“I agree. We enjoy being together so let’s just roll with that and see where it goes.”
“That’s sounds like a perfect plan. Would you like to stay with me tonight?”
“Yes,” I said with a firm nod. Michael smiled at that.
“Good, glad that’s all settled.”
“It’s rude to have sex while there’s guests in the house, right?”
“I think it’s frowned upon, but don’t worry.” He came closer and slipped his hand around the side of my neck as he kissed me. I touched him too, resting my fingers along the dusting of hair that ran down his stomach.
“We have plenty of time,” he said when we finally took a breather. He was right, but the last thing I wanted to do was go outside to socialize. I wanted my Michael time.
Still we headed toward the pool.
Six
I had to say the view and the pool, hell, the whole scene, kind of made up for our lack of privacy. There were hidden speakers around the yard, playing perfect pool-side party music. Michael took over the grill for Holger, who disappeared back inside to tear phone books in half or something. I don’t know.
My friends had made themselves comfortable on various lounge chairs. Adler stripped off her shorts and tank top and dove right into the pool. I was eyeing the massive cabana complete with a fire pit that looked like the perfect place for Michael to fuck my brains out, but I hung by the grill and grabbed both of us a beer from a short barrel full of ice I imagined Holger had put out before we arrived.
Michael took a sip of his drink then reached out for me. He kissed me on the temple when I stepped closer. I was starting to love that little gesture. It was so damn sweet.
“You can go sit with your friends if you want,” he said, nuzzling the scruff of his beard against my face. It was already starting to lose some of its crispness from his visit to the barbershop. I moved closer, pressing myself against his side.
“I know, but I want to be with you. What exactly went awry last night?”
Michael went on to explain how he’d been asked to invest in a film and how he and Ruben met with the writer/producer who was trying to secure the funding. The guy was a total dick, apparently, and kept hitting on Ruben while claiming he was straight and using slurs. The strange things insecure people do. So Michael had a few choice words for the guy, then split. He took Ruben with him of course.
“Do you still want to invest in a film or was it something about this guy in particular?”
“It was a favor for a friend, but I have thought about putting some money behind a worthy project.”
“I’m sure there are plenty of programs that work with indie filmmakers, filmmakers of color, gay and lesbian film makers and stuff that would love your money. Maybe you can look into something like that, instead of doing favors for douches,” I said, looking up at him with a wide smile.
“That’s a good idea.”
“I’m full of them.”
I wanted to ask Michael what the upcoming week looked like for him but more guests arrived. Interesting guests.
I turned around as I heard someone call his name. And that somebody was Duke Stone, probably the most famous pop star of the moment, and he wasn’t alone. I recognized a few of the guys with him as his backup singers and band mates. They had a couple girls with them, who all smiled and said hello to Michael and me. But I wasn’t too focused on them.
I’d had a fangirl crush on Duke since his amazing Super Bowl halftime show a few years before and I’d been trying to get tickets to one of his shows forever. And now Michael was introducing us. I almost swallowed my tongue.
“You didn’t tell me you had a new boo-thang,” Duke joked.
Michael laughed. “I didn’t want you to steal her away from me before I locked it down.” I could feel my cheeks burning up, part embarrassment, part giddiness. Duke Stone was standing in front of me and Michael was talking about me to him.
Duke and his crew introduced themselves to my friends and settled in around the pool.
“We met at a Knicks game a while ago and we’ve been friends ever since,” Michael said when they were out of earshot.
All I could come up with was “That’s so cool.”
Soon the first round of burgers and steaks were coming off the grill and we all started to settle into the scene. A few more people showed up, mega movie stars Chris Ryan and Chris Mitchell, the current kings of summer blockbusters, with I think at least one girlfriend and maybe her friend, but that was it. I think Michael was going for casual fun in the sun and not poolside rager.
Eventually Holger came back out to act as host, manning the grill and collecting empties. One of the Chris girls and I tried to help with the clean-up, but we were immediately shooed away. I thought about joining the chaos in the pool, but decided against it when Michael led me over to the cabana. We lay down on the white cushions and I settled against him. We didn’t talk, just watched the party unfold. I liked that we could be quiet together just as much as we could talk about anything.
Daniella joined us and started giving me the latest office gossip. I couldn’t believe how much I missed her and Gordo. When I started, Gordo was the only brown person in our department. We bonded and pulled Daniella into our circle of necessity when she was hired three months after me. We always joked that we made up three sides of the perfect rainbow triangle; me being black and bisexual, Gordo being Mexican and gay, and Daniella being Afro-Cuban and transgender. We’d become so close, not being able to see them every day was almost as hard as losing my benefits and a steady paycheck.
“Oh and Cruiser got fired,” Daniella said. Her office crush was one of the main reasons she showed up every morning. “But that had nothing to do with the merger.”
Just as I was about to ask about Fredrick, our supervisor and the office drunk, the song blasting through the speakers changed to one of Duke’s most popular hits. You’d think it would be cheesy for him and his boys to hop out of the pool and start doing the full stage routine to “Stunner”, complete with so much air guitar and air trumpet, but it was almost better than going to an actual show. They were so loose and sun-toasted, and a little drunk, you could see how much fun they were having acting up.
And then Duke came over and grabbed Daniella. Her light brown cheeks flashed red, but that didn’t stop her from following his lead as he twirled her around then pulled her down on his lap.
When the song finished he kissed her on the cheek, then released her back into the shelter of the cabana. She immediately curled up in a giggling ball against my knees. I almost died laughing.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“I can’t breathe. Oh my god, I cannot fucking breathe.” When she looked up her face was comically red. “Can you be outrageously aroused and stunned speechless at once?”
“Don’t believe those things are mutually exclusive,” Michael said with his own chuckle.
“Is it like this at your house all the time?” Daniella asked.
“No. Unfortunately.”
“Probably.” Michael and I said at the same time.
“Well I also have massive crushes on a few other famous people, if you want to invite them over.”
“Make me a list and I’ll get it to my people,” Michael teased.
“I love him, Kayla. Marry him.”
“Sounds good. I’m on it.”
Daniella stood up and bounced in a circle. “Bye!” She squealed then dove back into the pool.
“My friends like you.”
“They like this.” Michael’s tone was light, but he wasn’t exactly lying. My friends didn’t know him. And I...
I sat up and turned to face him. “I like you.”
He reached up and touched my breast, brushing my nipple through my clothes. “You said something about picking up a new bathing suit.”
I glanced down to where his fingers were now tugging at the bottom of my shirt. I was still in my shorts too.
“Do you want to see it?”
“Yes. I would like that.”
I shifted off the cushions and started pulling off my clothes. It had taken me a little while to find the right suit, but one of my favorite stores that actually had a reliable plus-size section came through. I revealed the high-waisted bikini with its fringy top that bled from orange at the straps to purple on the bottom. I turned around so Michael could see how big and juicy my butt looked in it, but the applause came from the pool.
“Sexy mama!” Adler yelled.
“Looking good, girl!” came from one of Duke’s boys. I did a little curtsy then turned back to Michael. “What do you think?”
“Come over here.”
I crawled back over to him, bracing myself over his perfect chest. Michael slid his hand down my side and grabbed my ass. I pushed back a little, wiggling my butt in his grasp. “You still have company, you know.”
“I can kick them out.”
“That would be rude. Like you said, we have time.” I leaned a little closer and whispered in his ear. “Will you finger me later?”
“I’ll do it right now,” he replied, his tone deathly serious.
“I’ll be in the pool.” There was nothing I wanted more than to drag Michael into the house and spend the rest of the day with various parts of him inside various parts of me, but I knew if we left our friends for a little something-something I’d try to turn our little quickie into an all-day-er. I walked over to the pool steps and slipped in next to Adler and Gordo. I thought Michael would join us, but as he stood up Holger came out of the house and handed Michael the phone. Always working.
We pool-partied into the night. More singing from Duke, drunken shallow-end games of chicken, plenty of food and maybe a few too many beers for me, though I hid it well. I was loose for sure, and becoming that drunk kind of aroused that happens when you’re tipsy and in the company of the person you’ve kind of been waiting all day to screw. Michael had to take a few calls throughout the afternoon and evening. The Internet never sleeps after all, but he always came back to me with a kiss or a gentle touch.
The mood started to change close to ten. I was toasting marshmallows with Daniella and Michael around the fire pit. Duke came over to join us. Well, to join Daniella. He’d been orbiting her all day, flirting a little then walking away, but he always seemed to come back. Michael and I watched them for a bit, but I looked away when Duke started whispering in her ear. It was one of those whispers that was either the precursor to a kiss or getting up and finding a private corner where they could get to know each other better. That made me think I’d waited long enough for my own bit of private time, but when I turned to do some whispering of my own, I caught a glimpse of Adler in the hot tub on the lap of one of the Chrises. She was making out with one the girls that had shown up with Duke and his friends.
I’d reached my limit, but I didn’t even have to say anything. Eye contact with Michael was all it took to make him grab my hand and usher me inside. We went straight to his bedroom. I flopped on the bed and started peeling off my shirt, which I’d put back on after the sun set. My bikini followed. Michael watched. I could see his erection growing.
“How would you like it tonight?” Michael asked as he unzipped the hoodie he’d thrown on.
I slipped my hand between my legs, the alcohol in my system making me feel a little bolder than usual. “Why don’t you decide.”
We stared at each other as he undid the drawstring on his board shorts and let them fall to the floor. Definitely hard now. He held my gaze as he reached for a condom and tossed it on the nightstand. Held my gaze still as he dug up something to tie his hair back.
I slid a finger inside my pussy to tease us both a little more. I think he liked it. “Hair’s going up. Are you about to put in some work?”
“If by work you mean banging you to sleep, then yeah.”
“And then what?” I don’t even know why I said it, but something, some shadow, something he was trying to hide crossed over Michael’s face. I knew that flinch, that little tick. It wasn’t anything bad, but something intense. Something he wasn’t ready to share. I knew that feeling. I’m sure I’d hidden the same look on my own face plenty of times. It was almost the kind of thing that could ruin the mood. Almost.
Michael reached down and wrapped his arms around my thighs. I tried not to scream, but a high-pitched squeak did slip out. He yanked me to the edge of the bed, then sunk to his knees right in front of me.
“You said you wanted my fingers,” he said as he pushed two fingers inside of me and all the air out of my lungs. I swallowed and managed something close to a frantic nod. “Did you want any other part of me? Or will the fingers be enough?”
I shook my head. It helped me shake away the stupid thing I was going to say. “I want some dick too. And your mouth.”
“We can do that.” I followed his gaze as he looked down and watched his fingers slide in and out of my pussy. I slid closer, eliminating the small space between us. I had to kiss him. And he almost let me. Our lips brushed together but he pulled away, just a little. Enough for me to see those gorgeous eyes. “At the right time, I’m going to ask you something important, but not right now. Okay?” he said, voice filled with promise and what I suspected might almost be a confession of love.
It was low. So, so low, hinting that he felt the same way about me as I did him when he was almost wrist deep in the one part of my body that loved to try and override my brain. But he was right. I wasn’t ready. I knew what he was starting to mean to me. I knew the kind of time, the kind of relationship I wanted from him. The dedication and not just the words, but the follow-through. And maybe that’s what scared me the most.
If working in HR taught me anything, it was how to read people, to see where they fit. Actually, the job made me see that I’d always been good at knowing who was right and wrong for who and what. I’d read the man between my legs, taken in every word, every signal and vibe. Michael Bradbury didn’t play games. Michael Bradbury would follow through and deliver on every single thing I wanted because he was telling me right now that he wanted those things too.
He said what he meant and when there was silence he told on himself with every line in his face and every movement of his hands. So when he pulled me closer with a gentle grip on the back of my neck and finally kissed me, kissed me the way I wanted him to instead of withholding his affection until he got the answer out of me that he wanted, I knew then that I was in way too deep to try to tell myself that I didn’t want this to go the distance. But I wasn’t ready yet. This wasn’t the right moment. I needed more time, but I wanted Michael Bradbury to myself.
I lightly tugged on his wrist and when his hand was free, I pulled him on top of me. But he stopped, just long enough to slip the condom on, because that’s what I wanted him to do. Later, whenever he asked whatever he wanted to ask me, I was going to say yes.
✶
Saturday rolled into Sunday and the party seemed to go with it. We lost a few people. The Chrises had to go and their girls went with them, along with most of Duke’s crew, who I think disappeared in the night. The Chrises were headed in Sienna’s direction and offered to drop her off. Gordo had a family thing that he was way late for by the time Holger roused us for brunch. PJ drove him back to his place. Michael and I managed to get out of the bed, hangover-free and, after we got dressed (Michael had more clothes brought to the house for me), joined Duke and Daniella, Adler and two of Duke’s bandmates down in the screening room. Michael had every movie ever, but Adler wanted to watch Inception. That rolled into The Dark Knight Rises.
I slipped out to use the bathroom between movies and on the way back I ran into Holger in the hallway. “Everything up and up?” he asked. I looked up at him and tried not to stare. He was so confusing, mostly because of the accent and the mohawk.
“Yeah, thank you for breakfast and lunch and yesterday.”
“Not a problem. This is for you.” He handed me a sky-blue business card. There was no name on it, j
ust a number in yellow print. “You need the slightest thing, you call me.”
“Will you tell me where you bury the bodies?”
“No, never.” His feigned shock made me laugh. “A man’s got to have his secrets. But I am as much yours as I am his.”
“I’ll make sure I hide this from my roommate. She might 911 you just to get us some more of your good cooking.”
He shook his head. “I don’t answer to roommates. Only the Mister and his lady.”
“Wow, that’s heavy.” I let out a sigh. “Thanks. I’ll save the number in my phone, then burn this so my roommate doesn’t get her hands on it.”
“Perfect. Ah and his fiftieth is coming up. Big party. Big. We’ll see you there?”
“Ah yeah. If he asks me to come.” Not that he wouldn’t, but he hadn’t mentioned it yet.
“You’ll be the second guest of honor.” I took his wink as my cue to get back to the screening room. I thanked him again, then set off on my way.
“Good?” Michael asked, as I curled up next to him.
I showed him Holger’s card. “He keeps calling me your lady.”
“He might keep calling you that forever. It took me six years to get him stop calling me Mikey.”
“Oh god. That’s awful.”
“Hey, down in front! Shut up!” Duke yelled from three cushions behind. We were talking over the great plane kidnapping scene in the opening, which we’d all seen seven hundred times.
Michael reached for the remote and paused the movie. “You were saying?” he asked me.
I snorted, covering my face.
“Fuckers.” That was Adler, but I don’t think she threw the piece of pastry that whizzed by our heads.
I grabbed the remote and hit play. “I will never call you Mikey.”
“And I promise only to call you my lady behind your back.”
“So it’s your fault?”
Michael pulled me closer and kissed my face. “Uh-hm.”
✶
You know what will make you hate the geographical layout of Los Angeles County? Realizing just how far away your apartment is from your boyfriend’s house, especially when you didn’t bring your own car out to his house and your roommate is looking at you with puppy dog eyes when the driver shows up to take her home. Her. Not you. Michael had to go into the office and, after a week of dicking around, I did need to get back on top of my job search, but I just wanted a few more hours alone with him.
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