by James Evans
Michelle found this interesting. As a nurse practitioner, she’d had a number of patients who used marijuana to treat themselves. And yet, the established medical community completely frowned on medical marijuana. She’d gotten high a few times in college and never saw what all the fuss was about.
“We’ve been using it for years. We like to say we’re weedvangelists” Lee said. “We think she’s a sacred plant and can help a lot of people. But you have to treat her with respect. It’s disrespectful to abuse her, and we’ve had to cut some people off who were overdoing it. But for now, we have potential patients to treat,” she said as she and Jake rose from the table. “Goodbye! See you tomorrow!”
CHAPTER NINE
Kevin and Michelle rose and deposited their refuse in the waste and recycle bins. This was a new world; nothing could be wasted.
The sun had already set and, as the day slipped into dusk, they walked hand in hand among the booths and people. Beginning to feel the effects of the brownie, Michelle said, “Kevin, I’m pretty tired. Can we head back to the guesthouse?” Pressing her lips to his ear, she whispered, “And I want to play, too!”
Kevin felt a surge of heat in his crotch as he replied, “I’m ready when you are!” He led her back to main street, where festival revelers were still going strong.
Some of the partiers were only visiting. They were the boat people. They lived on their boats, fishing for credits and bartering for food and more bait. Having been confined to close quarters for long stretches of time, Frankfort felt palatial.
There were also a number of families who lived in houseboats. They had only arrived in the past week or so, having overwintered in Grand Haven where the lake didn’t freeze over.
Shouldering the duffel bag he’d been carrying, he followed Michelle into their room in the guesthouse. “Kevin, it’s so quaint!” Michelle said, “But where’s the bathroom?”
“Each floor has only one bathroom,” he replied.
“Dang it! I have to pee and I was hoping to take a shower!”
“You’re spoiled, little lady, by the conveniences of our home down south. There’s a shower, but it’s not heated. When’s the last time you took a cold shower?”
“After I moved in with you when you got me all hot and bothered but didn’t respond to my obvious invitation,” she said with a smirk.
“Really? You took a cold shower?”
“Well… maybe not cold cold, but lukewarm cold,” she said. Eyeing the towels by the small sink, she sighed. “I guess I can settle for a sponge bath.”
“Perhaps we can bathe each other,” Kevin said. He, too, was feeling an unaccustomed buzz from the brownie. “You first.”
Michelle undressed and crawled into bed. As Kevin joined her he wrapped his arms around her neck and drew her close. As the effects of the marijuana increased, they kissed, aware of an increase in tactile sensitivity. Michelle reached down and grasped his growing hardness through his shorts.
“Close your eyes,” Kevin whispered. “It’s time for your bath.”
He filled the sink with water and added a small bit of soap. Michelle lay on her back, eyes closed, as instructed.
On the small dresser were two empty water glasses. He dipped one into the water and placed it on the nightstand, then crawled into bed next to her.
“Please be gentle,” Michelle whispered, “it’s my first time. Or not.”
“Not your first time, or don’t be gentle?” Kevin teased.
“Yes,” she started to say, but her word turned into a hiss as Kevin held the cloth over her and cold water dripped onto her nipple. He did the same to her right nipple, enjoying the sight of her areola puckering.
“Damn, that’s cold!”
“You’ll be warm in no time,” Kevin replied. He began gently washing her breasts, occasionally pinching her nipples between his fingers. “Raise your arms. Keep your eyes closed.” She obediently raised her arms and Kevin washed beneath them, then leaned over to take a cold nipple into his warm mouth. She gasped at the juxtaposition—cold nipple, warm mouth and tongue.
He washed each finger, then took her index finger into his mouth and lightly ran his tongue over the tip. Michelle moaned, “You’re driving me crazy! When is my turn?”
“Mmm, soon, my love,” he answered, “but I get to enjoy myself first!” He trailed the cloth down her torso, teasing her breasts once again, then down her tummy and over her mound. “Spread your legs,” he instructed. He washed down both thighs, but completely avoided her genitals, amused at her sighs and whimpers. He washed both legs and feet.
“Now roll over onto your stomach,” he said.
“No fair!” she whispered, “you are such a tease!”
“If you want more, you’ll have to obey me!”
“Yes, sir!” she moaned, rolling over. He spent a few minutes washing the soles of her feet, just enough to torture her tickle impulse. He washed back up her legs, circling behind her knees. “Ohh!” she quietly whispered, “it’s so cold! I am so going to get even with you!”
Kevin ached for attention, but he enjoyed the act of washing her body too much to stop. He lightly scrubbed her back and shoulders, then spent a few minutes massaging and washing her neck. He could feel her stress and tension melt away as her breaths became longer and deeper. Once again he instructed her to open her legs.
He began to simultaneously kiss and lick the back of her neck while his hand wandered between her legs and began to stroke. Her arousal was evident. “Oh, my Lord! It feels so good!” she moaned. He continued to stroke, increasing the speed and pressure, and within minutes she gasped and moaned in climax.
The combined sensation of her orgasm, his mouth on her neck, and the effects of the marijuana sustained her orgasm, and for several moments she was unaware of anything but the intensity of her climax and her love for Kevin. Finally she could take no more.
“Uncle! Uncle! I can’t take any more!” She rested for a moment, still in bliss, unable to move. Kevin waited as patiently as he could, but he was desperate for her attention. At last she said, “Now it’s my turn to have some fun!”
She imitated Kevin’s sponge bath, washing his belly and chest, then slowly reached down and lightly washed his manhood. It was Kevin’s turn to gasp. He moaned in disappointment as she moved the cloth away from his hardness and down his thighs. She washed both legs and feet, then had him roll over. She tickled his soles in retribution for how he’d tickled hers, then washed the back of his thighs. After washing his neck, she reached back down between his legs and grasped his erection, eliciting a loud moan in response.
Michelle felt the strong effects of marijuana, and her entire being ached for one thing; to feel him inside her. “I want you inside me. Roll over!” Kevin gladly rolled onto his back and she straddled him. For several minutes they matched thrust for thrust, the bed squeaking so loudly their neighbors had no doubt what was going on. His own focus narrowed down to a tight beam as he felt his orgasm approach. As he neared the point of no return, Michelle whimpered in a small voice, “Oh my God! Oh, Kevin! I’m so close!”
His breath grew ragged and he was unable to speak as together they were joined in orgasmic bliss. In the midst of his orgasm he opened his eyes and enjoyed the lovely sight of his wife, his best friend, his companion, his lover, straddling his body. Her nipples were still hard, and he reached up to cup her breasts. Her face was flushed, eyes closed, hair matted to her face and neck with perspiration. She remained motionless atop him for several seconds as she savored a few delicious orgasm after-shocks. Her heart was filled to capacity and overflowing. She collapsed onto the bed and wrapped her arms around him, sniffling as the incredible sexual release caused an emotional release as well. Tears welled in her eyes and she was consumed with love. He might as well tattoo his name on my ass, she thought, he’s ruined me for other men. I’m his.
Within moments they were asleep, much to the relief of their upstairs neighbor.
CHAPTER TEN
Th
e thin window curtain stirred in a slight cool breeze as Kevin awoke. The windows faced west, so no sun was streaming in, but it was a clear, bright day. He reached for his journal and began to write:
June 6th
Michelle sleeps next to me in the Frankfort guest house. The muffled sound of conversation from a couple next door seeps through the wall. I hear Michelle breathing in and out, and a quarter mile from here Lake Michigan breathes as well. The sound is a low rumble with only hints of individual waves. Michelle’s breathing is so light it reminds me of our first kiss.
A dog barks somewhere down the street. A horse is pulling a wagon; to me it’s an uncommon sound, but I imagine people who live here have grown accustomed to it. It seems impossibly quaint and old fashioned. I’ll bet it’s a lot of work, keeping a horse, but I’ll bet their owners feel blessed. There couldn’t have been many horses or horse-wagons before The Collapse.
A puff of wind stirs the leaves of nearby trees just before ruffling the window curtain.
This is the zombie apocalypse. Things are supposed to be terrible, like a horror movie. But I’m enjoying myself. I think Doc’s going to get better, and now Michelle can get medical care if she has any pregnancy complications. I have marketable skills and, of course, Michelle is being welcomed with open arms.
I used to think I’d never survive a calamity. I’m not good at construction, I’m not a handyman, I don’t farm or hunt or fish. I figured there wasn’t much use for a computer geek in an age without computers. But now, two of my three favorite hobbies, brewing and hydroponics (my Petoskey Stone hobby is the third), might earn enough credits to help us survive. Brian practically offered me a job at Stormcloud, and I think I may ask Jake for a job, too. He knows I’m experienced with hydroponics, since I asked the right questions when he showed me around his greenhouse.
Someone outside is strumming a guitar and singing Dylan’s Tangled Up in Blue. It always reminds me of Tammy. She hated that song. Her ghosts have faded, but they’re still here. I walked past the former the ice cream shop and there she was. She was at the breakwater, too. And once at the fair I thought I heard Tammy’s voice, and wanted to look, but stopped myself. The woman sounded just like her.
But the ghosts have faded, and they have lost their power over me. It’s good that I have those memories. The bitterness of those memories now has sweet aftertaste. Tammy wasn’t allowed to be with me as long as I wanted, but our love was good, it was honest. My love for Michelle is the same. I’m a lucky man to have found pure, untainted love, not once but twice. I could die tomorrow; I could fall off a ladder and break my neck. I could get bitten by a zombie. I’m going to savor what pleasure I find. More than ever, the future is uncertain. But our love for each other is steadfast.
I think she’s beginning to awaken, as if she knows I’m thinking of her.
As Michelle began to stir he heard another patron exit the bathroom, and whispered, “I’m going to take a quick shower.” Michelle nodded her head but kept her eyes closed, so he headed to the bathroom. He turned on the shower, and after thirty seconds of waiting for the water to get warm, smacked himself on the forehead. No hot water. I forgot. This is as warm as it’s going to get.
He eased in with a grimace. He forced himself to get his entire body wet, cringing the whole time, then turned off the water. He soaped up, washed his hair and face, then braced himself. He turned the water back on and rinsed in the cold water.
He’d forgotten how difficult cold showers were. He missed his hot water heater.
He wrapped the towel around himself and went back to their room. Michelle was already up, making the bed. “Have a good shower?” she asked.
“Brrr!” he responded, “c-could you close the windows? It’s f-freezing in here!
Michelle laughed at him and closed both windows. “Let’s get some warm clothes on you, Frosty!” As she said the name, she got a wicked gleam in her eyes, and Kevin instantly knew why. Frosty the snowman. He had snowballs. Just like Kevin did after the infamous hot sauce incident. She still laughed out loud when she remembered it.
“Cold shower, eh?” she asked, smiling.
“Do you know what a zombie gets when he shows up late for the dinner party? The cold shoulder. That’s what I should have given you.”
“You’ve told me that joke a dozen times. But it still makes me laugh,” she said as she finished making the bed.
“Aren’t you going to shower?” he asked.
“No, last night’s sponge bath was good enough. And cold enough! Who knows, maybe before the end of the day I’ll take my first dip in Lake Michigan!”
“Brrr!” Kevin said again.
As they finished dressing, they discussed their day. First up: check on Doc. Then get Michelle on board both as a nurse practitioner and a patient. They needed to get input on her pre-eclampsia and have a thorough exam. Then there was the party at Jake and Lee’s place. Kevin was already drooling at the chance to watch the sunset from their patio, a cold beer in hand, and a lovely large-breasted woman by my side! Or two!
They stepped outside and Kevin lifted his nose in the air. “Damn, something smells good! Must be the bakery! Come on!” He strode down the sidewalk and Michelle caught up with him.
“How many credits do we have left?” she asked.
“Four. I wonder what it will buy?”
They crossed the street and walked into the bakery. There were several kinds of pastries made of whole grains. They looked pretty dense. There were also a few decadent looking twists of pastry rolled with layers of a rich fruit and nut compote. The place card read: Spent Grain Rugelach. Stormcloud Spent Grain flour (oat, wheat, barley), walnuts, pecans, cranberries, cherries, and a touch of cinnamon, sweetened with maple syrup. Next to it was a smaller tray of cookies, only the place card had a small marijuana leaf next to the word Snickerdoodles, and added to the list of ingredients was cannabis, 75mg activated THC. Kevin was astonished. “Wow! I didn’t expect this!” Michelle exclaimed. Kevin nodded, arching an eyebrow.
When it was their turn, the lady behind the counter looked them over and said, “Ah, you must be the new couple in town. I don’t believe I’ve seen you before. Welcome to our little village! What can I get you?”
“What will four credits get us?”
“You can each get a pastry and cup of tea.”
“What if we want coffee?”
“For four credits you’d have to split a cup of coffee, but since you’re new, and you’re a nurse practitioner,” she said, looking at Michelle, “I’ll give you a pastry on the house.”
“Wow! Coffee’s that expensive?”
“It’s a very limited resource. We’ll run out in a few months, so we’re deliberately pricing it high to decrease consumption. Jake says he’s cloning some kind of plant which contains caffeine, and Lee claims it makes good tea.” Glancing at the growing line behind them, she asked, “Do you know what you want, or should I wait on someone else while you think it over?”
“We’ll take coffee and one of the rugelachs.” Kevin’s mouth was already watering.
They walked to the hospital at a fairly good clip, slowing only occasionally to take a sip of coffee. They did their best to savor the rugalach, but the pastry fairly melted in their mouths with a flavor explosion, and was gone far too soon. Kevin saw Michelle licking her fingers and offered his. She licked them clean, too, eliciting an invitation from Kevin she was forced to decline with a smile.
They walked into the hospital and were greeted warmly by the staff. They seemed especially glad to see Michelle.
“Ready to get to work? No time like the present,” Doctor Nunn said.
“Allow me to check on my patient and I’ll be right with you,” Michelle replied. He nodded and they walked the few steps to Doc’s room. Kevin in particular was nervous, not knowing what they might find. They walked in, only to find Doc sitting up, chatting with Carolyn.
“Oh, hey you two! Have you met Carolyn?” Doc asked. He was still pale, but hi
s color was much better. “She’s the pharmacist. I was just finishing one of my fishing stories!” He turned back to Carolyn and said, “so there I was, waist-deep in the water on a sinking raft. You go to hell! I yelled again, bawling more than ever, while my father doubled over and leaned against the tree, laughing so hard it looked like he was crying. I slowly splashed the raft across the pond, praying every second for a gun so I could shoot my father. When I stepped onto the other side, dripping wet, I glared at him, my fists clenched at my side. He had stopped laughing and just looked at me. I wasn’t crying anymore. Then he smiled a little and said, That ain’t much of a raft for a fisherman, son. We’ll have to get us a real boat. Come on, let’s get back to camp and get you dried out. Maybe we’ll both have a drink of whiskey, whaddya say, Stevie. And I said, Yeah, that raft is no good. And we’ll have a drink of whisky, Pa! You bet!”
Carolyn was already laughing again when Doc said, “And the damnedest thing is, I can still remember the walk back to camp. I was following him in the dark, and I remember thinking, Tomorrow I’m going to get the old man’s pipe and smoke the damn thing right in front of him! I was hooked on fishing from then on, much to my mother’s great chagrin.”
Doc and Carolyn both laughed, and Kevin and Michelle joined in.
“Well, I guess there’s no need to ask how the patient is doing,” Michelle said, glancing at his chart. “Looks to me like you’ll be back to your ornery self in no time!”
“He’s already there,” Carolyn said, smiling at him. “I’m not going to repeat some of the jokes he told me this morning! His jokes are as bad as Kevin’s!” Kevin rolled his eyes. “We’ve been getting acquainted. You won’t believe this, but it turns out he knew a family friend!”
“A buddy of mine had a house in Benzonia on Betsie River. Used to invite a bunch of us to go fishing a couple times a year. He was a good man. I was sorry when they sold the place and moved down south.”