A Dozen Dates

by Mitchell, Missy

  Chapter Nine

  When Gemma and Michael returned from their trip, life was a bustle. Gemma had to catch up on an assignment and Michael and Nathan were busy signing documents to do with the settlement of their new project and within a couple of days Michael had moved in and he and Nathan were knocking down walls.

  Gemma hadn’t been the same since the trip... Her already happy life had taken on a particularly rosy glow and she chastised her workload for keeping her from Michael. Finally, her heart aching, and not being able to take being away from him any longer, she decided to take her laptop over to the new house to work on her assignment – they might be too busy to play, but at least she could be around him and have afternoon tea with him.

  “Hi Nathan!” she shouted over the noise of the circular saw as she entered the new house.

  “Oh hi, Gem!” Nathan looked up briefly from his sawing before returning his gaze to his task and continuing. “How are you? Michael’s out to lunch with Sam...” Gemma’s blood instantly ran ice cold and she shook like a leaf, the pain of a thousand steel knives stabbing her through the heart. Sam...? After the time they had spent together..? How could he do this? She stumbled back, her gait precarious... She couldn’t take this... She felt as if she was going to pass out. No..! She had to get out of there.

  Nathan, oblivious eventually turned off the saw and wondered where Gemma had gotten to; until he heard the screech out the front of the house and saw her speeding off, her face appearing red and wet.

  Nathan frowned, trying to work out what had triggered his new sister-in-law’s sudden freak-out and then he had inkling. “That idiot!” he exclaimed, referring to his younger brother.

  Michael was sitting at the beach diner having lunch and chatting with Sam about his two days spent with Gemma at Caloundra when his phone rang. He looked down at the caller ID and informed Sam, “It’s Nathan.” He answered the phone, “Hi! What’s up?”

  “Have you told Gemma about Sam yet?”

  Michael laughed, “No, I suppose I better get around to that...”

  “Well, she just took off out of here like a bat out of hell and crying her eyes out after I mentioned you went to lunch with her,” Nathan informed him.

  Michael shifted in his seat, “What? Why didn’t you stop her?”

  “I was using the circular saw... I didn’t know she was gone until I happened to turn it off and heard the car screaming away. You’re an idiot, Michael!”

  “Damn! Okay, I’m gone...” Michael told his brother before hanging up and dialling Gemma.

  Gemma looked down at her phone and saw who was calling her... “Creep!” she shouted before turning her phone off mid-ring and blubbering again. She was so distraught – so humiliated... and so completely and utterly heartbroken.

  “Damn!” Michael exclaimed and he tried to redial the number, only to have it go to messages. “Bloody hell!” he shouted and he held his phone and shook it, restraining himself from throwing it.

  “Michael, what is it?” Sam inquired.

  “Gemma won’t answer her phone... I haven’t told her about you yet and Nathan told her that we went to lunch. I have to go find her...” Michael stated.

  “You’re and idiot, Michael!” Sam scolded.

  “Yes, I know!” Michael exclaimed loudly, angry at himself. “I’ve got to go...”

  “Well, I’m coming with...” Sam told him.

  “No...”

  “It’s my car! I’m coming with!”

  “I’m driving...” Michael stated, and knowing he would not be swayed, Sam tossed him the keys.

  Michael pulled up out the front of Gemma’s place; words could not describe how relieved he was to see her Ute in the drive-way. He bravely walked up to the door and knocked, Sam close on his heels.

  “Hello?” a strange, low, broken voice quietly answered from behind the door.

  “Gemma..?” Michael called softly.

  Gemma began to tremble again, her injured heart aching and a lump rising to her throat, and she muffled, “Go away, Michael.”

  “Gemma..?” Michael called again.

  Gemma screamed at him, “Go away, Michael!” Her chest began to heave and the sobs came again. She squatted close to the floor for stability and clutched at her aching chest.

  Michael paled and a lump rose in his throat...

  Lana came running in from the other room, “Gemma? What..?”

  “Gemma please..?” Michael begged her, “Open the door.”

  “Get the hell out of here, Michael!” Lana shouted but Gemma just sobbed and sobbed, feeling like she was going to die.

  “Bloody hell!” Michael exclaimed and he started to really panic, “Open the door!” He could hear Gemma crying and it was tearing him up.

  “You’re a low life cheat... Stay the hell away from her!” Lana abused him.

  Sam tried to shine some light on the situation, “Gemma... It’s not what you think.” The sound of Sam’s voice ripped through Gemma like a razor sharp claw and she grasped at her hurting chest.

  “Go away!” Gemma tried to shout at them but her trembling voice failed her.

  “Oh that’s low...” Lana commented, “I can’t believe you brought your other girlfriend here...”

  “Gemma, that’s not how it is...” Michael pleaded but he could only hear her cry.

  “I’m his cousin!” yelled Sam, “Gemma, I’m sorry.”

  “She’s your cousin..?” Gemma shouted and then paused and thought before screaming, “You kissed your cousin?”

  “Wait!” exclaimed Lana, “Sam is your cousin?”

  “No!” Michael claimed, “I mean yes she is my cousin... No I didn’t kiss her.” Then to Gemma’s anguish, Lana unlatched the door.

  “Thank you,” Michael told Lana quietly and he looked at Gemma huddled on the floor, her face red and swollen and almost unrecognisable. “Oh my God...” he said as he approached her.

  “Don’t touch me!” she stated assertively, “You’re sick, Michael... I hate you!” Michael felt his chest tighten and he tried to swallow the lump rising in his throat.

  “Gemma, I’m sorry,” Sam apologised, now in tears herself, and she punched Michael in the arm.

  Gemma turned to Sam, “You’re cousins..? You’re sick too..!”

  “Gemma, we didn’t kiss, I swear...” Michael promised.

  Gemma looked straight at him, “I saw you!”

  “Gem, what you saw was a peck on the cheek... Same as Nathan gave her... And Miranda and you,” Michael tried to explain to her.

  Gemma tried to recall the kisses she had witnessed Michael share with Sam, “No...” she held on to her argument.

  “Yes, Gem, yes! You think about it... There were only ever pecks.” Gemma’s mind was starting to ache as well as her heart and she could feel the headache from hell coming on.

  Sam tried to help, “Gem, it’s true... We never kissed like you two did.” Gemma looked at her and continued to think back over the things she had seen. What did she see? She remembered them playing and mucking around. She saw them embrace... She saw them peck... “Trust me Gemma... we didn’t kiss. Oh my god there has never... ever been one iota of romance between us... We are cousins!” Sam stated clearly and then added, “And besides... he’s ugly.”

  “Bite me, Samantha,” Michael growled.

  “Well, you are... Look at you...” Samantha gestured towards him and made a disappointed face, and Gemma cracked a smile and giggled briefly.

  Briefly, but it was the most wonderful sound Michael had ever heard... But then the smile returned to a frown as confusion came flooding back. Why did Michael let her believe..? “Gem?” he called softly, and tears began to roll again. Michael slid his arm around her and her chest started to heave.

  Gemma looked at him and asked, “Why?”

  “Gemma...”

  “You’re an idiot, Michael!” Lana informed him.

  “I know!” Michael acknowledged yet again, “I know... Gemma, I love you! Please, can I tal
k to you alone? Please?”

  Gemma didn’t say anything, so Michael stood and pulled her up and led her to her room where he sat her on her bed. He dropped to his knees down in front of her and put his head on her lap, his arms around her waist, his own heart heavy, himself choking from seeing the pain he had unleashed upon her. “Gemma... In the beginning I thought ...hoped you kind of liked me, and then you told me that you weren’t interested... You even said you regretted our first encounter...” Michael swallowed as he remembered her scathing words and how deeply it cut him, “I was devastated...”

  “This was revenge?” Gemma asked.

  “No,” Michael looked up to her shaking his head, “No.” Then he produced a small loving smile and continued. “The first time you saw me with Sam you reacted... And I was so thrilled because I could tell that you liked me. I could see you were jealous, and I could tell... I’m so sorry.”

  “Everyone knew...”

  “They all told me to quit it... But we also just assumed I think that it would come out eventually and it would be one for the books... You know..? A funny story..? Like the oysters...” Michael paused. “Gemma, I’m sorry. I should have told you the night before we went away... But I wanted to keep it up my sleeve just in case... Do you know how many times I have been called an idiot today? ...And then we went away and it wasn’t an issue anymore and I just forgot!”

  “Michael, did you laugh at me?” Gemma asked solemnly.

  A smile rose to Michael’s face from deep within his soul and he confessed, “Constantly!” Gemma looked at him, gobsmacked. “I laughed at you when you got all nervous about me removing your stockings... and when you stood in the yard sweating in that stupid suit... I laughed at you when your ridiculous Jessica Rabbit stilettos kept sinking in the soil...” Michael smiled a beautiful smile, “And Nathan laughed his head off at me when I was so completely mesmerised that I nearly fell of the roof.” Michael chuckled as did Gemma.

  “I was trying to get your attention...” Gemma confessed.

  “Well, you got it..! Actually, you had it from the moment I laid eyes on you...” He stared desperately into her damp, swollen eyes and continued, “I laughed when you came to the house dressed a punk... But that bullring was no laughing matter... No Sir-ree...” Michael shook his head and Gemma laughed.

  “Yeah, that was pretty gross, wasn’t it?”

  “It was... I laughed just the other day when your hair was falling out on your pillow...”

  “Michael!” Gemma scolded, “That wasn’t funny...”

  “And I did laugh a little at your cute jealous pouts... But I was laughing with you...”

  “With me?”

  “Yes... I knew I would share it with you one day and you would laugh. Of course, the day you laugh might not be today because I didn’t plan on it turning out quite as devastating as this... But one day you will laugh... Gemma... You are a funny girl! You are talented and beautiful... and you are so funny, and I love you Gemma. I love how funny you are and I am sooo... so sorry for the hurt I caused you.”

  Tears started to trickle down Gemma’s face again, “Y-you l-love me, Michael?”

  Michael swallowed; nerves and raw emotion making his voice croak as he looked her honestly in the eyes and confessed, “So much it hurts...”

  Gemma saw him swallow again as he choked on his truth and she admitted, “I love you, too... And it hurts a lot..!” And the sobs returned.

  Michael sat up on the bed beside her and wrapped her tightly in his strong, comforting arms. He kissed her quickly first on the mouth then on the forehead, “It doesn’t have to hurt anymore, Gemma.” He wiped away her tears with his fingers.

  Michael held her close, intermittently placing precious kisses on her forehead. “Gem?” he called to her softly, “Can I show you something?”

  Gemma tensed, “What?”

  “Shhhhhh... Nothing bad, I promise. Before Sam... my cousin... and I went to lunch today we went to the shops and she helped me...” Michael felt her concern so he just reached into his pocket and pulled out the small box and opened it up to show Gemma the contents. “She helped me pick it out... for you.”

  Gemma looked into the box and saw the prettiest ring she had ever seen – a simple gold band supporting a small spray of three almond shaped rubies with some tiny white zirconia chips splashed sporadically around them. “I chose rubies because I know you like red. And it is a passionate colour, and... you’re very sexy...” She stared, aghast at the beautiful ring and listened to Michael’s words.

  “Gemma..?” Michael called nervously, “D-do you like it...?”

  “Huh..?” Gemma looked up at him and then back down at the jewellery, “Oh yes, I like it a lot...” A bright smiled graced Gemma’s face and she looked back up at him, “It’s beautiful!” Gemma looked back down at the ring, “Can I wear it?”

  Michael breathed a sigh of relief, “Please... I hope it fits okay...” Michael took the ring from the box and handed it to Gemma who was eager to try it and find a finger it would fit... And she did!

  Gemma couldn’t stop grinning as she held her hand out and admired her gift, and Michael smiled for her, contentment filling his own heart to see her happy, and he blinked away a couple of tears and swallowed the lump in his throat. She tilted her head up and kissed him and he tightened the enclosure around her and kissed her back. “Does this mean I am forgiven?”

  “Hmm, maybe...” Gemma considered.

  “I really didn’t mean for you to get hurt like that. I won’t ever do that to you again – it was killing me seeing you cry.”

  “I’m okay now Michael; I’m just a little exhausted from all... the fear. I understand that you didn’t mean to and yes, I do forgive you,” Gemma said and she smiled through the throbbing within her skull.

  “You’re okay?”

  “Well, my eyes are stinging and my head hurts like hell! But the horrendous ache in my chest has subsided heaps so yes I am okay.” Gemma smiled at him through adoring eyes, “I’m more than okay...” She laid her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck.

  “Why don’t you come over to the house and we can soak in the spa – it could really help your head...” Michael suggested, “And I can get you some Panadol.” Michael thought for a second before confessing, “And I really need to be near you...”

  When they got to the house, the pain killers Gemma had taken for her head had made her extra drowsy, so instead of going in the spa she had a quick shower, changed into her black bikini, curled up on Michael’s bed and slept for three and a half hours, and by the time she awoke, Nathan and Sam had left and darkness had well and truly enveloped the Earth.

  She was dopey but managed to find her way to the kitchen to get a large drink of water, the events of the day feeling like a bad dream which she was now successfully awakening from. “Gem?” Michael called out to her when he heard her rattling around. She looked down at her ring and smiled, before walking outside.

  “Michael...”

  “How are you?”

  Gemma thought for a moment, “Good!” then she climbed into the beautiful heated spa and sat beside him. They talked... a little of their day, their history, their future, their plans and hopes... They even talked about the probability of one day having children. They cuddled and they kissed, but most importantly, they relaxed. They relaxed together, a sense of certainty encompassing them... A certainty that they loved each other and that in the morning, and the following week and in years to come, they would be there with each other, no matter where there was; and they would be happy.

  “Is this a date?” Gemma asked.

  Michael looked at her, curious about her state of mind, “It could be... Do you want it to be a date?”

  “Hypothetically, if this was a date, what number would it be?”

  “Relaxing and talking in a spa... Cuddling and kissing... I think that would be appropriate for date number three...”

  “It’s a good thing my top didn’t come o
ff!” announced Gemma, “Being that a three is all we have left.”

  Michael looked at her and grinned, “Oh... I don’t know if I can agree with that Gem.”

  “I like date number three,” she confessed quietly.

  “Yeah, me too,” Michael agreed before they kissed again.

  They got out of the spa and Michael went inside to make them a coffee and a snack. Suddenly his phone rang and he was concerned at who would be calling at such a late hour and why. He glanced at it and the caller ID said “Gemma.” He looked out the window at her, sitting there grinning like a mischievous monkey and answered his phone, “Hello.”

  “Hi Michael... Would you like to have a date with me tonight?”

  “Humph! I’m washing my hair tonight...”

  “Oh, okay...” Gemma paused for a few seconds, “Would you like to have a date with me tomorrow, please?” she asked but Michael was silent... “Michael?”

  “Yes okay.”

  “Good. I’ll see you in the bedroom in seven minutes...”

  “What?”

  “”It’s eleven fifty-three... make that four. Tomorrow is in six minutes.”

  “Oh, okay... What should I wear?”

  “I want date number thirteen, so nothing would be nice.”

  “Gem, you know in New Zealand it’s already after midnight...” Their eyes suddenly locked, and instantly the same thought occurred to both of them – they hung up their phones, abandoned everything they were doing and raced to the bedroom, bursting simultaneously, though less than gracefully through the door and crash tackled each other onto the mattress.

  Their eyes connected and their souls smiled and in chorus they professed, “I love you.”