Poor Maria....although that was mean calling her vibrator Billy. Make her wait Mchael!
Michael's trying to wait, but Maria's good!
chinkyeyes45:
I'm happy for Kyle and Tess though. I was so tired of the depressed Tess.
I know, depressed Tess isn't fun for anyone. Drunk Tess is fun, but happy Tess is much better.
Why the hell does Max think it's acceptable to ask the girl that he just dumped for a company to have a secret affair with him. Yeah, way to show her that you're trying to change for her, ask her to take like a million steps backward. If he's really determined, he'll show up at her parents place again.
Actually, Max isn't going to show up at her parents' place again this time. He's going to back off and let her have her space, because he realizes how much he's hurt her, and he actually feels bad about that.
Zee:
The Michael and Maria sexual tension is hilarious! The whole Billy-vibrator idea was genius, and I loved Michael's reaction to it!
Well, brace yourself, because this entire chapter is pretty much devoted to their sexual tension.
Luluzita: Yeah, Michael's nervous. But he'll get over it.
Infecteddoll18: Thank you!
Nicola:
omg kyle and tess having a bit of hows your father again
Okay, another expression I've never heard before! lol What is this "how's your father?" Is that like "who's your daddy?" lol
valentinebaby:
You know it's kind of refreshing to see a guy holding back from sex instead of the girl for a change, because as frustrating as it must be for her, it's gotta be worse for him. Especially considering how long it's been.
Yeah, I think it's always refreshing to see a guy who's not a sex-crazed lunatic. But yeah, it's worse for him, simply because he's a guy and because, like you said, it's been awhile for him. Maria hasn't had sex for . . . probably a little over a month. Michael hasn't had sex for, like, half a year.
emadaps:
max seriously needs a wake-up call, and i think Liz leaving is exactly what he needs.
Yeah, Liz's departure might be what it takes for Max to open up his eyes.
Lozz83: Michael is most definitely a gentleman.
Thanks for reading!
Lume: This is so nice of you to leave feedback for every single part! I'm glad you're enjoying the fic!
Michael is amazing, I mean, he was hating himself at the party at first, just because Maria wasn't having a good time. He thought he was selfish. He is such a wonderful character.
I've really loved writing Michael this way. He gets stereotyped in fics a lot as the jackass guy. And yeah, he could be a jerk sometimes in the show, but deep down, he was a nice guy, a good guy. 521 Michael is a really good guy.
This story is just getting more and more perfect. You are seriously a genius writing, April.
Thank you! I've never enjoyed writing a story as much as I've enjoyed writing this one.
Mag:
Everybody is having sex but Michael and Maria!
It's a strange, strange world, isn't it? Although, Max isn't having sex anymore, and considering the fact that he was having sex with two girls not long ago . . . that's pretty strange, too.
nibbles: I love how you help me keep track of my updates.
Alright, today is one of those rare days when I come by with two songs, two completely different songs, but both great songs. Try "Suicide Blonde" by Jack's Mannequin when you see
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T65N8WY5p5Y&fmt=18 and
"Ungodly Hour" by The Fray when you see 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxpwnWhxU4I&fmt=18 "Ungodly
Hour" is the one I have to INSIST on, though, because it's my favortie Fray song and I think it's absolutely gorgeous.
Thanks for the feedback! And enjoy this part, because a lot of fun stuff happens!
Part 42
"So it was best with you on top?" Maria asked Tess in the grocery store the next day. They were trailing behind Michael and Kyle, who were up front pushing the grocery carts.
"Always is." Tess smirked proudly. "Kyle's still a little inexperienced, you know, but what he lacks in learned skills, he makes up for in raw enthusiasm."
"Yes, the audio sounded very enthusiastic last night," Maria agreed. "In fact, it sounded enthusiastic until 4:00 a.m."
Tess blushed. "Sorry about that. It's the first fulfilling sex I've had in years and the first sex Kyle's had in literally forever, so give us a break."
"Which limb?"
Tess laughed. "Okay, you and Michael can get your revenge when you guys start doing it."
"If we ever start doing it," Maria mumbled, looking ahead at Michael. He was looking over all the cereal boxes.
"Did you do the vibrator thing?" Tess asked.
"Yes. I even named it Billy."
"Oh! That's so mean!"
"Well, you gotta be cruel to be kind, you know?" She shrugged.
"Hey, girls, you comin'?" Michael called.
"Hey, boys, only one of us is coming," she said, pointing to Tess. Michael gave her a look.
"Do we really have to walk up and down every single aisle?" Tess complained. "My feet hurt."
"I told you not to wear those platforms," Maria said, glancing down at her friend's uncomfortable footwear.
"They're my favorite shoes," Tess protested.
"Oh, coming," Kyle blurted suddenly. "Got it."
Maria laughed at his late comprehension. "Yeah, don't expect brain trust here to master missionary anytime soon," she advised Tess. "He's a little slow on the uptake."
"I'm not slow," Kyle insisted.
"Yeah, you are."
"I'm not!"
"Why do I feel like a parent sometimes?" Michael muttered under his breath.
"Oh, Michael, you're not a parent," Maria assured him. "But if you want, I can call you Daddy." She grinned mischievously.
"Ladies, you're not being very productive back there," Kyle said, even though his own cart was nearly empty.
"Well, what is this anyway? This is stupid. A group outing to the grocery store?" Maria grunted. "It's an entirely lame idea."
"It was my idea," Kyle reminded her.
"Precisely."
"I bet if it'd been Michael's idea, you'd think it was sexy."
"You're right. I probably would." She made her way forward and peered down into her boyfriend's cart. "Mmm, Frosted Flakes. You're such a good boy." She rose up on her tip-toes and kissed him. If only there was a way to get him to be a little bit bad . . .
"Huh, PDA," Kyle remarked. "I can have PDA now, too. Tess?"
"Just a minute," Tess said. "Maria, come here."
Maria patted Michael on the chest and dropped back to follow along with her best friend again.
"Take this," Tess said, handing her a jumbo-sized banana. "You know what to do."
She sure did. As Tess strolled ahead to catch up with Kyle, Maria pulled the banana peel back. Only slightly embarrassed, she stuck the banana in her mouth and moaned, "Mmm, yummy." She put it farther in her mouth and made a more sexual sound. "Mmm."
"Dude, hold up," Kyle said, stopping Michael just as they were about to go to the next aisle.
Michael stopped and looked at her. "What's she doin'?" he asked.
She almost laughed. Wasn't it obvious? "Mmm, this banana's so good," she raved. "It's so big. I can barely fit it in my mouth. Mmm." She kept her lips wrapped around the banana much as she would keep them wrapped around a man's penis. It wasn't a subtle metaphor, and it obviously drove Michael crazy.
"She's good," Kyle commented before turning to Tess and asking, "Where's your banana?"
"In your pants," she replied with a smile.
"Oh, let's get this shit checked out!" he exclaimed, forgoing the rest of grocery shopping as he pushed his cart towards one of the check-out counters. Tess giggled and scurried after him.
Maria bit off the tip of the banana and smiled seductively at her boyfriend. It took everything she had not to run up to him, slam him back on top one of those check-out counters, and just pounce on top of him to do him like a mad woman.
"You're payin' for that yourself," he mumbled, pushing his cart towards the counters. "You're payin' for that."
She laughed and followed him with banana in hand.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Maria and Tess went out to the car while Michael and Kyle paid for all the groceries. Michael glanced outside into the parking lot while the clerk at the counter scanned each food item. They were both sitting on the hood of the car laughing about something. Probably the banana.
Kyle looked at them, too, mostly at Tess. "Man, how does this work out?" he wondered aloud in amazement. "They are so hot, and we are so . . . not."
Michael grunted. "Speak for yourself. I think I'm pretty hot."
"Apparently so does Maria. Seriously, man, how are you not hittin' that?"
"Hittin' that?"
"Clearly she wants to. And if you're any kind of man at all . . ."
"No, I want to," he assured his friend, "and it's killin' me not to."
"So why aren't you?"
"Well, I do want the time to be right, and I do want us not to rush things, but . . ." He paused and watched as the clerk scanned Maria's Frosted Flakes through. "This is really embarrassing. I'm kinda nervous," he confessed quickly.
"Why?"
"Because . . . weren't you nervous when you and Tess . . ."
"No, I was drunk," Kyle reminded him.
"But like last night."
"Um, I was more thankful than anything else. I'm still thankful," Kyle said. "Grateful. Blessed. But then again, I'm not as intellectual as you."
"It's not about being intellectual; it's about the fact that Maria's been with a lot of people over the years. And I haven't. She's got all these great expectations for what it's gonna be like, and I don't know if I can live up to that."
"Oh, come on, performance anxiety?"
"Well . . . if the sex is bad, it'll ruin everything." He doubted it would be bad, but what if it wasn't everything she hoped it would be? What would that mean for them?
"Did Isabel ever complain?" Kyle inquired.
"No. But it's been a long time since I've actually . . . you know. With anyone."
"Don't you think it's like riding a bike, though? You can't just forget how," Kyle said. "You know what you gotta do? Just throw caution to the wind and do it. That's what I did, and I didn't have any prior experiences to compare to."
"I can't believe I'm getting sex advice from you," Michael said, shaking his head in astonishment.
"Is that so weird?"
"Yeah, it's unnatural. Stop. Let's stop it."
"Why stop? It's good advice," Kyle insisted.
"No, we're-we're stopping. It's just-I-I can't. It's too weird."
"Okay."
The clerk, a boy who Michael suddenly noticed couldn't have been a day past sixteen, looked at both of them with wide eyes, having just listened to their entire conversation, and asked, "Paper or plastic?"
"Um . . . paper, please," Michael replied, hoping he hadn't just corrupted an adolescent. "Thanks."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"All I'm saying is, you need to cut him some slack."
Maria groaned impatiently. "I'm trying. Really, I am. But I don't get it. Why is he not penetrating me with his male part as we speak?"
"Look, we all tend to glamorize and humorize sex to some degree," Tess acknowledged, "but Michael knows it's a big deal. And if you think about it, he's only had sex with one person before."
Maria nodded in understanding. "Isabel."
"Right, and that didn't end so well. So sex is an especially big deal for him."
"So what you're saying is he doesn't feel strongly enough for me to drop his drawers?" Maria concluded.
"No, it's because he cares so strongly about you that he's resisting," Tess corrected. "But remember, he can't resist forever."
Maria sighed, still as impatient as ever. No, Michael couldn't resist for all time, but he could sure as hell resist a long time if he wanted to.
"Oh, I'll fall silent. Here they come," Tess whispered as Michael and Kyle approached the vehicle with their grocery carts.
"How much do I owe you for the banana?" Maria asked her boyfriend.
"Uh, let's see, shall we?" He took the receipt out of his pocket and pronounced, "Five bucks."
"Five bucks? For a banana?" She huffed. "I don't think so. Four quarters is all you're gettin'."
He folded up the receipt and put it back in his pocket. "You must've been really hungry," he commented, "to eat that banana right then and there . . . the way you did."
She shrugged innocently. "What can I say? I'm not getting fed at home."
Kyle laughed at that and said to Michael, "You don't stand a chance."
Maria smirked. He sure as hell didn't.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Remind me what we're doing here again," Michael muttered as he looked around the gym. He and Maria never went to the gym, but she'd been insistent that they go today. Now he was surrounded by wannabe bodybuilders who were bench-pressing over a hundred pounds and people twice his age who were in much better shape than him.
"Duh, we're exercising," Maria replied. She looked so cute in her spandex work-out shorts and tank top. Her hair was up in pigtails. She was raring to go.
"But we don't need to exercise," he pointed out.
"Everyone needs to exercise, Michael. And personally speaking, I think I've gotten a little out of shape."
He looked her up and down and thought there was no way she could be serious. "Since when?"
"Since I last had sex."
"Oh, of course." So that was why she wanted to go to the gym. It was all part of her plan.
"I'm serious," she said. "Sex is a great form of exercise. Did you know you can burn hundreds of calories in one sack-session alone?"
He nodded. "I've heard that."
"And you know how everyone's primary complaint about exercise is that it isn't fun? Reason number one why sex rules."
"You're an enthusiast," he remarked. That was probably an understatement.
"I sure am," she agreed. "It's too bad I haven't been burning many calories lately, you know what I mean?"
"I think I do." There was no way he was giving in, though. Not yet. As tempting as it was . . . as good as she looked in those short, tight shorts . . . He shook himself out of his stupor. "Alright, let's go ride the bikes."
"Wait a minute." She placed her arm out in front of him to stop him. "It's not safe to exercise without stretching first."
"Stretching?" he echoed. "Okay then, there . . ." He reached his arms up high into the air, then bent down to touch his toes. ". . . we go. All stretched."
"Not so fast. I require more stretching than that." She surveyed the bodybuilders at the bench-press machine and decided, "I'm gonna go get one of those guys to help me. Wait here."
He didn't like the sound of that, yet he was powerless to protest it. He stood back on the stretching mat and watched as Maria approached the group. She smiled at them and talked to them flirtatiously, and it didn't take much convincing for one guy, a shirtless, bulky, tan, blonde guy who looked more like a Ken doll than an actual person, to agree to help her.
"This is Austin," Maria chirped, introducing him to Michael.
What a perfectly Texas-jock sounding kind of name, Michael thought bitterly.
"Austin, this is Michael."
"Hey," Austin greeted, extending his hand in greeting.
"Hey," Michael returned, reluctantly shaking it.
"I live with him," Maria told Austin.
"She dates me," Michael corrected, just so the jock knew she was off-limits.
"Austin's gonna help me stretch," Maria informed Michael. "You can go ride the bike if you want."
"No, I'll stay here."
She shrugged. "Okay." She sat down on the mat, and Austin knelt down beside her. He instructed her to lie back, so she lay down on her back with her legs stretched out straight. She lifted her left leg up at about a ninety degree angle, and Austin pressed his hands against his calf, urging her leg backward.
"Oh, yeah, that's good," Maria told him encouragingly.
"Just tell me when it hurts," he said, continuing to slowly push her leg backwards.
"That's when it feels good." She grinned. "You can keep going."
Michael stood like a deer caught in the headlights, infuriated by what he was seeing. Maybe Austin's intentions were harmless, or maybe they weren't; but regardless, he was in quite a position, pressed up close against her, her legs open.
"Oh, yes. Right there," Maria practically moaned.
"That's enough, isn't it?" Michael mumbled jealousy, refusing to show any greater reaction.
Maria ignored him and said to Austin, "A little harder. Harder." Her leg was stretched back impossible far. Her knee was practically touching her face, and Austin was practically on top of her. Michael was just about to push him aside and finish the job himself when Maria said, "Okay, I think we got it."
Austin slid backwards on the mat and released her leg. "Want me to help you with the other leg?" he volunteered.
"She doesn't want that," Michael snapped, glaring at him.
"Thanks, Austin, but I think that'll do," Maria said, letting Austin help her to her feet. "God, you really know how to stretch a girl out."
He grinned. "I've been told that."
Michael rolled his eyes. Oh, I've been told that. Ooh.
"Thanks for your help." Maria smiled at him.
"No problem. It was nice to meet you." Then, as an afterthought, he looked at Michael and added, "You, too, man."
"Whatever." Michael was happy when Austin walked away and went back to his bodybuilding male friends. Yeah, they were probably all secretly dating each other.
"Alright, let's go burn calories, babe," Maria said, heading towards the stationary bikes.
"One leg," he said, following her. "You stretched one leg." He flapped his arms against his sides helplessly. She was so good. She was too good. How was he supposed to resist?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Maybe he's just asexual," Marty pondered, bringing Maria a can of beer and Tess a nice, safe can of soda pop from his refrigerator.
"What's that?" Maria asked. She was lying flat on Marty's couch, and Tess and Marty were both sitting in chairs, acting as duel therapists.
"It's not what Michael is," Tess assured her, popping the tab on her Dr. Pepper. "It's like when a person has no desire whatsoever to have sex with anyone else. Of either gender. Michael has plenty of desire; he's just not acting on it. He has enormous self-control."
"And an enormous cock," Maria added longingly. "I want it."
"Oh, she's suffering. The poor thing." Marty reached over and stroked her hair sympathetically. "You know, I brought an asexual boy home one night. Needless to say, he was sexual by the time I got done with him."
"That's a love story, Marty, really," Tess said.
"Thank you."
"Guys, I'm serious," Maria said, steering the conversation back on track. "I don't wanna be stuck on second base forever."
"What's second base?" Marty whispered to Tess.
"I can never remember," she replied.
"It's not sex," Maria informed them. "It's not even oral sex."
Suddenly, the front door to Marty's apartment swung open and Francis came in. "Did somebody mention oral sex?" he asked in a sing-song voice.
"Hey, Francis," Tess chirped.
"Hey, Francis," Maria muttered, too distressed over the lack of sex in her life to sound happy.
"Hey, girls," Francis returned. He placed his hand on the back of Tess's chair and asked her, "Are you drunk again?"
"No," she answered. "Funny how that ended up, though . . ."
"Come give me all the details while we let the DeLucas have their sibling time," Francis said, gesturing for Tess's to follow him into another room. She set her soda down on the end table and skipped after him, eager to tell him all about her and Kyle.
"You know, I think Francis might be 'the one,'" Marty proclaimed when his boyfriend was out of earshot.
Maria sat up on the couch, surprised to hear that coming from her brother. "Since when do you believe in 'the one?'"
"Since I met Francis."
She smiled at him. That was so sweet. She hoped to be taking a trip to Massachusetts someday soon to see Marty and Francis wed forever.
"You think Michael's 'the one?'" he asked.
"I don't know," she admitted, not sure if she really believed in destiny or soul-mates or anything like that. "It's hard to tell when we haven't done the deed yet."
"Yet. Keep your spirits up," Marty advised.
"What's the next move I should make?" She had plenty of ideas, but she wanted to get a sex expert's opinion. And Marty was definitely an expert.
"Well . . . you can never go wrong with a porn fantasy."
She lit up enthusiastically. "That's so true," she agreed. "Okay, slutty schoolgirl or naughty nurse?"
"Hmm," Marty contemplated for a moment. "I was thinking of something a little more . . . slippery."
"Slippery?" She thought back to all the porn she had watched over the years. Mermaid? Lifeguard? What exactly was he hinting at?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Michael got the mail on his way back from class the next day and sorted through it as he rode up the elevator to his apartment. One envelope was from the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid. He opened it up, unfolded the letter inside, and was thrilled from the moment he read the first word. Congratulations. It went on to say that he had received a substantial upperclassman scholarship.
"Maria," he called, kicking the door shut with his foot. "I got a scholarship." He smiled when he read that he only had to keep a 2.5 GPA for it. Easy. "Maria?" He waited for her to come out and congratulate him, but she didn't seem to be home. He frowned. "Maria?" She was usually out of class by now.
He went into the bedroom and set his backpack down beside the bed and the mail down on the bed itself. As he did that, he noticed a note lying on the pillows. He picked up and recognized it as Maria's handwriting. Come out to the parking lot, it read. I have a surprise for you.
He wrinkled his forehead in confusion and set the note back down. It wasn't his birthday, or even his half birthday. What had he done to deserve a surprise?
Maybe it was something he hadn't done.
He rode the elevator back down to the first floor and walked outside. He couldn't have missed the surprise even if he'd tried. His mouth slowly fell open, and his footsteps fell to a standstill as he stared in astonishment at the sight that awaited him.
On top of his white, perfectly clean car lay his girlfriend. She was sprawled out on her stomach wearing a miniscule pink bikini and high-heels, and she had a sponge in her hand. The car was covered in soap and suds, and she was washing it off diligently.
Good God, he thought, unable to look away. It was pure seduction. She was trying to seduce him.
She wiped the sponge against the rearview window and squeezed to release the soap. Water trickled down the glass and disappeared into her cleavage. She slowly slid down the back of the car and hopped off, standing on her own two feet. She walked around to the driver's side, casting a sultry glance at him before working on washing the windows.
He shook his head, knowing quite well that this was just another increment of her plan to get him to give in and have sex. And it was a damn sexy increment, too. His car didn't even need washing.
Unfortunately, he wasn't the only spectator to her little show of sexuality. Two guys who were at least in their thirties stood at the edge of the parking lot, drinking beer and watching Maria unabashedly. "I don't know," the fatter, rounder one said. "I just looked out the window and there she was."
"Damn," the skinny one added. "If that's not real-life porn then I don't know what is."
Michael tensed nervously. His girlfriend wasn't porn. She definitely wasn't their porn. But she definitely looked good cleaning that car. He couldn't not be a horny man in the face of something so attractive.
She winked at him.
Michael moved to stand in front of the eager onlookers, blocking their view. But it didn't work. They stepped up on either side of him, and the fat guy asked, "Hey, you know that chick? Does she live here?"
"Maybe," Michael replied coldly.
"Damn," the skinny guy said again. "I'd put it to her good. Bend her right over the hood of that car and just . . ." He trailed off, and Michael noticed him reach down to adjust his pants.
Okay, that does it! he thought, marching forward in outrage. He was going to put a stop to this.
She held the sponge up over her chest and squeezed with both hands. Water cascaded down her breasts and stomach, and he just about lost his will. He froze in place and watched as she shook her wet hair from side to side, smiling at him. She knew exactly what she was doing.
"Hey, baby," she said.
"What're you doin'?" he asked, even though it was a stupid question. Wasn't it obvious?
"I'm just washing your automobile." She grinned and swayed towards him. When she was close enough, she pretended to accidentally swipe the sponge against his pants, squeezing water right onto his crotch region. "Oops, sorry," she apologized, trying to pat it dry with her hand.
He laughed and backed away, well aware of the fact that he now had an erection the size of Texas. "That's okay," he said, trying to conceal his elevated state with his hands. "So you just . . . decided to wash my car?"
"It was dirty," she said. "So was I."
He felt his cock twitch in anticipation. Dammit.
"How does it look?" she asked.
"Looks good," he replied. "Everyone thinks so."
"Yeah?" She glanced over his shoulder at the other two men watching her. "Good." Then she looked back over at the car and gasped. "Oh, I missed a spot." She leaned over the hood of the car and scrubbed. He doubted there was even a spot to scrub; she just wanted an excuse to put her body in a very suggestive position.
"I'm gonna go get a towel to dry it off," she announced, standing upright again. "It's so wet." She grinned seductively and handed him the sponge as she traipsed past him, past the fat guy and the skinny guy whose days had just been made a hell of a lot better, and back into the building.
He closed his eyes, utterly turned on, and squeezed all the remaining water out of the sponge.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I'm dying," Michael proclaimed dramatically.
Kyle stared out the window of his apartment in the direction of the parking lot. Maria was still drying off the car. "Yeah, you are," he agreed.
"No, seriously, I am dying," Michael emphasized.
"And I agreed with you. But if you ask me, watchin' your girlfriend evoke a tried and true male fantasy just to get a rise out of you . . . that's the best way to kick the bucket. I'll take that over dying in my sleep any day." Kyle chuckled, then turned serious and asked, "You think I can get Tess to wash my car?"
"Probably," Michael replied.
Kyle grinned and stepped back from the window. "I'm puttin' it on the to-do list." He sat down on his couch next to Michael and said, "Look, I don't get why you're so upset."
"No, I'm not upset. I'm dying, remember?"
"'Cause you just wanna . . . screw her?"
Michael made a face. "Well, it's gonna be more romantic than that."
"Do her? Sleep with her? Procreate?"
Michael rolled his eyes at his friend's crude euphemisms. "Make love to her."
"Oh, of course. Well, if you want to, and she obviously wants to, what's the problem? Is it the insecurity thing? You still doubting your bedroom prowess or what?"
"No, it's not even that anymore. I'm past that. Now I just wanna win," Michael explained.
"Win? Win what?"
"This-this whole thing. Maria's trying like hell to get me to give in, but I'm-I'm steadfast," he stammered determinedly.
Kyle chuckled and shook his head. "You're not steadfast."
"And people don't know this about me, but I like to win, because I'm very competitive." He heard the ridiculousness in his own statement-He wasn't competitive. He let Maria win board games all the time-but when Kyle gave him a doubting look, he chose to insist. "I am."
"Well, everyone likes to win," Kyle acknowledged, "but here's a thought: You can't win."
"Yes, I can," Michael kept on.
"You can't. Think about it. The only way you can win is to never have sex with Maria, and I don't think that's an option for you. So losing is the only option, and it's a beautiful option. You should lose, and you should lose graciously and thankfully."
Michael hated to admit it, but it was true. He was fighting a losing battle, and he was going to have to surrender eventually. "You're right," he said. "What am I thinking?" Clearly he wasn't thinking. For once. "I'm not gonna win. And while I'm sittin' here trying in vain to win, Maria's gonna seek other options. She's gonna . . . like the guy at the gym." He clenched his hands into fists and shook his head angrily as the fears began to escalate. "Or those guys outside. Or Billy the vibrator. Or Billy the person! Why didn't we have this conversation sooner?"
"'Cause I was busy developing my sex repertoire," Kyle proclaimed proudly, grinning from ear to ear. "Hey, better late than never, right? Just give in."
"That's exactly what I'm gonna do," Michael decided. "But I still want the time to be right. And, you know, romantic." He wasn't going to sacrifice that much.
"I am the master of romance," Kyle claimed, rubbing his hands together deviously.
"You were drunk your first time," Michael reminded him, unwilling to take any advice from his friend in the romance department.
Kyle nodded slowly. "Except for that."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Maria jabbered with Tess while the statistics professor wasted class time taking attendance. "I mean, I don't get it," she said. "Why isn't this working? I've pulled out all the stops. I have no more stops to pull out."
"Really?" Tess sounded surprised.
"No, I've got lots of stops. But none of 'em are gonna work. He's so stubborn."
"Don't worry," Tess assured her, busying herself filing her fingernails. "He can't keep it up forever."
"Oh, he can keep it up," Maria said, thinking of his lower anatomy. "He just doesn't stick it in when it is up."
"I was talking about his stubbornness."
"Oh. Well, I hope you're right. You're being so optimistic about this. It's creeping me out."
Tess smiled and stuck her nail filer back in her purse. "Call it the honeymoon effect."
"The--" Maria's eyes bulged. "You and Kyle got married?"
Tess laughed. "No, it's a metaphor honeymoon. You know when you're with someone at the beginning and the sex is all new and exciting, and every day feels like some crazy erotic adventure?"
Maria sighed longingly. "I faintly remember."
"It's the honeymoon effect."
"Interesting."
The professor cleared his throat as he moved down the attendance sheet and called, "Maria DeLuca?"
Her hand shot up in the air. "Here," she chirped before returning to her conversation with Tess. "You know, this could be serious, though. What if he's not having sex with me because he's doubting our relationship?"
"What does he have to doubt?"
"I don't know, whether I'm girlfriend material or just good times material?"
"You're over-reacting," Tess said. "He's so into you."
"So says the honeymooner."
"Tess Harding," the professor called.
Tess raised her hand. "Here."
"Just tell me," Maria went on, "if you were to walk up on an attractive, willing, available girl washing your car in a sexual manner, would you go for it?"
"Would I, or would the male version of me?"
"Male version."
Tess thought about it for a moment and replied, "Well, yeah, probably. But I'm not as cautious as Michael is."
"Neither am I. Opposites really do attract, huh?"
"Yeah," Tess agreed. "It's like . . . Kyle? Kinda nerdy. Me? Not so much."
"Don't be too sure about that," Maria muttered teasingly. "Kidding."
"Yeah, you'd better be." Tess's cell phone beeped, so she pulled it out of her pocket, flipped it open, pushed a few buttons, and gasped. "Oh my god!"
"What?" Maria asked.
"Kyle just sexted me."
"He sexted you? What?" Maria leaned to the right and peered over at Tess's cell phone. There was a picture of . . . "Ew, oh my god!" she shrieked, immediately looking away, covering her eyes. "Is that what I think it is?"
"Yep."
"Ew, I'm scarred for life." She shook her head in disgust. "You've really had sex with that?"
"Every night this week."
"Ew." Maria slowly lowered her hand from her eyes, and even though she didn't look over at the picture again, she couldn't help but ask, "Is he really that . . . wide?"
Tess grinned and nodded emphatically. "Uh-huh."
Maria shrugged. "Well, wonders never cease. He needs some serious man-scaping, though. And a lesson in romance."
"Well, maybe a little," Tess acknowledged.
"You know what you should do? Send that dick pic to, like, everyone you know. Someone will post it online eventually, and then Kyle will end up being internet porn." Maria chuckled inwardly at the thought. "I'll laugh my ass off."
"That's so mean!"
"That's so Kyle's luck."
"Uh, he's been very lucky lately," Tess pointed out. "Which is something you haven't been."
"That was a low blow."
"I wonder if you'll ever give Michael a low blow," Tess teased.
"Okay, I want my honeymooner back." Maria laughed, taking the teasing in stride.
"Liz Parker?" the professor said. "Liz Parker?" No one answered, of course. The professor moved on to the next person. "Frank Parlett?"
"Where is Liz anyway?" Tess asked Maria. "Not that I care."
"Oh, she's . . . gone," Maria replied.
"Gone?" Tess echoed. "Like dead?"
"God, no, nothing like that."
"Good, 'cause I was gonna say, even I wouldn't wish that on her."
"I think she feels dead, though," Maria said. "She left town 'cause things went to hell with Max. Who could've seen that coming, huh?"
Tess grunted. "Only everyone. Well, I don't feel bad for her. But if she left, it must've been pretty bad."
"Well, think of how you felt."
"Yeah. I was totally on the path of ruin for awhile there. Much alcohol," Tess acknowledged. "But having you and Kyle and Michael helps."
"Yeah. And I'm guessing Kyle helps most of all."
Tess blushed. "Yes, yes he does."
"Rex Ralston?" the professor called. "Rex Ralston?" Again, nobody answered. The professor threw his attendance sheet down, apparently fed up. "Alright, screw it," he muttered. "People choose not to show up? That's too bad, 'cause we're having a pop quiz."
Everyone groaned, and a few students froze in panic.
"I know, it's not fair," the professor said as he wrote several problems down on the whiteboard. "Blame your absentee classmates, not me."
"I think I'll blame him," Maria said. "This professor's a douche."
"Totally," Tess agreed. "God, this sucks. I've been too busy getting busy with Kyle to get busy with my books. I'm gonna fail."
"You can cheat off me," Maria told her.
"You actually know what you're doing?"
"Yeah. I haven't been getting busy, remember?"
"Take out a piece of paper, work the problems on the board," the professor instructed grumpily.
Tess tore a piece of lined paper out of her notebook and tore it in half, giving Maria the bottom half. "Thank God one of us studied this stuff. Your celibacy's a blessing in disguise," she said. "Glass half full, you know?"
"No," Maria said, looking over the pop quiz problems, "it's still half empty."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Maria and Michael lay on the couch that evening watching TV, spooning. Maria wasn't even sure what they were watching. Some movie. Her mind was on other things.
"Hey, so I saw that scholarship letter on the bed yesterday," she said during the commercial break. "I've been meaning to congratulate you."
"Thanks," he said.
"You have so many scholarships. Do you, like, get paid to go to college?"
He laughed a little. "Pretty much."
Maria rolled over onto her back so she could look at him and said, "I'm dating such a smarty-pants. Speaking of pants . . ." She trailed off, glancing downward.
"We should take ours off?" he filled in.
"God, my sexual innuendo's gotten that predictable, huh?"
"Nothing about you is predictable," he assured her, rubbing her back with his hands.
"That's sweet." She pressed a quick kiss to his lips and suggested, "Let's go swimming."
He frowned at the sudden idea. "What?"
"Sorry, I know that was random, but . . . we should go swimming." It was a way to get him half naked, so it was a wonderful idea as far as she was concerned.
"Where?" he asked.
"In the pool. You know, on the first floor back towards where the tennis courts are, there's a pool."
"I know that. I didn't think you knew that."
"I have lived here for awhile now," she reminded him. "Come on."
"Well, is it open?"
"To residents," she replied. "It's not like a public pool."
"It's nighttime. And January," he pointed out. "It's kinda cold for a swim."
"Indoor pool. Heated pool. Two hot swimmers." She grinned mischievously. "Come on, why not? It's not like we're doing anything better."
"We're watching a movie," he pointed out.
"I can already tell you how it's gonna end. The babysitter's gonna get killed and the wife's gonna forgive her husband. But then you flash forward a couple of years and he somehow meets the babysitter again, and it's this total cliffhanger ending. But there was no sequel 'cause the original bombed."
"It is kinda boring," he admitted. "I've never actually swum in that pool before."
"Swum," she echoed. "So grammatically correct. Well, I've never swum there, either. It'll be a first for both of us."
He stared at her for a moment, then nodded and agreed to the idea. "Okay. I'll go get changed."
"Me, too." She rolled off the couch and started towards the bedroom. "I'll wear my car-washing bikini."
Michael smiled. "Nice."
Once they had changed into their swimming suits and sandals, they went down to the first floor with towels in their hands. Maria opened the door to the pool and was glad to see that no one else was swimming. "Just the two of us," she remarked.
"Good."
"Good? What do you mean by that?"
Michael laughed nervously. "What do I-well, are there a lot of meanings? Good, it's-it's a simple word. Four letters, one syllable. It's just . . . it's a good word, is what it is."
She stood in front of him and ran her hands up his bare chest to wrap around his neck. "You're so cute when you're flustered," she said, kissing him lightly.
He placed his hands in the curve of her waist and asked, "So are we gonna get in the water?"
She trailed her hands back down his chest. He looked so good in his swim trunks. "Sooner or later," she said, stepping out of her sandals.
"How about sooner?"
"That sounds . . . good."
He chuckled. "Good."
She set her towel down by the edge of the pool and made her way over to the light-switch on the wall. She dimmed the lights until the pool was enveloped in a soft, romantic, candlelit glow. "Ambiance," she explained.
"I like it," he said, stepping out of his own sandals, setting his towel down beside hers. He sat down by the edge of the pool and was about to slide in when she stopped him.
"Wait," she said, grabbing his shoulders. "Wait a minute."
"What?"
"Stand up."
Confusedly, he rose to his feet.
"Close your eyes," she instructed, but he seemed reluctant. "Just do it."
After staring at her suspiciously for a moment, he gave in and shut his lids.
She reached into the left breast portion of her bikini top and pulled out an item she had smuggled along: a red bandana. She unfolded it and went to stand behind him, rising up on her tiptoes so that she could place the cloth over his eyes.
"Hey, what're you doin'?" he asked her.
"Blindfolding you," she replied as she tied it into place.
"Why?"
"So we can play." She rubbed his shoulders eagerly.
"Okay. Play what?" he inquired.
"Marco Polo," she replied, walking around in front of him again. She waved her arms around and twirled around and asked, "Can you see anything?"
"No."
Just to test that theory, she hooked her thumbs into the sides of her bikini bottom and pushed it down over her hips to the floor. "Anything at all?" she asked, stepping out of it.
"Nope."
She reached behind her back and untied the bikini top. "Nothing?" she asked, removing that as well.
"I've been stricken blind, Maria."
She laughed a little, believing him. If Michael could see any part of her naked, he would have a reaction. He always did. "Okay," she said, tossing both halves of her bikini into the water. They made a small, barely audible splash, but Michael heard it.
"What was that?" he asked.
"Nothing," she said, taking both of his hands in hers. "Come on, let's get in now." It was time to go skinny-dipping.
She led him into the water. It wasn't easy. He really couldn't see anything at all, so he was very unsure of his steps. They walked down the steps at the shallow end of the pool.
"I should've gotten in the water before you blindfolded me," he said. "This is dangerous. I could trip and fall and drown."
"I won't let you drown," she promised, letting go of his hands once the water came up to her bellybutton. "I'm a good swimmer." She slid back further in the water, trying her best to be quiet. She got to the deepest part of the pool. The water went up past her breasts but no higher than her shoulders. She dropped down beneath the water for a moment to wet her hair, then came back up and told him, "Start."
He just stood there for a moment, smiling, having absolutely no idea where either one of them was in the pool. "Marco," he finally said.
"Polo."
"Marco."
She swam to her left, trying not to disrupt the water too much. "Polo."
He slowly walked towards her voice, reaching out with his right hand to hold onto the edge. "This is a big pool," he commented. "We could be here forever."
That's okay, she thought, never taking her eyes off him. Her whole body was on fire for him, and even though she was in the water, that fire wasn't going out. If anything, it was burning brighter and hotter than ever.
"Maria?" he asked, stopping. She didn't say anything, so he laughed a little and tried again. "Marco?"
"Polo," she whispered playfully, swimming over to her left now. "Come get me, Polo."
"I want to," he assured her, turning slowly and heading in her general direction. He moved his arms through the water in circles, reaching out for her. While making one of those circles, his hand came into contact with her bikini top. (The bottom had floated off to the corner of the pool.) He just stood there for a moment, making a face of confusion and holding the clothing item in his hands. Then, slowly, he pushed the bandana up over his forehead and slid it off the back of his head, dumping it in the water. He slowly held up the bikini top, staring at it with his mouth slightly open before turning to look at her. She smiled softly at him, her naked body hidden beneath the water.
He didn't seem mad that she had tricked him a bit. Just a little bit. He gazed at her, and she saw that he was on fire, too. Her bottom lip quivered in anticipation, even though the water was warm.
He set the bikini top back down on top the water and gave her an almost challenging look. Then, much to her surprise, he reached beneath the water to push his swim trunks down. He stepped out of them and held them up for her to see. They dripped with water. He smirked and literally tossed them aside.
"Say Marco," she instructed, swimming backwards. "Michael."
He grinned and shot forward.
"Michael!" she exclaimed, swimming to her left to try to get away from him. "What happened to Marco Polo?" She laughed and swum as fast as she could, but she was at a disadvantage. He was taller than she was. He could run through the water, as well as anyone could run through water, that was. She splashed water at him, trying to keep him at a distance. Although she didn't really want him at a distance.
He sank beneath the water and stretched forward to grab her by the legs. He pulled her under momentarily, his hands coming up to circle around her midsection. Then he lifted them both above the water, and she gasped for air. "Dammit," she swore, angry with herself for not being quick and agile enough to escape his pursuit. But also thrilled.
Her breathing calmed and quieted as he held her back to his front. His one hand was sprawled out on her stomach, and he smoothed it lower, hovering just above her pleasure center. She spread her legs instinctively, but he didn't touch her yet.
She whimpered and turned around in his arms to face him. He slowly let go of her, and they both stood in the water, wet from head to toe, gazing at each other. "Michael," she said. "I'm ready."
He didn't break the eye contact for a long time. He didn't say anything, either, not out loud. But she understood by that look in his eyes that he was saying something: He was ready, too. They each moved forward and kissed, their mouths mating perfectly and shakily.
Maria deepened the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck, plastering her slick body against his. His arms encircled her waist once again, and she could feel his stiff member pressing against her abdomen. She smoothed one hand down his chest to his stomach, then moved it back up again to tangle in his wet hair with her other hand. His mouth worked wonders on her, kissing a path down her cheek and jaw to her neck. She arched her breasts up against him as he licked and sucked at her skin.
"Oh," she moaned, as one of his hands dropped down to cup her bottom and lift her up. The water made the maneuver fluid and easy. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and he held her up with one hand underneath her and one around her back. She closed her eyes and took in a shaky breath when she felt the head of his cock pressing against her core, demanding entrance.
He pressed feather-light kisses to her shoulder as he walked awkwardly towards the side of the pool. Maria felt her back come into contact with the cement wall. She groaned slightly and extended her arms out to the sides to grip the edge of the pool, helping to hold herself upright. She kept her legs wrapped around Michael and pulled him in closer. The coldness of the cement contrasted with the heat emanating from their bodies.
She leaned backward, thrusting her heaving breast outward, her breaths coming in ragged, excited pants. He bent forward and pressed sloppy kisses to her breasts, cupping and kneading each of the mounds in his hands before lowering his hand beneath the water to stroke her stomach. With his thumb, he drew small circles around her bellybutton, causing her stomach muscles to quiver.
She smiled dazedly and lowered herself in the water so that her folds could brush against his penis again. He closed his eyes and froze in place for a moment, then opened them again and gazed right at her. There was no uncertainty in his eyes, no fear or doubt. She couldn't look away. All she wanted was to be one person with him, because they always had been one person, to some extent. Two complete opposites who balanced each other out, took care of each other, needed each other. And they had this one very primal, beautiful desire in common.
He slid his hands down the outside her thighs to hook under her knees and pull her legs outward slightly. He moved in close to her and pressed his forehead against hers. She reached out and rested one hand directly over his heart. It was thudding in his chest as though it were going to explode.
He brought one hand beneath the water to take his own length in his hands and guide it towards her entrance. He rubbed it up and down the crease of her womanhood for a moment before suddenly pushing inward, penetrating her. She craned her neck backward and gasped nearly silently as her body made room for his.
They took a moment to adjust to the feel of it. Michael buried his face against her shoulder and breathed heavily on her skin while she gripped first at the edge of the pool, then at his slick shoulders, trying to keep herself upright. He enveloped her in his arms, and she fell forward, clinging to him desperately as he began to move within her. His pace was slow and steady at first. Their undulations created small, rhythmic ripples in the water around them.
Maria tightened her legs around him, and he tightened his arms around her. There was next to no space between their bodies. His thrusts became faster, and the ripples became tiny splashes. He sought out her lips with his and kissed her messily. Then he tore his mouth away and left his face close to hers. Whenever he thrust his hips upward, his whole body moved and his top lip touched her bottom lip.
"Uh!" she cried out, digging her hands into his back as his cock rubbed directly against her clitoris. Pleasure coursed through her every limb, her arms, her leg, her fingertips, her toes, the strands of her hair. She tossed her head back and let go as her orgasm swept through her, exploding in a crescendo that triggered Michael to have an orgasm of his own. He grunted and grimaced thankfully as he spent himself inside her. For a moment, both their bodies were tense, and then they both went limp, falling against each other in a heap. The water was still, and the only sounds were the sounds of their breathing.
He held them up for as long as he could until his legs started to wobble. She unhooked herself from him and slid down into the water to stand on her own two feet again, but she could barely manage that. She fell against him, utterly spent, and he stroked her wet hair.
TBC . . .
-April
