“I’ve dreamed of this. I’m going to take my time and enjoy it,” he told me, as he peppered my face with kisses.
“Me, too.”
At last, we made crazy, passionate love. His exploration of my body, touching me in places and ways I’d never experienced, only left me wanting more. It went on all night. We didn’t sleep. When we weren’t tangled in each other’s arms, we talked. In the middle of the night, we got up and ate the dessert we’d brought home and then went back to bed. In the morning we had coffee, and cheese grits, with eggs that Micah cooked. I never wanted him to leave me. I wanted this every day; every day for the rest of my life.
“I need to go to my place. Come with me?” he said, as we cleaned up the kitchen.
When we arrived, his ‘place’ was an apartment.
“What?” he asked, noticing the question my face expressed.
“Flinn Construction Solutions builds and rebuilds amazing houses and you live in an apartment, I’m just shocked,” I laughed.
“I’ve remodeled two houses and sold them. I guess I’m in between. This is easy.”
I looked around. Everything was simple and tidy.
“It’s just a place. I need to grab a quick shower. I’ll be fifteen minutes, tops.”
I nodded and sat on the sofa. I picked up a fishing magazine that was lying on the coffee table and flipped through it. Suddenly, another thought crossed my mind. I followed the path he’d taken to the bathroom. Before I got there, I took my clothes off and laid them neatly on the bed. Stepping in the bathroom, I cleared my throat. He wiped the glass on the shower door to peek. He pushed the door open.
“Are you coming in here with me?”
He held the door and I stepped in. “Yes.”
He moved closer to kiss me, his hands ran down my sides to my hips. He pulled me closer and I could feel him. He began to pleasure me, and finally, when we were both ready, he slipped inside me, holding my leg up with one arm, bracing the wall with the other.
“Oh, my God, Lulu,” he said, breathlessly. I braced myself against the shower wall.
“Micah,” I called out, meeting each thrust.
“Lulu,” he said, burying his face in my neck.
I ran my hands through his hair and drew him closer to kiss me. I knew that this was where I belonged. This was my life. This was my world. This was my man.
We never made it out of the apartment. Micah gave me a t-shirt and we stayed in bed all day. We didn’t make love, we watched movies and napped. I thought heaven must have a place just like this.
“I’m getting hungry. How about a pizza?”
“Micah?” I scooted closer. He held his arm for me to move into his embrace. “This has been the best date I’ve ever had.”
“Today?” he chuckled, kissing the top of my head.
“No, the date that started last night and hasn’t ended yet,” I snuggled closer. “Best date ever.”
I closed my eyes to visualize the scene in my head. I knew I needed to tell him what I knew. I couldn’t keep it to myself a moment longer.
“Share your thoughts?”
“Yet,” I said.
“Yet?” he asked, and then repeated it. “Yet?”
“I love you.”
“Christ, Lulu. I’ve heard you say that in my dreams a million times, but it never sounded quite like this. I fell in love with you weeks ago. I’d have waited forever. I love you.”
And so began my life with the incredible Micah Flinn.
Sunday morning we went back to my place early. He’d noticed something in the dining room window that he wanted to fix. I made breakfast while he worked. As we sat down to eat his phone rang.
He held up a finger. “Sorry, I need to get this.”
“Hey, Fi,” he said, and I saw a smile on his face. “I’m on a date right now, let me call you back in a few. Yeah, yeah, yeah…sheeesh, I’ll tell you later.” He hung up laughing.
“My oldest sister, Fiona. It’s Sunday and she’s cooking. She gets all motherly, every once in a while and herds us together. ‘Date this early on a Sunday?’ she asked me, and then I knew the fifty questions would start.”
“That sounds nice.” The thought of him leaving me left me feeling disappointed.
“Well then, I’ll tell her we’ll be there by two.”
“Wait. We? What?” I stammered.
“You said it sounded nice. Join me.” He looked away and began to eat.
My mind raced and my palms felt wet all of a sudden. Micah didn’t look up; he just ate the breakfast in front of him.
Lulu, you have to respond. You have to say something. This is huge.
“What time do I need to be ready?”
The smile on his face when he looked up melted my heart into a big puddle of love. He reached across the table for my hand.
We arrived at ten ‘til two. When we pulled up an auburn haired beauty came out on the porch.
“Geeze, Fi. You’re making her all nervous and shit.” A big belly laugh followed the statement.
Fiona made her way toward us, and a group gathered on the porch. She threw her arms around me like a long lost friend. “Welcome!”
I took a big breath to brace myself for the crowd that waited.
“Thank you for having me.”
Micah reached for my hand and smiled. We reached the porch and the crowd shuffled inside.
We were barely behind the closed door when Fiona announced, “So this is how it will go. I’m Fiona, the oldest. This is Manuel, Manny, my husband.”
I noticed a teenage girl step forward as though she’d done this before. It made me think of The Sound of Music and I smiled.
“Audrina.”
“Patrick,” a man in the corner said. “This is my wife, Mavis, and my sons Paddy Jr., the twins, Aiden and Angus, and this is Cassidy. It means curly haired. Who knew?” he laughed. I looked at the little girl with reddish blonde curls, who bashfully stood behind her mother peeking around her legs.
“Finnegan Flinn,” the next one laughed. “Cruel don’t you think? Finn Flinn?” Those in the room laughed out loud.
“He’s the prankster,” Micah laughed.
“Lynn,” the woman beside him said. “Yes, it’s true, Finn and Lynn Flinn.” Her smile radiated as her husband slipped his arm around her shoulder and squeezed her closer. “This is Quinn.”
My eyes widened, and everyone laughed again.
“She’s messing with you,” Micah laughed. “That’s Michael. The blonde is Shannon, Shanny, we call her. And the little one is Nell, after our mother.
“I’m Brennan,” a young woman with bright red, corkscrew curly hair said.
“I’m her man servant, Neil,” the man beside her laughed.
“Eileen,” a raven-haired beauty announced. “I’m single, so I don’t have to introduce anyone but myself!”
“Roan, part of Roan and Darby, the twins. This is Angie. My wife for a whole whopping year on Monday.”
“Darby,” another one said. “I’m single, too.”
Something about Darby made me think that he and Keelin would get along wonderfully.
I looked around and realized that everyone had introduced themselves. They looked at me expectantly.
“Oh! I guess it’s my turn!” I laughed. “I’m Louisa Welk. My dad and my friends call me Lulu. Thank you for letting me know who all of you are. Bear with me, because that was a lot to take in. No tests today, all right?” I was rambling nervously.
Micah took over. “Lulu is an English instructor at the University of Jacksonville,” he added.
“Welcome, Lulu,” Finn announced.
“We’ll eat in about fifteen minutes. Louisa, would you like to join us in the kitchen?”
Suddenly, I felt as though I was being taken to the Flinn women’s lair. I looked to Micah. He looked down, chuckling.
How can I say no, but oh my geee, this makes me nervous. There’s six of them…and one of me.
“Sure,” I replied. Fiona w
aited for me while the others headed to the kitchen.
“This is huge.” I noticed the big kitchen.
“It was our family home. After Dah left, Manny and I bought the house, so we could keep it in the family, and moved in with Mother. Micah did a makeover on the kitchen two years ago. I love to cook…”
“She’s good at it, but best, she’s like a surrogate mother and this is like coming home,” Brennan added.
There were two cooktops and pots on every burner. The others all started grabbing dishes and I watched, waiting for my job. The ‘littles,’ as Fiona called them, were busy setting the table. Finally, they started handing me dishes.
“We put them in the center of the table and pass them around when we sit down to eat,” Eileen instructed.
When I went to the dining room, Micah looked up.
His face…those rosy cheeks…the tousled mop of reddish blond hair…that smile. I felt a blush kiss my cheeks, and I saw him wink.
At last, everyone gathered at the table. Standing behind the chairs, I felt Micah grab my hand. Shanny was on the other side and reached for my other hand.
“Bless this food before us, the family beside us, and the love between us,” Manny said, and everyone started to sit down.
“Bless Miss Lulu, too,” Shanny said.
“Bless Miss Lulu,” the group repeated and Micah squeezed my hand.
As we ate, everyone at the table was talking. It was crazy and loud. They were firing rapid-fire questions at me. I felt overwhelmed.
Finally, Micah put his fingers in his mouth and blew out a sharp, shrill whistle.
Silence.
“Listening to y’all is too much for me; can you imagine how Lulu feels, experiencing this for the first time?” He slipped his arm around my shoulder and squeezed.
No one said a word. It was uncomfortable. I tried to hear the questions they’d overzealously fired on me in my mind and began to talk.
“I'm thirty-two. I was previously married for a year, he cheated; I left. I don't have any children. Micah told you I teach English at the University of Jacksonville and have been there nine years. My mother died when I was eight and my dad took over as both parents. I do like chocolate cake, and I'm looking forward to dessert. The meal is amazing and I thank you for inviting me. I don't have any pets, although I've been thinking about a cat...”
They all sat quietly, looking at me. Even Micah seemed surprised at my outburst.
“Micah is allergic,” Fiona finally said in a quiet voice. The look on her face, that of a scolded child, made me laugh. When I started, laughter seemed to make its way around the table.
“We’re a rowdy bunch, but we mean well. We’re glad you’re here– glad to know you, Louisa,” Manny said.
“Lulu. Please call me Lulu.”
The rest of the afternoon was nice and the conversation was pleasant. Around five, Micah told the group that we needed to go. I was hugged so many times that I felt like a rag doll being tossed back and forth.
In the Jeep, Micah turned to me. “I’m not sure if I thank you or say I’m sorry.” He smiled and I laughed.
“Thank you for taking me with you.”
Quiet a moment, he turned to look my way. “I’m not sure what we do here?”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I mean that I don’t want to leave you. I can’t imagine sleeping in my bed alone, ever again.”
“Stay with me tonight,” I encouraged.
“Are you sure that’s what you want?” he asked.
“Please stay with me. I don’t want you to leave me.”
He made a turn that let me know we were going to his place. He grabbed things for the next day and we went to my house.
It was just after seven when we sat down on the sofa to relax.
“I think we’re still on our date?” I hinted and he smiled at the idea.
“Best, longest date I’ve ever been on. Thank you, Lulu.” He pulled me closer and gave me a kiss.
“Your family is…”
“A lot,” he laughed.
“You can feel a lot of love there,” I noted.
“A lot.”
“You said you didn’t have a good relationship with your dad…”
“No one did,” he replied. “He just up and left one day. Fiona, the motherly one, she kept in touch with him, but her goal in life was to assure that our mother was taken care of.”
He was quiet a moment. “He left our mother for another woman. I tried to keep up with him, but it finally got where I knew he didn’t want me to. That’s past.”
He looked at me and smiled. “When am I going to meet your dad?”
“Thursday night, if you’re free,” I answered, quickly. “I usually cook dinner for him on Thursdays.”
“I’ll look forward to it.”
The date finally ended on Monday morning. Micah went off to work and I headed for the university. Keelin was waiting in the break room when I arrived.
“Ah, Ms. Welk. I see the sparkly lights are still shining in your eyes.”
“I’m in love, Keelin,” I said with a gleeful voice. I felt happy.
“This is obvious,” he smiled. “I think I am, too.”
“Aaron?” I asked, sipping my coffee.
“Yes. I like him. He likes me. We have a lot in common, but I want to talk about you.”
“Why’s that?” I asked.
“Because you’re happy. I love it when you’re happy. It makes everything else seem to sync. I don’t know why, but it seems like everything is right with the world. Does he know you’re in love?”
I nodded. “I met his family.”
“And?” His curious smile made me giggle.
“And it was overwhelming–big Irish clan full of loud talkers.”
“And you loved it,” he said with a smile.
“I did. Once I got used to it I did. Keelin.” I set my coffee cup aside. “I really am in love. Not just words. I feel it in every part of me. I found the one. ‘Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead.’”
“Oscar Wilde,” he replied.
My heart felt full of love. Keelin left for class. I pulled out my phone and typed out a text.
You make the butterflies in my stomach go crazy.
I’m coming over after work, was his response.
Bring clothes for tomorrow.
On Thursday, I was in the kitchen when my dad came home.
“I’m always glad when Thursday comes around.” He kissed my cheek and noticed three plates at the table. “Keelin?”
I shook my head no and the doorbell rang. I smiled and nodded to him to go answer the door.
“Mr. Welk?”
“Yes? Can I help you?”
“I’m here for Lulu,” I heard Micah’s reply.
“Come in.”
Dad entered the kitchen with a puzzled look; Micah was beaming.
“Dad, this is Micah Flinn.”
Micah reached for his hand to shake it. “I’m pleased to meet you. I’m kind of crazy about this woman.”
“Lulu?”
“I’m kind of crazy about him,” I replied with a smile. “At this time in my life, the word ‘boyfriend’ sounds awkward. I think I’ll introduce him as my soul mate. Dad, this is Micah Flinn, my soul mate.”
“Wow. Well, Mr. Flinn, it’s a pleasure meeting a man who makes my daughter happy. How long has this been going on, Lulu?”
“We’ll talk over dinner. It’ll be ready in ten minutes.”
Finally, we joined at the table and Micah started the conversation.
“I’ve known her for a while, but about two months ago I decided that if I didn’t make a move, I’d lose her to some other lucky guy.”
The smile on my dad’s face was priceless.
“Daddy, I’ve been bowling. I’ve batted baseballs. I’ve gone fishing. I think I’m kind of crazy about this guy,” I told him again.
“Fishing?”
“Fishing?” my dad said again, shaking his head in disbelief.
As I cleaned up the kitchen, the two of them sat in the living room. I could hear them talking. Micah was talking to my dad about me. I heard the words beautiful, special, and charming. I felt like I needed to pinch myself.
Later, Micah said ‘good night’ and thanked my dad.
When he leaned to kiss me, he whispered in my ear. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“You’re not coming to my house?” I felt my shoulders slump. I was disappointed.
“I didn’t know how late you’d be here with your dad. I figured you’d want to talk to him for a while.”
“I will, I do, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to be with you, for you to be with me. Please come to my house. I’ll be there in an hour.”
“I’ll be there. I love you, Lulu.”
“Oh my gosh,” I said and put my arms around his neck to kiss him. “I never thought I’d ever fall in love again. I love you, Micah Flinn.”
As he let me go, I saw my dad out of the corner of my eye, smiling. When Micah was gone, I went in and sat beside my dad on the sofa. He picked my hand up and squeezed it.
“You don’t need to say a word. Your face says everything I ever wanted to hear from you. You are in love with that man.” He squeezed my hand again.
“I’ve never felt anything like it. I thought I’d been in love, but never have I ever felt anything like this. Ever.”
“I read this book a while back and a quote from the book stayed in my heart.” I turned to look at him, to pay attention to what he was telling me. “The book was, The Pillars of the Earth.”
“Ken Follett,” I said, and he nodded.
“She loved him because he had brought her back to life. She had been like a caterpillar in a cocoon, and he had drawn her out and shown her that she was a butterfly.”
I felt tears in my eyes. It was true. I’d been hiding my heart because I didn’t want it to hurt again. He pulled me close and kissed the top of my head.
Lulu's Loves Page 18