Love Times Four

by Jeanne Mccann

  "I would love to. What are you doing tomorrow night?"

  "I don't have anything planned."

  "How are you at basketball?"

  "Horrible."

  "Good, so am I, but I need to help out at the park department center by my place. I promised a young man I would show up and help out. Would you like to go with me?"

  "I'll go on one condition, that you don't laugh at my basketball skills."

  "It's a deal." Michael grinned at her, her eyes twinkling with humor.

  "Thank you again for the picnic."

  "You're very welcome. Can I pick you up at five-thirty?"

  "I'll be ready." Anna walked Michael to the door.

  "Have a great day tomorrow." Michael smiled at her shyly.

  "You too."

  "Goodnight."

  "Michael?"

  "Yes?"

  Anna hugged her quickly. "Thanks for the surprise picnic."

  Michael leaned into Anna, her dark eyes glistening. "I like surprising you."

  Anna gazed at Michael's smiling face with a grin of her own. At that moment Anna wanted more then anything to kiss her. Nerves and indecision kept her from doing anything.

  "Five-thirty tomorrow night." Michael pushed out the door and headed for her car.

  Anna waited for her to pull out before she shut her front door. She leaned against it as she thought about the evening. There was nothing she hadn't liked about it, the easy conversation, the friendly company, and the absolutely gorgeous woman in her living room. The evening had been perfect, except for one minor flaw, Michael hadn't kissed her goodnight. Maybe she wasn't interested in that type of relationship?

  Anna slipped off to bed, happy that she was going to see Michael again. She liked her very much, and it made her want to take a chance on the relationship. She would find out if Michael wanted to be more than just friends.

  Michael meanwhile, was berating herself all the way home for not kissing Anna goodnight. She'd had the perfect opportunity and she'd blown it. She'd enjoyed the evening with Anna very much. What appealed the most to her was Anna's smile. It was often and beautiful. Her whole face lit up when she smiled, and she had such a wonderful laugh. She also made Michael chuckle with her witty comments. At least Michael hadn't completely blown it. Anna had agreed to see her again, even if it was basketball.

  Anna wasn't sure what to wear so she opted for shorts and a tee shirt. She would bring sweats and a jacket for afterwards. At least she wasn't a total klutz at basketball. She was in reasonable physical shape from working out, and she could dribble and shoot.

  Michael pulled up right at five-thirty and Anna met her at her door, her pack in her hand.

  "Hi."

  "Hi, yourself." Michael smiled and Anna's breath caught in her throat. Michael had braided her dark hair back, and was wearing a baseball cap. She looked so beautiful that Anna could only stare. She was also wearing a tee-shirt and sweatpants. "Are you ready for some basketball?"

  "As ready as I'll ever be." Anna chuckled with good humor. "Remember, no laughing." Michael just grinned as they headed for the car. "Can I ask you something?"

  "Sure?"

  "Why the name Michael?"

  "My father named me after his mother and father. My first name is Michael and my middle name is Mary. Mom wanted to call me Mary, but Da won out. I have gone by Michael since I was born." Michael responded as she and Anna climbed into her small Mercedes.

  "I like Michael better."

  "So do I."

  "So Annabel McNeil, have you a bit of the Irish in you?"

  "Quite a bit. What about you Michael O'Reilly."

  "I'm one hundred percent Irish. My parents are from Ireland."

  "So why don't you speak with an Irish accent?"

  "I do have a wee bit of one." Michael flashed her trademark dimples at Anna. "I was born and raised here, so I wasn't around a lot of the Irish."

  "Have you been to Ireland?"

  "No, I've always wanted to go there, but I haven't taken the time."

  The two of them visited pleasantly until Michael pulled up in front of the recreation center on Capital Hill. "I've never done this before, so I don't know what to expect." Michael led the way into the gym.

  "Michael, you came." A young, black boy hugged her with excitement.

  "I told you I would." Michael hugged the little boy tightly in return. "Lincoln, this is my friend Anna. She's also here to help."

  "Hi, Anna."

  "Hi, Lincoln." The young boy was wearing high top sneakers, baggy shorts, and an oversized basketball jersey on his tiny frame. He matched a dozen or so other boys shooting basketballs at the hoops.

  "Come over here and Coach Mac will tell you what to do. Coach Mac, these are my friends, and they came to help."

  "Hello, welcome. We can sure use your help." A very harassed young man smiled at Anna and Michael, while groups of young boys milled around, all talking at once.

  "Tell us what to do."

  "You got it."

  Within minutes, after he got everyone's attention with his whistle, he had Michael and Anna running drills with the boys, helping them shoot, and dribble basketballs. For several hours they didn't stop moving as the young boys practiced before scrimmaging along with Michael, Anna, and Coach Mac.

  "So, how are you doing?" Michael asked Anna, as they walked to Michael's car after practice ended two hours later.

  "Tired, sore, and very glad I came." Anna smiled at Michael. "I had so much fun."

  "I did, too. Lincoln sure likes you."

  Anna blushed with embarrassment. "He's such a nice, young boy. How did you meet him?"

  Michael's face immediately flooded with pain. "I put his mother in jail. I used to be an assistant prosecuting attorney for Seattle, and his mother was a prostitute, and a drug addict."

  "I'm sorry, Michael." Anna placed her hand on Michael's arm, her eyes filling with tears.

  "It's fine, now. His mother has been clean for two years, and has a good job. She's going to make it." What Michael wasn't sharing, was that she'd paid for Lincoln's mother's rehab and had a vested interest in mother and son.

  "And so is Lincoln." Anna stared at the beautiful woman struggling with tears, next to her. She had such a good heart.

  "Yes, he is." Michael smiled at Anna. "He is going to be terrific." She hugged Anna. "Let's get something to eat. I'm starving." Michael playfully grinned at her as she unlocked her car. "Anna, you didn't tell me you were good at basketball."

  "I’m not."

  "Lincoln says you got game." Michael smirked at her as they got in the car.

  "It's easy to have game when you're playing with ten or eleven-year-olds." Anna laughed easily.

  "Well, I'm no ten-year-old." Michael laughed as she flashed her dimples at Anna. "And you left me standing a time or two."

  "I did, didn't I?" Anna rolled her eyes at Michael with a grin. "And I noticed you aren't a ten-year-old."

  The look Michael threw her way was one of humor and sexual heat, all wrapped up together. It held Anna's gaze for several moments before Michael looked away. "So what do you feel like for dinner?"

  "How about we go back to my place? I have lots of food."

  "Are you sure?"

  "Yep."

  "You're on."

  Once at Anna's the two of them visited, while Anna prepared an omelet. They ate it at the kitchen table, still visiting. They didn't have any of the usual uncomfortable silences that some people have when first getting to know each other. They were at ease, and very comfortable, conversation just flowed between the two of them.

  "So you quit being a prosecutor a year ago, and went into private practice?"

  "Yes, and I love it."

  "Is it hard to set up your own practice?"

  "It wasn't for me. I don't need to make a lot of money, so I can pick and choose the type of cases I take. I also had a lot of contacts with the city, and I get a lot of referrals."

  "You must feel good at night knowing t
hat you make a difference."

  "Thank you, that's a nice thing to say." Michael laid her hand on Anna's. "I believe we all make a difference by how we treat others. Look at you and your friends, for example. There was no question that you would all support Catherine and Tia."

  "That's what friends do."

  "Only good friends. Now, I need to help you clean up and get out of here. It's getting late."

  They cleaned the kitchen quickly in silence, and then Anna walked Michael to the door. Her nerves in her stomach started to jump as she thought about kissing Michael goodnight.

  "Thanks for inviting me tonight. I had fun." Anna's shyness made her voice very soft.

  Michael turned to Anna and linked her fingers with her. "Anna, I want to see you again, soon."

  "Good, I want to see you again." Anna tightened her fingers around Michael's as she stared into her dark eyes.

  Michael and Anna slowly leaned toward each other as their lips met tentatively, softly sliding against one another's. It was a sweet, gentle kiss that invaded Anna's senses. Michael pulled away slowly as the kiss ended, and gazed at Anna. Michael bent over to kiss her again, her hand sliding around Anna's waist to pull her close. Anna felt the pull deep in her chest as she opened her mouth to kiss Michael fully. This was not the shy Anna that moments before could barely speak. Her lips and tongue traced Michael's mouth, as her hands slid into her hair. The fire that had been banked for over a year combusted, as Anna kissed Michael deeply. It was Anna who pulled away first, her breath coming in gasps, as Michael's head rested on her shoulder.

  "My, oh my, for a first kiss, that was off the Richter scale." Michael chuckled as she hugged Anna.

  "Is there anything you don't do well?" Anna teased, and held Michael in her arms. The kiss had rattled her and she was having difficulty thinking.

  "So when can we see each other again?" Michael hugged Anna once more before releasing her.

  "Tomorrow night?"

  "Okay, what do you want to do?"

  "Let's go for a walk on the beach, and get a bite to eat for dinner."

  "Sounds good. I have a five o'clock meeting with a client, but after that I am free."

  "How about I pick you up this time?"

  "Perfect, you have my address on my business card. I live above the office."

  "Is six o'clock too early?"

  "No, that's perfect." Michael hugged her once more and kissed her quickly. "Goodnight."

  "Goodnight."

  Anna shut the door and headed for her bedroom. She was still vibrating with Michael's kiss. There had been none of the usual signs that Michael was attracted to her, until that kiss. And then it was like the world imploded. Michael knew how to kiss and Anna wanted more, much more.

  Michael was having the same conversation with herself as she drove home. She knew she was very attracted to Anna. From the first moment she had met her, she held felt a deep attraction. It was her gentleness, her humor, and her natural beauty, that appealed to Michael. But who would have known that behind that soft, gentle demeanor was sexuality that exploded when they kissed. Michael was surprised, and more then a little overwhelmed. It had been a very long time since she'd had a passionate relationship. She'd always settled for the kind of relationships that didn't disrupt her life, devoid of too much passion. She knew Anna would disrupt her life in a big way, and she wasn't sure she could handle it. She wasn't prepared for a relationship that took a lot of work. Then again, she had never shared a kiss with anyone else that had quite the same affect on her.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  "Tia, I don't know what to do." Anna's face showed her fear as she confessed her feelings to her best friend.

  "Anna, do you care about Michael?"

  "Very much."

  "Then, what's the problem?"

  "I care too much." Anna's head dropped, her hazel eyes filling with tears.

  Tia sighed. "Anna, look at me, please. Are you in love with Michael?"

  "Yes." A tear slid down Anna's cheek.

  "Have you told her?" Tia gently grasped Anna's hand as she spoke.

  "No."

  "Why not?"

  "Because, I don't think she feels the same way."

  "Why would you say that? You've seen each other practically every night since you met."

  "Tia, we've only kissed a couple of times, and then she pulls away."

  "Have you talked to her about it?"

  "No."

  "Anna, how do you expect to have a relationship with her, if you don't talk about this with her?"

  "I know, I should talk to her. I love her, Tia." The look on Anna's face broke Tia's heart. She should be happy about being in love.

  "I know you do, honey. You need to tell her how you feel."

  "Catherine is coming back, please don't tell her."

  "I won't."

  "Catherine, tell me about the house again." Anna demanded as Catherine sat down on the couch next to Tia.

  Tia and Catherine exchanged looks. Tia didn't have to tell Catherine anything. She already knew. "Maddy loves the place. It has a tree house."

  "So, when do you find out if you got it?"

  "Anytime. In this market they sell very quickly, so we put an offer on the place, and wait for the seller to respond."

  "It's beautiful, and very big."

  "We'll need all the room, eventually." Tia grinned as Catherine slid her arm around her neck.

  "You both are very lucky."

  "Yes, we are. Now, tell me where your gorgeous new girlfriend is?" Catherine teased her.

  Anna blushed profusely. "She had a bar association meeting to attend tonight."

  "So are you going to keep Tia company tomorrow night?"

  "We all are." Anna reassured Catherine. Tomorrow evening was the arbitration meeting, and they were both worried sick. "We'll all be here. Besides, Cara and Van promised to play Twister with Maddy."

  "I love all of you." Catherine's eyes filled with tears.

  "Catherine, we love you and Maddy. Now, you two get a good night's sleep. I need to get out of here."

  "Anna thanks for stopping by." First Catherine, and then Tia hugged her goodbye.

  "Anna." Catherine placed her hand on Anna's arm. "I like Michael a lot."

  "I love her, Catherine."

  "Tell her, Anna."

  "I will. Thanks, Catherine."

  "Goodnight, doll."

  Anna left the apartment, a little less worried and anxious then when she arrived. They were very good friends.

  "Tia, why is Anna so fearful of telling Michael how she feels?" Catherine slid on to Tia's lap.

  "I think she's afraid Michael doesn't feel the same way."

  "But they've seen each other practically every night since they met."

  "They've only kissed a couple of times."

  "Oh, that's the problem." Catherine's lips found Tia's neck as she spoke.

  Tia found it difficult to respond, as her body reacted to Catherine's attentions. "What's the problem?"

  "They're both very shy."

  "You weren't."

  "No, I wanted you too much."

  "Catherine, you drive me crazy." Tia laughed, her hands sliding over Catherine’s body.

  "I know." Catherine grinned as she stripped Tia's sweater off. "I'm going to drive you very crazy tonight."

  They kissed wildly as they rose from the chair and struggled to get to the bedroom. It was hard to be spontaneous with Maddy down the hall, but they were learning.

  Several nights later, Tia's friends descended upon her apartment, as they all showed their support for Catherine. They were going to stay with Tia and Maddy until the arbitration meeting was over with.

  "Has she called?" Melinda asked as she entered the crowed apartment.

  "No, the meeting started an hour ago. They probably aren't finished yet." Anna took her coat to hang it up.

  "Hi, sweetie." Emma met Melinda with a hug. They were very careful with their affection around Maddy.

 
"Hi, who's winning?" Melinda chuckled as she looked at the group of contorted bodies, currently playing Twister.