you wanted me and so when you left I figured you just bumped your horn." He ran a hand along the side of the car. "She's a pretty thing," he said looking up at Micah.
Micah smiled softly. Kel was so oblivious to insult sometimes and other times he could fly off the handle from a single word. It was never boring with Kel around! Micah led the way around back, explaining that he preferred coming in through the kitchen instead of the tiny dark entryway up front. Dark was not a favorite place for Micah... unless it was lying on his back on the picnic table, staring up at the sky.
The back yard was fenced all around by a wooden fence. The boards were shiny from lacquer and looked fairly new. Most of the yard was taken up by a rock garden with a bubbling waterfall in the middle. Kel was delighted and insisted on examining every inch of the garden. Micah had built it shortly after moving in and kept it scrupulously maintained. By the door to the kitchen, was a picnic table and a couple of collapsible chairs. A wet blanket and soggy paperback laid on one of the chairs. Kel tsked over the ill treatment of an innocent book while Micah unlocked the door.
"At least it isn't one of yours," Micah said with a grin. Kel laughed and agreed.
The small kitchen had a pile of dishes in the sink and a bigger pile of scotch bottles on the floor by the sink. Micah flushed and glanced at Kel, who typically was looking in another direction entirely.
"Why do I worry so much?" Micah asked himself with a small grin. Kel was admiring the ceiling beams in the old kitchen. The floor was quite outside of Kel's thoughts.
Micah steered Kel into the middle room. Kel fell enthusiastically in love with the long, narrow room. There was a fireplace on one end and a built in china cabinet on the other. The ceiling beams had been varnished and polished to a high luster one very early morning by Micah trying to work off the effects of too much scotch and far too much cocaine. Micah decided against telling Kel that he had drug the picnic table into the house, put a chair on it and stood on the chair for hours polishing the beams.
Micah opened the door to his room. A bright sunny room, the bay window provided heat, light and a place to sit. Micah peeled off his shirt and threw it into a laundry hamper by the door. He wondered briefly if there was anything nesting in the hamper. Maybe it was time to get a cat. Kel sat on the bed. Micah watched him out the corner of his eye as he dug a shirt out of the closet. He turned with the shirt in his hands and stopped still, his mouth dropping open. Kel was bouncing on the bed: a look of pure joy on his face. Micah started to laugh. Kel looked up and blushed, then he grinned.
Micah tossed the shirt on the dresser and jumped onto the bed. He caught Kel around the waist and pinned him to the bed. Kel's eyes were dancing, all shiny and green and he was laughing. Kel's laugh was a bubbly tenor that made Micah think of rivers.
Micah leaned down and rubbed Kel's nose with his own. Kel grinned up at him. He cradled Kel's head in his hands for a moment. Micah's head drooped to Kel's chest. Kel's hands held him. Micah looked up at Kel, Kel smiled and Micah leaned down and kissed him. A fiery, passionate kiss, Micah devoured Kel's mouth. His hand pushed Kel's shirt up and he broke the kiss off. Kel moaned deeply as Micah's lips explored his belly. His hand in Micah's hair tried to push Micah's head away but Micah wasn't moving. Micah teased his belly button and nibbled at the soft skin of Kel's upper groin. Kel groaned.
"Micah, no. Stop. Micah, no." Kel moaned.
But Micah was past paying attention, he wanted Kel. He wanted Kel in his arms and in his mouth. He pulled at the buttons of Kel's jeans: to have Kel again, to show Kel how much he loved him, to give his need to Kel.
The side of Micah's face exploded in pain. Fire spread out across Micah's cheek and his head rocked sideways. Micah gripped his face. His vision cleared and he was looking into Kel's eyes, eyes that were snapping in fury. It had been Kel's hand on the side of his face, he realized with chagrin.
Micah swore softly. He scrambled into a sitting position. "Kel! I'm sorry! I don't know what came over me! Please Kelkie..." tears flowed down Micah's face.
Kel sat up pulling his knees up to his chest. He wrapped his arms around his legs. Kel's face was a mask. Micah had never felt worse in his life. Kel was an abused child and an abused adult; he had been physically and sexually abused by not only his father but by several lovers in the past. How could Micah have not stopped when Kel told him to stop?
"Kel, I'm so sorry.. I didn't mean.. I just.." Micah's head drooped. "I just love you so much and I need you so much. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. You know that, Kelkie."
Kel's hand tipped Micah's head up and to the side. "I think you are the one who got hurt, not me." Kel's eyes were still angry but his voice was gentle. "Micah, you can't do this to me. Every time I get near you, you do something like this. It scares me and sooner or later I will start to be scared of YOU." Micah moaned, a sad little aching sound. "I told you, I have Josh. He is everything I want and then some. He wants to marry me, Micah."
Micah stared into Kel's shining eyes and felt himself start to die. He scrambled off the bed with a hoarse cry and stormed out of the room. He heard Kel jump up and follow him through the living room into the kitchen. Micah ripped cabinet doors open in a soundless kind of rage. There had to be something to drink in there somewhere, there was NEVER nothing to drink in Micah's home!
How could Kel do this to him? How was he supposed to get sober without Kel at his side? MARRY!? What was it this Josh had that Micah didn't? Could Josh even READ for God's sake! He worked CONSTRUCTION, for heaven's sake! Anger built up in Micah. Scared of him? The man that loved Kel the most! That hurt worse than the slap in the face had hurt.
Micah found a half full bottle of scotch and twisted the cap off. He downed several slugs of the booze straight from the bottle almost without breathing. Tears ran down his face. He hugged the bottle to his chest and slumped back against the stove. 'How hard was it to drink oneself to death?' he wondered bleakly. A hand touched his cheek, he looked up at Kel, who was smiling at him. Kel peeled his hands gently off the bottle.
"Come on, you need a shower. It'll make you feel like a whole new man." He grinned mischievously. "I'll wash your back and hair for you.
Micah leaned forward and rested his forehead on Kel's shoulder. His hands clenched Kel's bony hips. He had been so horrified, when Kel had shown up at the bank, at how thin Kel had become.
"I don't deserve you, Kel. I treat you like crap half the time. Sometimes I think I don't deserve to be happy. I don't deserve to be loved."
Kel's hands framed Micah's face, lifting it until they looked into each other's eyes.
"Micah, you DO deserve to be loved, to be happy and you will be. It just won't be with me. When the alcohol stops seducing you, you will be happy. You will be loved, I know it." He grinned impishly. "Have you ever known ME to lie?"
Micah burst out laughing. He crushed Kel to his chest. Kel wrapped his arms around his neck and returned the squeeze. Somehow, some way he'd do it. Just to see Kel smile.
"Kelkie? How can you be so good to me? Especially after I just tried to ra-" Kel's fingers pressed against his mouth.
"Shhh," Kel said softly. He grinned. "Actually, I almost let you." He blushed. "It felt so good and you ARE so good at making love. Very thorough." Kel's grin was pure mischief.
"Better than Josh?"
"Nope, just different." Kel grinned. "Now come on, let's get you in the shower and get to the bank."
The shower was hot and soothed Micah's aching frayed nerves. Kel leaned in and washed Micah's back. He tried to get Kel to wash his front as well, but Kel wasn't taking the bait. He just laughed and backed away, holding his fingers up in a cross. Micah laughed and finished washing. He stepped out of the shower and toweled off wondering where Kel had disappeared to. Micah wrapped the towel around his waist and went down the short hallway to the kitchen. No Kel, no Kel in the living room or bedroom. Micah was getting concerned, Kel could be unpredictable. Did he suddenly leave? Micah ran to the back door.
"Oh Micah, you aren't going to impress your boss looking like that!" Kel said, sounding exasperated, behind him.
Micah whirled around. Kel was standing in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room holding a pile of clean clothes. Micah closed the back door. He shook his head.
"That's a heck of a closet, you have in there. I think the inside is in another dimension. I'd swear I got lost in there." Kel grinned at him.
"You were IN the closet? Micah asked puzzled.
"Yep." Kel answered. He handed Micah the clothes. "Now hurry up. Tomorrow's only 12 hours away!"
Micah chuckled and shook his head. Things were never boring with Kel around. He took the clothes and walked back to the bathroom.
Micah shaved carefully. A bloody nick was not what he wanted to present to his boss while he pleaded for his job. Micah didn't grow much of a beard but a week without shaving had made him scruffy. He dressed quickly. The clothes Kel had picked out were sober, fairly conservative, a dark suit and charcoal shirt, dark tie, the whole ensemble made Micah's ash white curls glow. Kel whistled in appreciation and tied Micah's tie for him.
"Damn, you sure do clean up real purty," he said in an exaggerated backwoods hick voice. He grinned at Micah, who gave him a quick platonic kiss.
They decided to take both cars, in case time ran long and Kel had to hurry to go get Josh. Micah led the way to the bank. Kent was a growing suburb of Seattle, one of the east side suburbs experiencing a sudden growth spurt. The bank building had been built in the early 1900's and had been carefully restored in the 1980's. They parked in the back and Kel followed Micah in through a swinging glass door.
The interior of the bank was cool and a bit on the dark side. The floor was marble and the counters were all shiny wood with highly polished brass rails. Several of the tellers leaned over the counters and called to Micah as they passed.
"So how many of these ladies have you taken out?" Kel breathed into his ear.
"I plead the fifth," Micah whispered back with a grin.
"Uh-huh, and what about the guys?" Kel smirked. Micah just grinned.
Micah led Kel to the stairs and down to the finance department. He leaned against one of the doorframes and knocked on the door. The occupant of the room was a woman who looked up startled.
"MICAH!" she shouted. The woman was about 50, thin and trim with dark hair and large eyes. She tore around her desk and threw her arms around Micah's neck.
"Good morning Mary Lynne." Micah said softly hugging the woman. Mary Lynne was Micah's boss and the woman responsible for getting him the job. Mary Lynne's dead son had been a very close friend of Micah's.
She stepped back from Micah. Her face was angry. "Just WHERE the hell have you been?! I have been out of my head from worry."
"Mary Lynne, its better if you don't know." Micah answered softly.
Mary Lynne looked horrified. "Oh God no, please no. Micah, I've lost one son already. I can't lose you both."
Micah hugged her again. "I'm going straight, Mary Lynne. I just need some help." he whispered.
Mary Lynne hugged him. "I'll do anything I can to help you, Micah. For your sake and for Stevey's sake." Tears slid down her cheeks. Micah wiped them off gently.
Micah introduced Kel to Mary Lynne and after a quick conference it was decided to take the issue of Micah's rehabilitation to the bank manager. Mary Lynne called up to his office and found that he was free for the next half hour.
The conference with the bank manager went better than Micah expected. He was sympathetic and willing to work out a compromise: if Micah went to rehab for thirty days, his job would be kept for him. However, if Micah did not go or dropped out then his job would be gone. Micah paled slightly and nodded in agreement.
Less agreeable was the rehab the bank manager wanted him to attend. It was in Sacramento, California! Micah tried to argue with him and Kel pointed out that California might NOT be the best place to send an alcoholic for treatment, but the manager was adamant. It was this or nothing at all.
"This clinic is new, but it has an excellent reputation. Besides, it caters to gays, lesbians and one assumes bisexuals." The manager eyed Micah over the top of his glasses. Here was a man who knew just what went on in his bank, especially between his employees.
Micah slumped back in his chair defeated. How was he going to do this without Kel? He was certain that despite Kel's offer to "walk you to rehab and hold your damned hand if necessary", Kel was not going to go to Sacramento for a month. Not with Josh waiting for him here. Micah left himself teetering on the edge of a very deep, black pit. For a moment he felt like falling, he could just stand up and tell the manager to go screw himself, storm out and hit the first bar he found open, but he looked up into Mary Lynne's eyes, so filled with love and pain and fear.
And Kel, beautiful, sweet Kel, how long would he continue to come bail Micah out. Would he get sick of cleaning him up and decide to stay home the next time Micah called him?
Micah swallowed and nodded. "All right. I'll do it."
The rest of the conference was taken up with working out details. Micah would be let off work most of the week to allow him to get everything arranged for a month long absence. The yawning pit at his feet seemed closer than ever before, Micah shivered and returned Mary Lynne's hugs. He was determined to keep stepping back from the pit now.
After leaving the bank, he and Kel grabbed some lunch in a little Mexican place near the bank. Afterwards, they parted with a hug and a quick kiss, Kel off to go get Josh from work and Micah off-- to what he wasn't really sure. They agreeded to meet the next day and Kel would help him make any necessary arrangements for his absence. He drove around for a bit before remembering the woman from the convenience store that morning. He wondered about her schedule and there was the server from Denny's, Carrie, yes that was her name.
Carrie wasn't at Denny's, but one of the servers informed Micah that she'd be in at 10 pm. Micah drove over to Des Moines, shivering in the light of day remembering the chill and fear of that morning. Much to his surprise, he saw the woman from that morning, at work, through the windows. She looked tired. Micah pulled out of the parking lot and drove up the street to the phone booth. From there, he located a florist near by and called to order a bouquet of roses. The man on the phone seemed a bit put out that Micah wanted it right then, but after Micah explained why he wanted them, he calmed down and agreed to hurry the order through.
The bouquet was ready shortly after Micah arrived at the florist's shop. It was a beautiful arrangement in a clear glass vase. Micah had specified when he placed the order not to use one of the regular vases: he wanted something a bit more special. Micah expressed his pleasure, tipped the florist well and carried the bouquet out to the car.
When he arrived back at the convenience store, the woman was nowhere to be seen. Micah swore softly, hoping she had not left. The other two younger women in the store, got quite excited when he walked in with the flowers, voices raised in excitement at WHO was getting flowers! The older woman came out of the back attracted by the noise. Micah smiled at her and handed her the flowers. She looked puzzled then she smiled when she recognized the gorgeous man from earlier that morning.
"Thank you so much," Micah said softly. He kissed her again on the cheek.
She blushed and tears popped up in her eyes. "You are very welcome," She said. "It was 3 am, and you were obviously cold and ill. I couldn't let you just suffer. Are you doing better now?"
"Much better, thank you again." Micah replied. They chatted for a few minutes more and before Micah left, he bought a quart of milk.
Micah didn't want to go home, but he had over 6 hours until Carrie would be at work. He pulled into the driveway feeling oddly at ease. This was the first time he had felt so peaceful since Kel had thrown him out three years before. Maybe now that the decision to go sober had been taken out of his hands, the tension had left as well. Micah changed into a pair of grubby jeans and an old t-shirt. First line of business was cleaning up the house.
Micah had never tolerated clutter or dirt ever in his life. He cleaned all the old bottles out of the kitchen and the ones hidden behind the couch in the living room. He dusted and vacuumed and scrubbed the woodwork in the old house till it shone.
Cleaning helped keep Micah's mind off of his problems. It was easy to ignore sobriety when his hands were occupied. And it was easy to not think of Kel or of having Kel here in his house and most of all, it was easy not to remember Kel on his bed, in his arms and under his lips. Kel, sweet, beautiful Kel: most people would have stormed out after the incident in the bedroom but not Kel. Kel stayed and Kel forgave him. Micah shivered. He knew without being told that this was one incident NOT to tell Josh. He remembered the way the copper man's eyes had glittered at him and the possessive look on Josh's face. Do NOT mess with MY man, Josh's eyes had said.
The rest of the evening passed in a flurry of cleaning and the smell of Pine Sol and the rest of the bottle of scotch, of course. Looking up, from where he was scrubbing the dirty streaks off the oven door, Micah realized it was dark. He looked up at the clock on the stove, 8:45. Where had the day gone?
Micah cleaned up his mess and put the cleaning supplies away. The house was bright and clean and the slight sour smell he had noticed that morning was gone. He toyed with the idea of another shower, but wasn't sure his body was up to a third shower in less than 24 hours, but a quick clean up was definitely in order. Not too much of one though... the Pine Sol was covering up the scotch smell.
Micah drove up to Kent listening to the radio. The music soothed him and relaxed some of the tension in his shoulders. At this time of the night Highway 167 was nearly empty, Micah drove carefully, all he didn't need right now was a DUI.
Micah arrived safe and unticketed. He strolled into Denny's glancing at himself in the glass doors: a woolen sweater, faded stonewashed jeans and his motorcycle boots, he definitely looked better than he had that morning, all of Kel's efforts notwithstanding. Micah ran his fingers lightly through his hair.
"Yeah, that's him. I TOLD you he was gorgeous!" Micah smiled at the whisper. He strolled up to the counter where two young ladies in their late teens or early 20s were standing. One of them was the pretty server from that morning, her hair was braided and hanging over her shoulder again. Micah wondered what all that hair unbraided and flowing over him would feel like. He leaned against the counter and smiled at them.
"Good Evening, Carrie," he said smiling.
She smiled and said, "Good Evening. Are you feeling better? You didn't look very good this morning."
Micah nodded. "Much better, Thank you." He grinned. "Still can't provide me with a beer though?"
She giggled. "Nope, sorry."
"Hmmm, well how about seating me and I'll have some coffee. By the way, I'm Micah. Micah Rimboul." He leaned forward and lightly brushed her hand where it rested on the edge of the counter. She gasped and flushed. To cover her embarrassment she grabbed a menu and gestured to him for follow her.
Micah slipped into the booth as Carrie set down the menu. He caught her hand, she froze like a small woodland creature, her brown eyes huge and a soft flush across her cheeks. Micah was thoroughly charmed and hard as a rock.
"Thanks," he said softly.
"For what?" She asked in a barely audible voice.
"For being so nice this morning." He let go of her hand. "I know I looked like Frankenstein's monster!"
Carrie laughed. "Hardly! I don't think you could ever look truly awful!"
Micah smiled ruefully. "You didn't see me when I woke up.. but never mind. There are some things better left unsaid."
Carrie's eyes were round. Micah ordered coffee and some cream and she hurried off to get it. Micah watched her tight little backside so rounded and so different from Kel. Micah sighed. He had never been able to stick to one person or gender, that was too much like being locked in a candy store and eating only the M &Ms. Micah liked the rounded softness of women and the hard firmness of men. Variety was Micah's watchword.
"What time are you off work, Carrie?" Micah asked when she returned with the coffee. Carrie looked around quickly and leaned against the booth.
"Six am," she said softly.
"Can I buy you breakfast? Not here, of course. Someplace nice." Micah flushed. "Not that here ISN'T nice!"
Carrie laughed again. "I don't have anything to wear." She blushed and bit her bottom lip. Micah's cock throbbed.
He started to speak but it came out garbled. He cleared his throat and tried again.
"I'll bring you a pretty sweater to throw over your uniform. Please?" Carrie nodded, her eyes shiny.
Micah stayed in the restaurant about an hour drinking coffee and flirting with Carrie and the other two servers. Monday night was a light time for Denny's and there was time to talk and flirt and drink.
The trip back home gave Micah time to think. He was seriously charmed by the little wisp of a girl with the long braid. Maybe she would keep his mind and heart occupied long enough to return his memories of Kel to the locked compartment in his head. It was easier to not think of Kel than to try to understand why Kel wouldn't let Micah love him or how Kel could actually NOT love Micah.
Once he got home, he realized he had promised Carrie a pretty sweater, but of course it being midnight no stores would be open. Micah tore into his closet but nothing in there would even remotely fit Carrie. He swore eloquently and grabbed the phone.
It was answered promptly. He knew it would be, Yosif kept odd hours and if Yosif wasn't there one of his brothers would be. This time it was Yosif who answered, Micah explained what he needed to the puzzled pot dealer. Yosif was a finder, the sort of person you called if you needed something found. The pot was small potatoes compared to the other things he located for people.
Yosif listened and laughed. He agreed to locate a sweater for Micah and have it to his house by 4 am. Micah gave him a rough description of Carrie and explained he wanted something feminine but not slutty, pretty but not garish. And small! Micah hung up feeling relaxed. He stripped down and went to bed.
Micah was snapped forcibly awake by a banging on his front door. He stumbled out of his room and through the small dark entryway to the door. Yosif's brother, Pyotr, was standing on the porch holding a small box. Micah shook his head and motioned to him to come in.
"Jeez, you're going to wake the neighbors."
Pyotr followed Micah into the living room. He looked around and made admiring noises about the room. Micah took the box and opened it. The sweater was made of a soft pink yarn, a simple ivy pattern had been embroidered on the front in silver. Micah could see Carrie in it.. and to tell the truth Micah could also see it in a pile on the floor by his bed.
"I like it. How much?" Pyotr told him a very reasonable sum. "It was gotten honestly?" Micah scowled at the man.
"Of course, Vanya opened the Pawn shop." Micah nodded. Yosif's oldest brother ran a pawn shop in Seattle. And if Vanya didn't have anything Yosif needed Micah was sure someone else would. Micah looked the sweater over, it was clean with no holes or stains and it didn't smell.
"Okay." He paid Pyotr and walked him out, telling him to be sure to thank Yosif for him. He took a quick shower, ate some toast and drank some more scotch. He had found another bottle in the back of the bathroom closet. He dimly remembered putting it there the previous month in a fit of paranoia that someone was stealing his booze! Might as well not let it go to waste, he had thought as he opened it.
By 5:30, Micah was on his way back up to Kent. The roads were still pretty clear but the morning commute would be starting soon. He made it to Denny's a couple minutes shy of 6:00. Carrie was at the register when he walked in. Her small face lit up when she saw him. Micah was touched by the honesty in her face. Had she thought he wasn't going to show?
He leaned against the doorway while she gathered up her things and came out to meet him. He brushed her cheek lightly with his hand. She flushed and gasped softly. Micah was thoroughly charmed and very turned on. He took her hand, so small and yet in a way so like Kel's: long, thin fingers and very delicate. She walked quietly beside him to the car.
Carrie ooohed and ahhed over Micah's Cabriolet. When he gave her the sweater she cried "OH, Micah!" and threw her arms around his neck: a neat trick for a 5'3" woman and a 6'2" man. Micah hugged her in return. Her small, fragile body inflamed his passion in much the same way Kel's did. He suddenly felt very protective of this girl-woman.
Carrie pulled the sweater over her head. She looked as adorable in it as Micah had thought she would. She had touched up her makeup before he arrived at the restaurant and now she pulled the scrunchi out of the braid; thick waves of golden brown hair flowed down over her shoulders to her waist and framed her face. For a moment Micah considered skipping breakfast, but instead he helped her into the car.
He drove to a new hotel near Sea-Tac that advertised a very upscale menu in their restaurant. Carrie was nervous about going in at first, she wasn't dressed up enough, her makeup wasn't perfect, all the feminine worries, but Micah flirted and teased with her until she relaxed. He took her hand and she gripped his arm with her other hand, shivers of pleasure ran up Micah's arm.
The restaurant was quiet. A few business men were in booths, eating, drinking coffee and reading newspapers. The hostess seated them in a booth off on the side. Micah found Carrie a sympathetic listener who gave him her total attention. He told her about his drinking and how his boss was demanding he go into rehab. He told her about how badly he treated Kel when he was drunk and how lonely he was at night. Her eyes watched him, big and round and her hand squeezed his.
"Well, call me blabbermouth!" Micah laughed embarrassed at revealing so much so quickly. He reached over and stroked her cheek. "Tell me about yourself, Carrie."
Carrie blushed. She was 19 and the middle of 7 kids. She was planning on starting college the following year and was saving her money for that. She blushed and thanked him for the generous tip that morning. Micah waved it away. He always tipped like that.
"I lived on the streets for a few years," he said. "I know what its like to have to WORK for your money."
Breakfast was prepared quickly and they ate leisurely. Conversation swirled around as they got to know each other; by the time they were finished Micah wanted Carrie in his arms and in his bed or he wanted Kel in his bed. But since the second option wasn't going to happen he was fine with the first.
"Do you need to hurry home?" He asked. "Or would you like to come out to my place for a bit."
Carrie blushed a soft glow that matched her sweater. Her hand tightened on Micah's.
"I'd like to do that." She said softly. "Go out to your place, I mean!"
"Down, Micah." He thought as his cock throbbed in excitement.
This was no street girl and he had the suspicion that she was also a virgin. Micah was always gentle and made sure to give his partner as much pleasure as he received from them. But she was so gentle, so quiet, so absolutely innocent that he almost told her to go home. However, her eyes were so bright with emotion and her lips so close to his; Micah leaned forward and cupped her chin. She looked up at him and he kissed her softly.
Carrie sighed and her eyes closed. Micah nibbled her bottom lip and then flicked his tongue across her lips, her mouth opened and he slid in tasting syrup and blueberries. Her eyes flew open as he teased her mouth with his tongue and her hand tightened on his forearm. He backed off a bit then kissed her again, this time pulling her small body up against him. She shivered and moaned softly.
"Come on," Micah breathed hoarsely. "Let's get out of here!" Carrie nodded breathless.
Carrie neither sat in total silence nor chattered nervously as Micah drove home. She talked about herself and asked Micah questions. Micah disliked talking about his childhood and family and Carrie quickly veered away from both subjects. When she discovered he was a gardener, she laughed in delight and they talked about flowers and plants for the rest of the trip.
Carrie was enchanted by the rock garden and had to explore every inch of it, much as Kel had the day before. Micah watched her with amusement. When she returned to his side, her face was flushed and her eyes sparkled, Micah kissed her again, her hands clutched his sweater. Micah had the desire to throw her down right there. He shivered and stepped back.
The inside of the house excited Carrie as much as the outside. She teased him gently about having a wife hidden somewhere because a bachelor just couldn't CLEAN! Micah laughed. He got a couple drinks out of the fridge. He watched her as he mixed his soda with some scotch: she didn't react, but she didn't ask for any in her drink either. They carried the drinks into the living room. The light on the answering machine was blinking, Kel most likely, Micah thought. He pushed thoughts of Kel forcefully out of his mind.
Carrie was suddenly shy. Micah pulled his sweater off and took her hand and laid it against his chest, sighing at the feel of the warmth through his undershirt. Carrie's eyes were huge. Micah tipped her head up and kissed her again. Fire poured down his back, he was hard again and aching.
"Carrie, I want you in my arms, in my bed." He touched her lips softly. "But only if you want it. I won't force you nor do I expect "payment" for breakfast. If you want we will just talk.. or play cards or something!"
Carrie looked up at Micah. "I've never.. I mean I don't know.." Her voice trailed off.
Micah smiled, a beautiful smile that had melted the knees of tougher women than Carrie. Micah was serious, if she didn't want it he wouldn't force her or guilt her. He wanted her to be in his bed because she wanted to be there.
"Carrie, I have been around MANY, many blocks. I know a virgin when I see one. I promise I will be gentle and caring and make sure you have as much fun as you possibly can," his eyes sparkled with mischief. "And I promise to use a condom."
Carrie thought a moment, then nodded. "Okay. I mean yes, Please Micah."
Micah took her hand and led her into the bedroom. He buried his fingers in his hair and started to make love to her lips, jaw and throat. Carrie whimpered in pleasure. He worked her sweater off and unbuttoned her uniform. Her small rounded breasts fit perfectly in his hands. Micah pulled his shirt off. Carrie's fingers brushed through the hair on his chest, he sighed and pulled her to him. Wrapped in her thick long hair, he explored and made love to her small body. Gently, he teased her into cries of pleasure and her small body writhed in his arms.
Micah was proud of his abilities in bed. He used fingers, lips and tongue to bring her to climax even before he entered her. Gently and smoothly he gave her the best experience of her young life and she clung to him, crying his name. He came as he had hoped with her on top and her hair falling down tickling his arms, face and chest.
Carrie lay in his arms, her eyes were shiny and her breathing rapid. He tickled and stroked her body, caressing her arms and legs, so soft, so different from Kel. Perfection would be having them both there! Paradise would be with Kel in one arm and Carrie in the other. Micah twisted his head in frustration. He couldn't even make love to a flower and not think of Kel!
Carrie rolled sideways. "Micah? Is something wrong? Did I mess up somewhere. I'm sor.." Micah pressed two fingers to her lips.
"You were perfect. You are a beautiful flower inside and out." He leaned down and kissed her.
They stayed entwined in the bed for another hour, each one taking the time to explore the other. They talked softly; laughed and kissed some more. By 10:00 Carrie's eyes were starting to close no matter how hard she tried to keep them open. Micah kissed her eyelids softly.
"I better get you home. What about your car?"
"I live close to Denny's. I walk to work," she said sleepily.
"All right then, I'll take you home. Carrie.." Micah paused. "I can't promise you anything. I WON'T promise you anything. I have a week until I go to rehab, I'd like to spend some of that with you. Here."
Carrie wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'd like that too!" She sat up. "I won't expect anything, but I'll be here to talk to if you need me."
Micah hugged her. She was so sweet, so innocent. Had Kel ever been so young? So trusting? Micah didn't know, but he doubted it. Kel's childhood had beaten the innocent out of him... literally.
Micah helped Carrie up and showed her the bathroom. While she was in there he called Kel and arranged to meet him in an hour. He went back to the bedroom to get dressed. Carrie returned to the bedroom and stopped shyly in the doorway. But when Micah smiled and held out his hands, she came into his arms willingly. He kissed her and then let go of her so she could get dressed.
Micah stood at the back window staring out into the garden, sipping his scotch. He liked her, maybe he'd even be able to love her but she couldn't keep his mind off of Kel and frankly Micah was terrified of being sober and still in love with Kel. Drinking blurred the pain of not having Kel, sobriety would allow the pain to be razor sharp. He wasn't sure how he would handle that or even IF he could handle it. He swallowed another slug of the scotch.
He turned as Carrie came in and smiled. Please, God, please let me fall in love with her. Let me forget how Kel feels in my arms. He smiled and kissed her. His arm around her small waist, they walked out to the car and into another day.
March 12, 2004
Hope you all weren't too disappointed! This one was a very difficult birthing and hopefully chpt 3 won't be as difficult. Please feel free to email me, if for no other reason than it fun and easy and is something interesting to read in between the viagra ads and debt consolidation ads. Neither of which I NEED! : D Remember mention Micah or something about the story in your subject line!