Road Games

by Vulgar Argot

(MF, rom, reluc, oral, anal)

 

This is a sequel to Double Dealing , but stands alone just fine too.

 

Sebastian calmly observed the second hand on his watch gliding around one last time. When it reached the twelve, indicating that it was eight twenty in the morning, he rose from the kitchen chair he was sitting in, took one last walk around the apartment. Carrying his alarm clock in one hand, he closed and locked the door behind him for the final time.

 

After he'd dropped his keys in the landlord's mail slot, he got in the van he'd borrowed from his brother and drove down the main strip of the Stryker University campus to the little cafe nestled up against the book store. Two weeks after graduation, the campus was more or less deserted except for the construction crews that seemed to pop up every time there was a break in classes. Idly, Sebastian wondered what new buildings were going up this time. He was sure it had been in the student newspaper. He just hadn't considered it very important at the time. He supposed it wasn't now either.

 

"Good morning, Sebastian," said the woman behind the counter. "You're here early today. Your regular order?"

 

"Just the coffee. And another coffee—same bean, three sugars, no milk."

 

"You got it. Big day today?"

 

Sebastian nodded, "Yup. This is my last day at Stryker. I'm driving down to Austin this week with...a friend.

 

" Texas ?" she asked as she made the coffee. Sebastian nodded. "No shit? What's down there?"

 

"A job, an apartment, a life."

 

She put the coffees on the counter and looked up at Sebastian, "Take me with you."

 

Sebastian laughed, "Why on Earth would you want that?"

 

She sighed, "I just finished sophomore year. I'm two long years away from any of that."

 

Sebastian laughed harder, "Don't rush it. It's over before you know. I haven't even left and I miss this place already."

 

"I suppose," she said, looking doubtful. "Well, good luck, Sebastian. Knock em dead in Austin ."

 

Sebastian's next stop was Adam Smith Hall. The work-study student working the front desk looked up from his textbook, "She didn't show up?"

 

Sebastian shook his head, smiling as he balanced the cardboard tray with two coffee cups on one hand, "Nope. You owe me twenty bucks, Case."

 

Case scowled, "Have a heart, man. I'm just a poor, lowly college student. You're a fancy CPA with your own office. You're taking food out of my mouth."

 

Sebastian showed no sympathy, "Don't bet if you're not ready to lose."

 

"Come on, man," wheedled Case. "I'm good for it."

 

"Case, you wouldn't be good for it if I were standing behind you all day, bugging you about it. Now, I'm supposed to believe you're going to pay me when I'm in Austin ?"

 

Case shrugged, feigning helplessness.

 

Sebastian shot his hand, palm up, over the desk, "Give me her key."

 

"What?"

 

"Give me her key and I'll call it even."

 

Case looked around the empty lobby, "Oh, man. I can't do that. I'd get in..."

 

"Give me the key or pay me the money."

 

"She'll..."

 

"Case..." growled Sebastian. "The key."

 

"Fine," said Case, throwing up his hands in exasperation. "But, if anyone finds out you've got it, I'm going to claim you stole it."

 

"Thanks, Case. You're a pal."

 

Still balancing the coffee, Sebastian listened at the door of Michelle's room for a minute before letting himself in. Michelle was visible only as a mop of kinky, black hair poking out from one end of a pile of blankets on her bed against the far wall.

 

Quietly, Sebastian carried the desk chair over to the side of her bed, sat down on it, and watched for a few minutes, sipping his coffee. The blankets rose and fell with her breathing.

 

After watching her for a minute, he announced, "You packed your alarm clock, didn't you?"

 

"Mmmmmphh..."

 

Michelle poked her head out of the blankets and gave Sebastian a bleary-eyed stare. "How did you get in here?" she asked groggily.

 

Sebastian shrugged, "You must have left the door unlocked last night."

 

"Ohhhh...what time is it?"

 

"Eight thirty," said Sebastian holding out a cup. "I brought you coffee."

 

"Why didn't you wake me sooner?"

 

"I wanted to give you a chance to show up."

 

Michelle levered herself up on one arm, taking the cup of coffee, "You should have known better. When have I ever been on time when it really mattered?"

 

"Hope springs eternal," offered Sebastian, taking another sip of his own coffee.

 

Michelle sat up and took a sip from the proffered cup. After a second sip, she seemed to notice that she was naked from the waist up and wrapped her towel around herself. It was an oddly modest gesture for Michelle, particularly considering that she'd spent two weeks after New Year's in a cabin with Sebastian rarely more than half-dressed.

 

Of course, her behavior had been odd ever since that break. The two of them had been friends since before high school and gone up to the cabin as part of two separate couples. The first night, all four of them had wound up in bed together. Somehow...and Sebastian was still not entirely clear on this point...their dates, Devon and Sakura, had left as a couple. Sebastian and Michelle had left as...well, Sebastian didn't know what to call them anymore.

 

"Grab me my robe, would ya?" Michelle asked.

 

Michelle laid her coffee on the windowsill, took the robe from Sebastian's hands, wrapped herself in it, and staggered to the suite's bathroom.

 

When she emerged, Sebastian asked, "What's all this stuff? I thought you were packed."

 

Michelle retrieved her coffee before answering, "Yeah. I am. I just need to bring my sweats, my blankets, and my phone."

 

"You're just leaving the rest of this stuff?"

 

She nodded, "Housing fines you forty bucks if they have to clean up after you once you leave. Cheapest maid service I ever got."

 

Sebastian shook his head, but couldn't fault her logic.

 

Michelle leaned close to him, raising one arm, "Do I need another shower? I had one last night."

 

Sebastian wrinkled his nose, "I can't tell. Your robe does, though. I could tell when I brought it to you."

 

Michelle sighed and shrugged out of one shoulder of her robe, keeping her breast covered, but nearly spilling her coffee. Obediently, Sebastian leaned in and smelled her.

 

"You should be all right until Roanoke ."

 

She nodded, "Good. We're already late because you didn't wake me up sooner."

 

Sebastian could see the twinkle in her eye and didn't rise to the bait. Instead, he said, "Drink your coffee and get dressed, then. I don't want to be driving much after dark."

 

"Baby," taunted Michelle as she downed the rest of her coffee. Holding her robe around herself, she said, "Hey, why don't you head out and wait in the lounge? I'll be there in ten. I promise."

 

Sebastian nodded at the dismissal, "All right."

 

True to her word, Michelle was out in the lounge, dressed for the road and carrying a few possessions wrapped in her blankets. She was wearing a pair of denim cut-off shorts and a sky-blue tank top with no bra. She hadn't put any make up on, but she didn't wear much anyway. Sebastian knew from past experience that she could apply it in the van in less than ten minutes while driving, but it would be ten minutes that could take ten years off his life. That was one of many reasons he'd offered to drive the first shift.

 

"So," she asked. "You ready to hit the road, Tonto?"

 

"I'm ready," said Sebastian. "But, we need to make one thing clear. You're Tonto. I'm Kemo Sabe."

 

"Ah, yes. Kemo Sabe--old Indian word that means 'horse's ass.'"

 

As they went through the lobby, Sebastian tossed the keys underhand to Case, "Thanks for the keys, buddy. That was a great idea."

 

Michelle looked from one of them to the other before glowering at the student at the desk. Sebastian saw her mouth the word, "dead man" at Case, who paled noticeably.

 

"He gave you my keys?" asked Michelle as they were climbing into the van.

 

Sebastian nodded, "Cost me twenty bucks, too."

 

"Damn," said Michelle. "I'm going to have to have a talk with that boy. I'm worth much more."

 

As Sebastian was pulling off campus, she added, "Did you know I almost slept with him?"

 

Sebastian shook his head, "I didn't know you ever almost slept with anyone."

 

Michelle nodded, "Normally, it's not my policy, but he passed out before it went very far."

 

Sebastian gave her a reproving glance, "Michelle, what did I tell you about taking advantage of drunk little boys?"

 

Michelle shrugged, "None of them have ever complained."

 

"Corey flipped out," Sebastian reminded her.

 

"Yeah, but Corey was a girl," pointed out Michelle. "And she thought she was straight."

 

"She wasn't?"

 

Michelle shook her head, "You remember my belief on this matter."

 

Sebastian nodded, "Alcohol is an excuse, not a motivator. Nobody ever does anything drunk that they don't want to do sober."

 

"No," said Michelle, staring out the window, "I suppose they don't."

 

                            -=-

 

It was the first road trip Sebastian and Michelle were taking together since that Christmas. Usually, they drove to and from their parents' houses in Michigan together several times a year. This year, Sebastian had been looking forward to getting a chance to talk to Michelle alone for a couple of days when they drove home for spring break. At the last minute, Michelle had elected not to go, instead heading to New York City for a pool tournament.

 

Since then, Sebastian had noticed Michelle establishing a certain distance between them. No one around them would have noticed it. In a lot of ways, they were still closer than most romantically-linked couples they knew. But, any time the subject of their relationship came up, she became distant and changed the subject.

 

It wasn't even that Sebastian wanted a romantic relationship and she didn't. He wasn't sure what the hell he wanted and needed the counsel of his best friend on the matter.

 

Sebastian was able to put away his worry about any awkwardness by lunch time. Michelle provided a running commentary that started shortly after leaving campus and made the hours seem not so long.

 

They stopped at a Perkins in Pennsylvania . The hostess smiled warmly at them, "Welcome to Perkins. Smoking or non?"

 

Michelle's eyes widened like an eight year-old finally seeing Disneyland, "Oooh. Smoking, please."

 

After they'd sat down with their menus and ordered coffee, she leaned in conspiratorially, "Sebastian, we can smoke in here. Let's move to Pennsylvania and stay forever."

 

Sebastian raised an eyebrow, "Should we become Amish, too?"

 

Michelle nodded, "As long as I get to be your prettiest wife. The rest of them have to be ugly or fat or, if you really want to make me happy, both."

 

Sebastian laughed, "You're thinking of Mormons. The Amish don't practice polygamy."

 

Michelle's brow furrowed, "Oh, right. What do the Amish practice, then?"

 

"Barn raisings, butter churning, no electricity," said Sebastian. "No cars. No card playing. No swearing. No alcohol. No..."

 

Michelle raised her hands, "Okay. Let's not be Amish. Where are the Mormons from?"

 

" Utah ," said Sebastian.

 

"Can you smoke in restaurants there?"

 

Sebastian shook his head, "I don't know definitively. But, I would suspect not."

 

Michelle threw her arm up and pressed the back of her wrist to her forehead in a passable imitation of a swooning belle and batted her eyelashes, "Oh, Sebastian. Why must we live in a world that will never understand us?"

 

Sebastian split open his creamer, "It's because we keep giving the world mixed signals. What's the world to think?"

 

"Hah!" said Michelle. "That just ties into my theory that the world is a man."

 

"Right," said Sebastian. "Warm and sunny one day, then freezing your balls off later for no reason other than cyclical change. That's not a female characteristic."

 

Michelle laughed and took a drag on her cigarette while staring off at nothing in particular.

 

"So," asked Sebastian. "Are you looking forward to this conference?"

 

"Let's see," said Michelle, extracting a cigarette from her pack. "A 'Women in Writing' conference held in Texas at the beginning of July. I get to spend a week sweating while academia rails against everything I write about. Then, after all the impressionable, young things who actually pay money for this crap have been fed propaganda for one hundred and twenty hours straight, I get to panel on women's sexuality, which is a code word for man-bashing and the wonders of sapphism, with a bunch of self-righteous cunts that I wouldn't fuck if I had a dick."

 

Sebastian nodded, "I think we're definitely going to have to work on that language if you're serious about becoming Amish."

 

Michelle struck a match, watching it burn for a moment before lighting another cigarette, "I think I'm going to have to give the Amish thing a pass. They probably wouldn't let me play pool, either." She took a long drag. "Now, that's what I'm looking forward to. This tournament is a big one--ten kay top prize."

 

Sebastian chuckled. He couldn't help himself.

 

"What?"

 

"Sorry," said Sebastian. "I was just thinking that ten kay is the entry fee in most big poker tournaments."

 

"Yeah," said Michelle. "That's only because poker players are dumb enough to put the prize money up themselves. All I have to bring is my skills and my beautiful self."

 

"Well, at least you've got both in spades."

 

Sebastian had said it casually, but Michelle lowered her head and seemed to take a moment to compose herself. Sebastian gave her a questioning look, which she ignored.

 

"So, looking forward to your new job?" she asked.

 

"I suppose," said Sebastian. "It will do for a few years while I decide whether to go back for my MBA or start my own business."

 

Michelle took a drag from her cigarette, "I still think you should stay at Stryker and get your MBA. Once you get out into the real world..."

 

"I know," said Sebastian. "a wife and a passel of kids keeping me chained to my job. But, I really don't think that's going to happen."

 

"I don't know," said Michelle doubtfully. "All those corn-fed Texas girls, smitten with your sophisticated New York wit and flair..."

 

Sebastian laughed, "Nah. They'll see through that ruse in a second and know me for the simple, Michigan farmboy that I really am." He picked up Michelle's pack of cigarettes, stroking it absentmindedly. "Besides, my heart already belongs to you."

 

Michelle scowled, "Sebastian, I'm trying to be serious here."

 

For a moment, Sebastian considered pressing his case, but decided it wasn't the right time. Instead, he said, "First time for everything, I suppose. What's on your mind, Belle?"

 

It was an old nickname, one Michelle had chosen for herself in high school. Sebastian hadn't used it in years, but it felt appropriate right now and brought a smile to her lips. She took another drag of her cigarette before speaking, "I've got to start making plans. Theoretically, I could graduate this year. But, I would have to work my ass off. I took too many electives these last few years."

 

The waitress brought their coffee. Sebastian took the opportunity to meticulously prepare his coffee while he weighed his next words carefully. Michelle watched him for a moment, then turned to her own coffee.

 

"I don't plan on staying at Proffet and Horton for more than a few years," he said. "I just feel like I've been going to school my whole life and it's time to do something real before I do any more."

 

Michelle took a sip of her coffee, "Would you consider coming back to Stryker for your MBA?"

 

Sebastian shrugged, "It's hard to say. They're still building their MBA program. But, in a few years, it could be amazing. Considering how quickly they built up their undergrad stuff, I wouldn't be surprised. Why?"

 

"Well," said Michelle. "If I take forty-five credits over the next two semesters in my major and core, I can graduate at the end of the year. Or, I can take my time and do it over two years. I could even go overseas for a year and graduate on the seven-year plan."

 

"Well," asked Sebastian, drawing out the word, "what do you want to do?"

 

Michelle's shrug was expansive, "I really don't know. I want to pick a novel and finish it. The longer I stay in college, the more chance I have of doing that. I just always assumed I'd go to grad school after this. But..."

 

She stirred her coffee thoughtfully, staring into the cup as if seeking answers there, "I think it's like you said. I'm twenty-one. I've been in school my whole life. What in the hell am I going to write about when I haven't done anything?"

 

"Now, that's not fair," said Sebastian. "You've probably done more with your life than most people twice your age."

 

Michelle ran a hand through the tangle of curls on top of her head. She looked like she was going to say something, but the waitress reappeared to take their orders.

 

"So," asked Sebastian after they had ordered. "how do my plans come into this?"

 

Michelle took one last drag of her cigarette, then mashed it out against the bottom of the ashtray. Sebastian started to wonder if she'd heard the question, but she finally said, "You're really going to Austin , aren't you?"

 

Sebastian laughed, "You thought I was bluffing?"

 

"Maybe," admitted Michelle. "It didn't really hit me until somewhere around Newark ."

 

Sebastian was incredulous, but bit back his first response. Instead, he said, "I'm really going to Austin ."

 

"It's going to be weird, going to school without you."

 

"You did it before."

 

"Sure," said Michelle. "Kindergarten to sixth grade. The pressures were a little different."

 

"When did you ever let the pressure get to you?"

 

"Never," said Michelle. "I dumped it on you, instead. Now, who am I going to dump it on?"

 

Sebastian drained his mug, "I hear they have phones in Austin ."

 

"Yeah, but you'll be too busy balancing your debits and...stuff."

 

"Credits," said Sebastian. "Michelle, it's just a job. I'm not going to give up on my best friend because of it."

 

Michelle stared into her coffee and didn't answer. When she spoke again, it was to change the subject.

 

                                     -=-

 

By the time they pulled into the parking lot of the Days' Inn in Roanoke , it was later than they expected and already quite dark.

 

After lunch, Michelle had climbed into the back of the van, rearranged some pillows and blankets, and fallen asleep. She'd woken up briefly to tell Sebastian to pull off at the next available bathroom. After the rest stop, she'd climbed in the back again and gone back to sleep.

 

Sebastian left her there, wondering how much sleep she could have possibly gotten the night before to be so sleepy today. He was checking them in when Michelle wandered into the lobby, scratching her head and looking sleep-addled.

 

The security guard eyed her suspiciously. When Sebastian waved her over, the security guard eyed him suspiciously, too. Sebastian had to admit to himself that she did look a bit disreputable just now.

 

Their room turned out to be as far away from the front desk as it was possible to be and still be in the motel. As Sebastian looked around, Michelle expressed his sentiments in exquisite detail.

 

"Wow. What a shithole."

 

"Yeah," said Sebastian. "Remind me not to book a room based solely on price again."

 

Michelle picked up the hotel phone, "Phone's dead."

 

"Shit," said Sebastian. "Let me head back to the front desk. I'll get us..."

 

"Did you find any place to eat around here that's still open? I imagine things close pretty early."

 

Sebastian nodded, "The desk clerk mentioned a place called the Coach and Four. If we want to get there, we'd better hurry. We've got less than an hour before the kitchen closes."

 

Michelle wrinkled her nose, "Get in the shower. I'll get our stuff out of the van."

 

Sebastian did as he was told, glad to feel the hot water sluicing off the day's grit and grime from his skin. When the door to the bathroom opened a few minutes later, he held his breath, thinking Michelle was about to join him, but he could see through the crack between the wall and the shower curtain that, after a momentary glance, she hung his robe on the back of the bathroom door and left.

 

Sebastian showered and dressed quickly, knowing he would probably have to hurry Michelle if they were going to eat anywhere that they didn't have to unwrap their food.

 

Surprisingly, he heard the shower stop after a few minutes. Then, only a few minutes later, Michelle's head emerged from the bathroom door.

 

"Give me your robe," she said.

 

"What?"

 

"Give me your robe," Michelle repeated. "Mine needs to be burned or something."

 

Sebastian retrieved the garment in question, "Mine's not exactly springtime fresh, either."

 

"It's got to be better than mine."

 

Sebastian couldn't argue with that point. He handed the robe over. A few second later, Michelle emerged, wrapped in the oversized garment and trying not to trip over the trailing hem. Sebastian watched as she contorted herself on one of the beds, managing to get into her undergarments without exposing any unusually prurient flesh. Next, she slid on a midnight blue velvet skirt, letting the robe drop as she wriggled into it.

 

The modesty of the moment was somewhat ruined as Michelle spent the next few minutes rifling through her luggage looking for a starched white peasant blouse, then pulled down her skirt to tuck it in.

 

"Let's go," she said. "I'm starving."

 

They got to the Coach and Four with about twenty minutes to spare. The place turned out to be surprisingly upscale and ambient. Red tablecloths, soft overhead lights, and candles would have made it clear that this was a place ideal for romantic rendezvous, even if there hadn't been three or four couples rapt in each others' company dotting the room.

 

"Y'all take your time," said the waitress. "I'll let the cook know not to shut things down."

 

Sebastian did a double-take when he opened the menu. The two of them were going to eat for less money than either one would have paid for a single meal in New York .

 

"My treat?" he offered.

 

Michelle gave him an odd look, "That relocation bonus burning a hole in your pocket?"

 

Sebastian laughed, "That relocation bonus ran out before we ever left SU. I'm spending my graduation gift now."

 

Michelle shrugged, "Far be it from me to turn down a free meal." Even though she was trying to act nonchalant, her broad smile reached her eyes. Sebastian knew that she was pleased.

 

Dinner turned out to be as delicious as anything Sebastian had eaten for twice the price. Michelle took the opportunity to comment, too.

 

By the end of dinner, they were speaking barely above a whisper, just loud enough for their voices to carry to each other's ears. Sebastian could see by the looks that were directed their way that everyone just assumed they were a couple of young lovers, as if life were always that simple.

 

Whatever they were, they walked nearly arm-in-arm back to the van. Sebastian wanted to interpret the look in Michelle's eyes as love, but he'd been burned by that look too many times before. Still, he couldn't resist reaching over and tucking one of many errant curls behind her ear. Michelle lowered her head and, if he didn't know, Sebastian would have said that she blushed.

 

"Tired?" she asked.

 

Sebastian shook his head, but his body chose that moment to yawn. Still, he tried to deny his exhaustion, "Just a little bit weary from the road. I'll probably toss and turn all night."

 

"Sorry I didn't take my turn driving," said Michelle. "I stayed up late practicing for the tournament."

 

"It's all right," said Sebastian. "I missed the company more than I minded the driving."

 

"I'll drive all day tomorrow if you like," offered Michelle.

 

Sebastian shook his head, "Not necessary."

 

"How's your back after all that driving?"

 

Sebastian's back wasn't bothering him, but he wasn't about to turn down such an obvious opening, "A little bit sore."

 

Michelle gave him a crooked half-smile, "Get ready for bed. I'll rub it for you. It's the least I can do."

 

So, after manhandling the mattress on one bed until it was properly seated on top of the box spring and remaking the other bed to his satisfaction, Sebastian pulled on a pair of sweat pants, leaving himself bare from the waist up, peeled back the sheets, and lay down on his belly.

 

He wanted to roll over and take Michelle in his arms so badly that the longing tasted like tarnished copper in his mouth. But, even as he felt her straddle him at the waist, he knew that he wouldn't last. Long hours and good food conspired to make him immediately drowsy. He didn't know if he was going to have a shot during this trip, but he knew he wasn't going to get more than one and didn't want to waste it by falling asleep after he'd coaxed her into bed.

 

As Michelle's hands worked their way down his back, Sebastian made appreciative, subvocal sounds. He was just awake enough to discover that he had been holding a lot of tension in his back that he didn't even recognize until it was released.

 

Still struggling against sleep, he tried to say Michelle's name. It came out as just another sound, though. Then, he was asleep.

 

                                     -=-

 

When he woke, Sebastian noticed the TV on, the sound turned way down so that he could barely hear it. Michelle sat up in the room's only armchair, dressed in a long t-shirt and bathed in a single circle of light, writing furiously on a legal pad.

 

Sebastian looked at the clock. It read "2:09."

 

"Should get some sleep," he murmured, finally rolling over onto his back.

 

"Soon," said Michelle. "I just wanted to get something down that I think will work in my novel."

 

Sebastian smiled groggily, "Which one?" But, if she answered, he was already asleep again before he could hear it.

 

                                     -=-

 

Sebastian woke again, the TV still a low drone in the background. Michelle still sat in the chair, her head back, pad and pen at her feet, snoring gently.

 

"Michelle," he said quietly. When she didn't stir, he repeated it, more loudly.

 

Michelle looked up, "Whu?"

 

"If you sleep in that chair all night, I'll have to carry you to the van tomorrow morning."

 

She shook her head, "Not really sleeping. Every time the wind blows, it sounds like someone's trying to break in and I wake up."

 

Sebastian, already fading back to sleep, patted the empty spot next to him, "Come back to bed. I'll protect you."

 

Michelle nodded sleepily, standing up, walking around the bed, turning off the TV on the way, and crawling in next to Sebastian, sliding backwards until her whole body pressed back against him. Sebastian wrapped one arm around her waist, holding her close, his head nuzzling up against her neck.

 

Michelle made a noise that seemed neither positive or negative, just an acknowledgement that she was still awake. Sebastian gently kissed the back of her neck once before falling back asleep.

 

                                     -=-

 

The next time Sebastian woke, the sun was beaming brightly into their window. At first, Sebastian drowsed lazily. But, as soon as he realized where he was and who he was holding, he woke up all at once. Michelle didn't stir. In the night, one or both of them had kicked the blankets off. Michelle's t-shirt had ridden up enough to let Sebastian clearly see the sun shining through the thin thatch of hair she had trimmed down to below the waist.

 

For a long moment, he was too surprised to move. It took him a few crucial seconds to remember how they had wound up in bed together and, even then, he was a little hazy on the details.

 

Before he could decide what to do, the alarm sounded. Michelle reached out, hit the snooze alarm, then sat up and stretched. She arched her back so far that the shirt rose above her ribs. It wasn't until she stopped stretching that she looking at Sebastian and, with a meaningful look, tugged the bottom edge of her shirt to anywhere approximating decency. Then, she stood up, padding across the room, and disappeared into the bathroom.

 

She emerged, brushing her teeth and holding a mug of water in her hand, "If you need to get in there, hurry."

 

Sebastian bolted, knowing that Michelle got impatient about shared bathrooms fairly quickly. When he emerged, Michelle was just closing the front door.

 

She smiled at him, "Even here, I suspect it would be frowned on if I spit toothpaste on the carpet. Do you want the first shower?"

 

Sebastian nodded. He wanted to get on the road. And, whatever amorous thoughts he may have woken up with, seeing his surroundings in the cold light of day had killed them anyway.

 

                                     -=-

                                    

"I want a picture," said Sebastian.

 

Dusk was approaching and they had just pulled into the parking lot of a Cracker Barrel in Christiansburg. Michelle looked at him suspiciously, "Of what?"

 

"Of us, outside of a Cracker Barrel, in Christiansburg, VA. "

 

Michelle grinned, "We'd better get it quick before the townsfolk show up with pitchfork and torches to drive us out."

 

Sebastian took a picture of Michelle in one of the rocking chairs on the porch, then handed the camera to Michelle, who got a picture of him in the same pose. Then, she turned to a woman coming out, "Excuse me, Miss? Could you take our picture, please?"

 

The woman took the camera. Michelle explained the vagaries of the particular model.

 

"All right," said the woman. "Why don't y'all sit on the swing over there? Now, get a little closer together. He don't look like he's going to bite. All right. Smile." A flash erupted, blinding them momentarily. "Now, one more."

 

"Thanks so much," said Michelle, taking the camera back.

 

"Pay it no mind," said the woman. "Are you two newlyweds?"

 

"Oh, no," said Michelle, waving her hand. "We're practically an old, married couple."

 

"Well, y'all sure look like you're still newlyweds."

 

Michelle's smile was pure mischief as she handed the camera back to Sebastian.

 

                                     -=-

 

On the road again, Sebastian decided that it was finally the right time to bring up what had been on his mind more or less constantly since January.

 

Finding the whole subject too enormous to bring up at once, he decided to tackle it at the edges, "Michelle, I want to talk about what happened last night."

 

Michelle gave an involuntary half-shake of her head, but when she spoke, it was teasingly, "Don't worry, sweetie. I didn't take advantage of you while you slept."

 

Sebastian sighed, "I'm serious."

 

"So am I," snapped Michelle. "Nothing happened. I was half asleep. You said 'come back to bed,' I did it without thinking."

 

"Had I known that would work, I wouldn't have just said, 'come back to bed.'"

 

"I thought you wanted to be serious."

 

"Sorry," said Sebastian. "But, I am serious. I've been trying to talk to you about this since winter."

 

Michelle shook her head, "We shouldn't talk about it. It's not a good idea."

 

Sebastian didn't speak as a few more miles ticked away. Michelle took the opportunity to light a cigarette. Finally, Sebastian said, "We have to talk about it."

 

"Somehow, I knew that."

 

"Listen," he said. "What happened this winter..."

 

"Was great," Michelle broke in. She paused, then went on, "It was amazing--the happiest I've been in a really long time."

 

Sebastian thought she was going to say more, but Michelle seemed content to smoke and stare out of the windshield.

 

"So?" he asked.

 

"It was great because we all knew it couldn't last," said Michelle. "We were isolated from the world. It never would have worked anywhere but there. We all knew we were going back to college in a couple of weeks and everything would go back to normal."

 

"I didn't know that," said Sebastian emphatically. "And, it hardly went back to normal. Somehow, Sakura and Devon wound up together and I wound up single."

 

Michelle took a long drag on her cigarette, blowing smoke out of her nose, "I wound up single too, don't forget."

 

"Yeah?" asked Sebastian. "How long did that last?"

 

"You tell me," said Michelle.

 

Sebastian considered the question, "I don't know. You stopped telling me about who you were seeing after that."

 

Michelle didn't answer. She just lowered her head and shook it silently.

 

Sebastian decided to try again, "Michelle..."

 

"Sebastian, please let's not talk about it."

 

Sebastian looked at her. The supplication had been plain in her voice. It was in her face, too.

 

"All right. Not today."

 

Michelle shook her head again, "Not ever, Sebastian. No good can come of it. We went almost ten years without talking about it."

 

Sebastian kept his eyes on the road, "I'm moving to Texas ."

 

"I know," Michelle said, sounding irritated. "Like there aren't any goddamned accounting firms in New York ."

 

Sebastian couldn't keep the bitterness out of his laugh, "What was I supposed to do, Belle? Hang around forever, waiting for you to decide that it was my turn? Every time I try to talk to you about it, you clam up."

 

"Talking about it is a bad idea," said Michelle tonelessly.

 

"Fine," said Sebastian. "So, we won't talk about it. We'll drive down to Austin . You'll go to your conference. I'll put you on a plane. End of story."

 

Even as he said the words, he regretted them. Michelle's face was ashen. Despite the fact that there was no discernable expression on her features, she looked miserable.

 

The next ten minutes went by in stony silence. They seemed to stretch out forever.

 

"Pull over at the next rest stop," said Michelle. "I need to use the bathroom. And, it's about time that I took my turn at driving."

 

"All right," said Sebastian. "I'd really appreciate a chance to stretch my legs, too."

 

Sebastian hadn't even killed the ignition before Michelle was out the door, trotting across the parking lot to the rest stop.

 

Sebastian, despite his stated intentions, sat alone in the van for a long time. He felt numb and empty. Now that Michelle was gone, he felt himself shaking, adrenaline built up for a confrontation coursing through him with nowhere to go.

 

Finally, he reached over, picked up Michelle's pack of cigarettes, extracted one, lit it, and strode away from the van, angling away from the rest stop, each step bringing him closer to the interstate.

 

He let his feet carry him forward until he was standing on the concrete divider between the off-ramp and the parking lot. He stood and smoked and tried to get his thoughts together.

 

Unfortunately, the only thought he could come up with was that he had to pee.

 

Finishing the cigarette, he flicked it away in a gesture of annoyance, and strode back to the rest stop.

 

On his way out of the bathroom, he caught Michelle's unmistakable mass of black curls heading towards the wrong exit, the one facing towards the picnic area instead of the parking lot.

 

Sebastian followed her out, but didn't see her out back. Deciding that she must have gotten disoriented and gone around the building, Sebastian followed the path around the side.

 

His longer strides brought him out in front of the rest stop a half-dozen steps before Michelle coming the other way.

 

"Sorry I took so long," she said. "I wanted a cigarette."

 

Sebastian just nodded and held out his hand, "Your keys, madam."

 

Michelle gave a half-bow, "Thank you, sir."

 

Sebastian fell in behind her and followed her back to the van.

 

Two things didn't sit right with him. He supposed that Michelle could have another pack of cigarettes in her purse. And, she could have gone out to smoke before going in to use the bathroom. But, that was two improbabilities on top of each other.

 

As she started up the van, Sebastian watched Michelle very closely while appearing to stare out the windshield.

 

"So," said Michelle. "It looks like we're about a half hour ahead of schedule."

 

Sebastian nodded, "I hear there's usually traffic around Knoxville , though."

 

Michelle turned her face away from him to adjust her rear-view mirror. Sebastian noticed that she had re-applied her make-up.

 

Not wanting to jump to any conclusions, Sebastian asked quietly, "Can you see out of this side mirror? It's a little bit tricky."

 

Michelle looked over, "Could you pull it a little towards the left?"

 

Sebastian rolled down his window and deliberately pushed the mirror to the right.

 

"The other left," Michelle said.

 

Sebastian pushed it back towards the left, but tilted it down a little as he did.

 

"Hang on," said Michelle, unbuckling her seatbelt. "Hold the wheel."

 

Sebastian did as he was asked. Michelle snaked across him, mashing her breasts into his shoulder as she arranged the mirror. Sebastian scarcely noticed. He was focused on something else.

 

Michelle had been crying. Both the edges of her eyes and the inside of her nostrils were red from it.

 

She'd done a masterful job of covering it with make up. Sebastian would never have noticed if he weren't up close and looking for it.

 

After Michelle had taken the wheel back, Sebastian reached into the space between them and extracted his cell phone, "I'm going to call ahead to Nashville ."

 

"Why?" asked Michelle.

 

Sebastian started pressing buttons, "I can't take another night in a place like where we slept last night."

 

Michelle nodded, "No complaints here."

 

Sebastian decided to take the opportunity to use his new phone's web browser. It was so slow that it gave him time to think.

 

Why would Michelle be crying? It may be a traditionally female response to conflict, but totally uncharacteristic of Michelle. She thrived on conflict and chaos. So, why had she been crying and why didn't she want to talk about their relationship.

 

Sebastian had a few theories, but he wasn't about to guess on something so important.

 

Just thinking about it was making him tired. A part of him wanted to just give up. But, he had a feeling that, if he didn't keep pressing his case, he'd be playing "what-if" for the rest of his life.

 

Eventually, he figured out what he was looking for, called the new hotel, and made reservations. He didn't react outwardly when he heard the price for two nights, but inside, he was calculating. If he was going to try anything, it would have to be in Nashville or wait until some of his stuff was unpacked in Austin . His budget was stretched thin enough that even this one unexpected expense had him thinking about the bottom line.

 

He wasn't even sure why he was doing it. He'd decided to get a better room than the cheap motel he'd reserved in advance, but only decided at the last minute to go for something really upscale. He didn't know why yet. He only knew that, when an instinct hit that hard, he'd never been led astray by following it and figuring out the logic behind it later.

 

"All set?" asked Michelle.

 

Sebastian nodded, "I figured we should stay some place nice for the next couple of nights. I'll see about Little Rock before we get there."

 

"Not going too deep into that graduation gift, are you?"

 

Sebastian shook his head, "Not as long as I start drawing a paycheck some time before September first."

 

                                  -=-

                                 

By the time they pulled into Nashville , conversation had gone back to almost normal. Sebastian could still sense that Michelle's part of it was somewhat strained, but he doubted it would be obvious to anyone but the two of them.

 

They had some trouble finding the hotel. Michelle navigated downtown Nashville while Sebastian stayed on the phone with the hotel staff and got them directed in.

 

"This place?" asked Michelle doubtfully as they came up on the parking lot.

 

Sebastian nodded, "Yup. This is the place."

 

She pulled into the parking lot, "Definitely a step up from the Days Inn...at least on the outside."

 

"Cristoph mentioned this place," said Sebastian. "He and Jessica stayed here for his cousin's wedding."

 

"So, this is where he proposed?"

 

Sebastian shook his head, "I think he said they were at dinner when he proposed."

 

Michelle laughed, "Is that the official story?"

 

Sebastian looked at her, "Do you know something I don't know?"

 

"The way Jessica tells it, she had no intention of getting married, but he asked...well, it's a long story. Let's get checked in." Michelle's smirk seemed to take up her whole face.

 

Sebastian went to the front desk and checked them in while Michelle wandered around the lobby, examining it. When Sebastian came over to hand her a key card, she pointed his attention to a plaque over the fire place, then added, "There used to be a high school on this spot."

 

Sebastian chuckled, "A Catholic high school, apparently."

 

"Do you think they kept any of the uniforms?" asked Michelle. "I feel like I missed out on something by going to public school."

 

"I'll ask if you like," said Sebastian. "That would certainly be a sight worth seeing."

 

Michelle gave him a coy smile that lasted only a fraction of a second, then turned back towards the front door and headed to the van.

 

As Sebastian helped her unload the luggage they would need for the two days they were staying in Nashville , he tried to put anything he knew about the situation with Michelle into order. The problem wasn't that she wasn't giving him any feedback. Instead, she was overwhelming him with mixed signals.

 

For one thing, Michelle definitely seemed to be flirting with him. Michelle flirted with everyone as a matter of form. But, with Sebastian, it seemed to be cyclical. Since January, she'd seemingly stopped all together. Then, during this road trip, she'd started again.

 

Specifically, she'd started yesterday at lunch. She was even joking about getting married, something Sebastian had never heard her do.

 

She'd said earlier that she realized Sebastian was really moving to Texas around Newark . They'd stopped for lunch shortly after.

 

If that was the catalyst, what was she after? One last moment of validation that Sebastian wanted her? A proposal?

 

Both ideas seemed ridiculous, so Sebastian put them aside. There were too many other questions that needed to be answered. Why was she talking about going to graduate school together? Was she seriously planning to extend her undergraduate career by a year or two to wait for him? That seemed like a pretty extreme decision to make for the sake of a platonic friend, even one as close as he and Michelle were.

 

Why had she been crying today? And, why had she lied to cover it up?

 

Sebastian had barely arranged the questions in his head when they got to the room.

 

"Wow," said Michelle. "Definitely better than the Days Inn."

 

Sebastian looked around the suite he'd secured. It was more like an apartment than a hotel room, complete with a living room, kitchenette, separate bedroom and extended balcony.

 

"Nice place," he said evenly.

 

"What are you paying for this?" Michelle asked.

 

Sebastian waved the question away, "Don't worry about it. I didn't feel like I could risk another dump, so I decided to err on the side of caution."

 

Michelle nodded, "Yes. I can see how cautious you were being."

 

There was a clear tone of mockery in her voice, but Sebastian didn't know what he was being mocked for.

 

"Are you feeling up to having dinner with Sarita and Fischer?"

 

Michelle glanced at her watch, "As long as they don't mind waiting until....like, ten. I'd like to crash for a couple of hours."

 

"Ten by your watch or ten local time?"

 

Michelle glanced at her watch again, then the clock on the wall, "Ten by my watch."

 

Sebastian nodded, "Shouldn't be a problem."

 

Michelle nodded and wandered into the bedroom. With each step, Sebastian witnessed an odd transformation. She seemed to get more tired with each step, as if she'd been maintaining an artificially high energy level and was losing the ability to do so.

 

Sebastian sat down and called Sarita. Sure, she and Fischer would love to have dinner if they were up to it. It would be great to see them. She'd take care of getting reservations.

 

After that, he's spent a few minutes catching up with Sarita. She'd been in high school with both him and Michelle. She'd gone to Vanderbilt and gotten married in her sophomore year.

 

"So," she said. "I hear you and Michelle are finally a couple."

 

"What? No," said Sebastian. "Where did you hear that?"

 

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Sarita. "I must have misunderstood..."

 

"Sarita, where did you hear that?" Sebastian lowered his voice so that it wouldn't carry to the bedroom.

 

Sarita paused for a moment, like she wasn't going to answer, but then said, "Michelle did. She called me after you two got back from winter break."

 

"She told you we were a couple?"

 

"Well," said Sarita. "She told me you two slept together. She sounded really happy about it. I just thought..."

 

"It's been kind of complicated since then," said Sebastian.

 

"I'm so sorry," said Sarita. "I always thought you two would be great together."

 

"Me too," said Sebastian, suppressing a sigh.

 

"If there's something I can do to help..." said Sarita.

 

Sebastian chuckled, "If I can think of anything, I'll let you know."

 

"Do that, Sebastian. It would be really great if you two got together."

 

"Okay, Sarita," said Sebastian. "We'll see you at....wait. You said she sounded really happy about it? When was this?"

 

"I don't remember the date, but it was the day after you got back. It was a very unusual call. Michelle and I never had much precedent for that sort of conversation."

 

"No," said Sebastian. "She always had me to talk to."

 

"Yeah," said Sarita. "But, she couldn't do that. You know what she thinks of guys who insist on talking a relationship to death."

 

Sebastian laughed, "Yeah. I've heard that rant once or twice."

 

Suddenly, it occurred to Sebastian what was being said. He'd never applied that particular rant to himself. His relationship with Michelle had always been predicated on their ability to talk to each other about anything.

 

When they'd gotten back from the cabin, Sebastian and Michelle had spent two weeks figuring out that Sakura and Devon were becoming a couple. Then, they'd dealt with the aftermath of it. Sebastian had given Michelle ample opportunity to indicate any interest in being with him.

 

Michelle hadn't fallen into his arms and, when Sebastian had tried to be demonstrative, it had been halting and impossibly awkward. He'd taken the awkwardness as rejection, but what if it hadn't been?

 

He had one more question to ask, though, "Did she ever call you about anyone else after that?"

 

"No," said Sarita too immediately and casually for a lie. "I just assumed you would be the last."

 

"Thanks," said Sebastian. "I'd better get going if we're going to be ready for dinner."

 

He went into the bedroom. Michelle was laying on the bed. She'd stripped out of her pants, pulled the blankets and sheets back, and fallen asleep on the bed without pulling them back on top of herself.

 

Sebastian sat on the edge of the bed, reached across Michelle's body, and pulled the covers over her. Michelle rolled on her side, curling up against his leg. Sebastian reached down and stroked her hair.

 

"Shower..." she muttered. "You stink." As she said it, she rubbed her nose against his pants leg, as if to scratch an itch.

 

"Plenty of time," said Sebastian. He swung his legs up onto the bed so that his body was parallel to Michelle's. Still half asleep, she settled against him and let out a contented sigh before falling asleep again.

 

He sat there for a while, just enjoying the closeness. If Michelle hadn't talked to him about relationships since January and she hadn't talked to Sarita, could it have been because she hadn't had any relationships since then?

 

Sebastian was tempted to wake her and ask her the question. She was much more likely to give the unvarnished truth when awakened than when her defenses were in place. But, he decided against it. There would be no more talking about their relationship for a while.

 

In the shower, he reviewed his facts, his conclusions, and his plans. He knew he might be falling victim to his own wishful thinking, but he had nothing concrete to give him answers one way or another.

 

When he came out of the shower, Michelle was still sound asleep. Retrieving clean clothes from his luggage, he started to dress. Michelle's back was to him and he found himself watching her sleep.

 

He was watching her so intently that he couldn't miss the change in her breathing. He looked around for his pants, expecting her to roll over any minute. Instead, she lay stock still, facing the far wall.

 

Sebastian relaxed and reached down to retrieve his pants. As he did, he caught sight of Michelle in the mirror on the far wall.

 

Her eyes were open and she was watching him.

 

Sebastian froze for a second, but resumed what he was doing. Michelle gave no indication of realizing that she'd been caught and made no move to stop watching.

 

Sebastian slid into his pants, zipping them up and buttoning them. Rather than continuing to get dressed, he decided to walk over to the window and let himself be framed in the light of the sunset. He didn't think he was particularly vain, but Michelle had teased him enough about his physique once he started lifting weights that he'd always suspected she was impressed by it.

 

Slowly, he strolled back towards where Michelle was laying, making sure that he stayed framed in the mirror for as long as he could. He sat back down on the edge of her bed.

 

"Michelle," he asked quietly, "are you asleep?"

 

Michelle made a show of blinking and stretching before saying indignantly, "I was."

 

"Oh," said Sebastian. "Never mind, then. Sorry. Go back to sleep."

 

"No," she said. "What?"

 

Sebastian reached down and stroked her back through the sheets and blankets, "I was just wondering if you were going to tell me the rest of that story about when Christoph proposed."

 

Michelle chuckled, "As Jessica tells it, they'd just gotten back from the wedding. She'd been drinking a little and had marriage on the brain. Things got all hot and heavy and Christoph went down on her mercilessly--drove her really crazy before fucking the hell out of her. Then, when she was half asleep, he came out with the ring and asked her to marry him. She said yes before her filters kicked in."

 

Sebastian laughed, "I was wondering about that. Jessica didn't seem ready to get married to me."

 

"Well, she is like twenty-five now," said Michelle drowsily. "People change as they get older."

 

Sebastian froze for a moment. He couldn't help himself. It was such an un-Michelle-like comment.

 

"Not us, of course," added Michelle. "Other people."

 

Sebastian smiled gently and resumed stroking her back.

 

                                -=-

                               

"So, are we going to a jeans place or a dress place?" asked Michelle. She was standing in the bedroom, dressed in Sebastian's robe.

 

"My understanding is that there are very few restaurants in Nashville where you can't wear jeans."

 

Michelle crossed her arms and looked at him like a teacher might look at a reticent student, "That wasn't really the question."

 

Sebastian shrugged, "All she said was that she was going to try to get reservations for tonight."

 

"Hmmm...Need reservations on a Wednesday and may not be able to get them on short notice..." Michelle looked thoughtful, "Sounds like a dress place."

 

"I can call Sarita back if you like."

 

"Good idea," said Michelle. "Now, shoo. I have to get dressed."

 

Sebastian raised an eyebrow, "Shoo?"

 

"I'm sorry," said Michelle. "I meant to say, 'Run along, my thrall, and do my bidding. And woe to you if you fail me in this task.'"

 

Sebastian smiled as he bowed, "Yes, mistress." Then, as he turned to go, he grumbled, "I don't remember signing up to be a thrall. I was supposed to be a minion."

 

When he got a hold of Sarita on the phone, he asked, "Is this a dress place or a jeans place?"

 

"You'd look kind of out-of-place in a dress, Sebastian."

 

Sebastian smirked, "The question comes from Miss Michelle."

 

"Oh," said Sarita. "I'm not sure which of you would look more out-of-place in a dress."

 

Sebastian laughed, "False impression. I've seen her in a dress nearly a dozen times. She cleans up real nice."

 

"Well, if she's going to wear a dress, I should too," said Sarita. "But, I don't want to wear a dress if she's not going to."

 

Sebastian suppressed a sigh and said, "How about this? I'll tell her to wear a dress."

 

"She could wear jeans if she wanted to."

 

"I think she wants to wear a dress," said Sebastian.

 

"All right, then. I'll wear a dress too."

 

"Sounds good. I'll tell her."

 

Sebastian said his goodbyes, closed his phone, and knocked on the bedroom door. Michelle opened it and stuck her head out.

 

"The conclusion is that it's a dress place," said Sebastian.

 

"Great," said Michelle. "I'll be out in a few."

 

Sure enough, she was out in less than ten minutes.

 

"You had the dress on already, didn't you?"

 

"More or less," said Michelle. "Trust, but verify."

 

Sebastian raised an eyebrow, "You're Russian now?"

 

"Da, comrade," she said, turning and lifting her hair. "Now, zip me up in the name of the glorious people's revolution."

 

Sebastian raised an eyebrow, "I'm not sure I approve of the glorious people's revolution, but I will zip you up in the name of you not falling out of your dress during the evening."

 

"When the revolution comes, you will be lined up against the wall and shot."

 

Sebastian zipped her up, "I'll take my chances. Good choice of dress, by the way."

 

"You like? It's new." The dress was navy blue, baring her throat and shoulders.

 

"No, it's not," said Sebastian. "You wore it when you wanted to get Professor Brubaker to change your grade."

 

"Good memory," said Michelle. "As I recall, I got him to change that grade, too." She turned around, "How do I look?"

 

Sebastian looked her up and down. Quietly, he said, "Beautiful."

 

Michelle turned away. This time she was definitely blushing, "Flatterer."

 

Sebastian rose, took Michelle by the shoulder, and turned her to face him. She looked up at him.

 

They held that pose for a second. Sebastian knew that he could lean down and kiss her. But, he held himself back. Instead, he placed his hand under her chin and said, "Not a bit."

 

Michelle held his gaze for a moment, then pulled away, almost violently, "You'd better get a shirt on," she said, receding into the bedroom. "They may be casual in Nashville , but I doubt they're 'no shirt, no shoes, no problem.'"

 

Sebastian followed her into the bedroom, retrieving his luggage. Michelle was searching through one of her smaller bags. Sebastian could hear little bottles clanking against each other as she shoved things back and forth.

 

His inclination was to talk to her, but he remembered his resolution and just went about extracting his shirt like he didn't notice. As he put it on, he undid his belt and pants to tuck it in, but Michelle was already fleeing the room with her make-up in hand.

 

Sebastian could not resist a smug, self-satisfied smile at the sight of Michelle flustered. He didn't know whether she was ultimately going to be responsive or furious, but it felt like a victory.

 

                                -=-

 

Sarita greeted them at the front door. She wore an orange dress that seemed to be inspired by a sari and accentuated her East Indian coloring nicely. She hugged them both and kissed Michelle on the cheek.

 

Michelle was unusually subdued when they first got to dinner. Several times, Sebastian caught her staring at him, a suspicious look in her eyes. Whenever he caught her eye, Sebastian did his best to look the part of the wide-eyed innocent.

 

Eventually, though, Sarita and Richard took more of her attention. By the look on Richard's face when he looked at the two of them, Sarita had filled her husband in on her history with Michelle. The combination of uneasiness and intense curiosity was the one Sebastian would most have expected from a man meeting his wife's ex-girlfriend.

 

For reasons he couldn't quite name, Sebastian was deeply amused by the whole tableau. And, when Richard gave Sebastian a calculating look as if trying to figure out where he fit in, it took all of Sebastian's discipline not to start laughing.

 

Dinner was excellent. Sarita had managed to get last-minute reservations for Sunset Grill, a hip, upscale restaurant in downtown Nashville . On the way in, Richard, who worked A & R for one of the major labels introduced them to several people that, had he known anything about country music, Sebastian probably would have recognized.

 

"So," Richard said. "Accounting. Sounds interesting."

 

Sebastian laughed, "You said that with a straight face, too. I was going for a bachelor's in business admin when the higher ups at Stryker decided every BBA needed a focus. I had a lot of accounting credits and wouldn't have been able to finish another focus without going to school for a fifth year. My cousin is a veep at Proffet and Horton, so I had an in. The plan is to do it for a few years, then decide if I want to go back for my MBA or do something else."

 

"Ah," said Richard. "I was a business major, too--Vanderbilt, 1998--still working on the MBA. I figure I'll do the record company thing as long as it lasts. Most guys in this business burn out by thirty."

 

Sarita laughed, "Looks like we got ourselves a couple of suits, Belle."

 

Michelle took a sip of her drink, "The world is a very strange place."

 

Later, when Sarita and Michelle had excused themselves to go to the ladies' room, Richard watched them go and stared at the ladies' room door after they'd passed through it.

 

Sebastian started laughing. He couldn't help it. Richard's mind was much too easy to read at that moment.

 

Richard looked up at him guiltily, "Don't you ever wonder what they do together in there?"

 

Sebastian laughed harder. Finally, he said, "They talk about us. Michelle will give me a full transcript later tonight."

 

"Really?" asked Richard, raising an eyebrow.

 

Sebastian nodded, "That's the sort of relationship we have."

 

"Damn," said Richard. "Even Sarita won't answer that one. She tells me that it's a secret, not to be shared with men."

 

"That sounds like Sari," said Sebastian. Richard was staring at the door again, sending Sebastian into another bout of laughter.

 

"What?"

 

Sebastian brought himself under control, "You're not really worried that they're..." The look on Richard's face made him start laughing again.

 

"I've heard a lot of stories about Michelle. She sounds pretty wild."

 

"She is," said Sebastian. "But, there have been a constant stream of women going in and out. Even Michelle has her limits. Besides, Sarita seemed to have settled down the last few times I saw her."

 

"She still seems pretty wild to me," said Richard. "I only heard about the whole Michelle thing about two weeks ago. I had no idea."

 

"Does it bother you?"

 

"Sure it bothers me," said Richard. "Doesn't it bother you?"

 

Sebastian shook his head, "Nah. I've known Michelle since before I would have known that it was supposed to."

 

Richard shook his head again, "I don't know. I guess I'm just old fashioned."

 

"I thought you worked in the music industry."

 

"I work in the country music industry, not the one Britney and Madonna work in."

 

"Still," said Sebastian. "All those creative types. All that adoration. I can't believe that they're that much different from rock stars when the cameras aren't on."

 

"Not my department," said Richard. "I just get 'em signed."

 

The conversation ended then as Michelle and Sarita came back. Sarita gave her husband an enigmatic smile that seemed designed to make him think the worst. Then, with care and deliberation, she brushed back an errant hair.

 

It was a convincing enough performance that Sebastian actually glanced at Michelle, who just smirked.

 

After dinner, Sarita walked them to their car while Richard went to retrieve his.

 

"Richard seems...nice," said Sebastian.

 

Sarita laughed, "He's very old fashioned. But, he's got a good heart and I can play him like a fiddle."

 

"You're really happy?" asked Michelle.

 

Sarita nodded, "I really am. Richard grounds me in a way I desperately needed. And he loves me so much. When you find something like that, you've just got to hold on to it, even if it's not exactly what you expected."

 

"Shit," said Michelle. "You're getting all philosophical in your old age."

 

"Old age?" Sarita was indignant, "I'm nineteen days younger than you."

 

Michelle laughed and hugged her friend. Sarita pulled her closer, pressing her old friend's head to her chest and kissing her on the forehead.

 

When she broke the hug, she came over to Sebastian, "We're on for tomorrow, right?"

 

"Wouldn't miss it," said Sebastian. Sarita hugged him. When she was close enough, she whispered in his ear, "She's all yours, tiger. I hope I helped."

 

Sebastian nodded as he let her go.

 

                                -=-

 

"Richard seems nice?" asked Michelle indignantly as they pulled out of the parking lot.

 

Sebastian shrugged, "I had to start somewhere. I wasn't entirely comfortable with him either."

 

Michelle scowled at him. Sebastian wondered if she was trying to pick a fight to deliberately spoil the mood. To change the subject, he said, "Sarita seemed awfully glad to see you."

 

"She never should have gone pre-med," said Michelle. "It's draining her soul. She's too much of a free spirit to be in such a structured environment."

 

"You two must have had quite a talk in the ladies' room."

 

Michelle nodded.

 

"Anything I should know?"

 

"I think she's really unhappy," said Michelle. "She doesn't really have a circle of friends down here. She doesn't really like any of Richard's friends much, either."

 

"That's rough," said Sebastian.

 

"Is that all you can say?"

 

Sebastian said, "I was going to say, 'That's rough. We should kidnap her and take her to Austin with us. If the police come after us, we should flee to Mexico and become Zapatistas.'"

 

Michelle laughed, "Now you're thinking smart. Where do you think we could get chloroform in Nashville ?"

 

"Kidnappers R Us?"

 

Michelle laughed again.

 

"Or, maybe we should just let her enjoy our company while we're here, show Richard just how happy strange people like us can be, and remind her that we both have phones if she wants to talk."

 

"All right," said Michelle. "But, buy the chloroform, just in case that doesn't work."

 

                                -=-

 

"Tired?" Sebastian asked as they were walking across the hotel parking lot.

 

Michelle shook her head, "Kind of wound up, actually."

 

"The hotel has a nice-looking gym," offered Sebastian. "There's nothing like a good workout to help you sleep."

 

"Listen to you. You're actually advocating working out now?"

 

"Not for you," Sebastian smirked. He opened the side door of the hotel, "You eat like a fourteen year-old boy, don't work out, and have a figure most women would kill for."

 

"Please," Michelle stepped into the elevator. "I think you were on the right track when you got 'figure' and 'like a fourteen year-old boy' in the same sentence."

 

Sebastian followed her in, "Jeez, Michelle. Fish much?"

 

Michelle turned to face him, "I'm not fishing. I know my limitations."

 

Sebastian laughed at her, "Where is this coming from? Michelle, you are not allowed to have a crisis of confidence." The elevator door opened. He stepped out.

 

Michelle sounded indignant, "Not allowed? Since when do you get to decide whether or not I can have a crisis of confidence, Mr. Bossypants?"

 

"I didn't mean it like that," Sebastian didn't break his pace or turn to look at her. "Michelle having a crisis of confidence is like a hurricane wondering whether it's hurting people or an earthquake expressing concern over its effect on local architecture."

 

He was at the door to their suite now, reaching for his key card. Michelle got between him and the door and parted, "You could find some less destructive forces of nature to compare me to."

 

Sebastian gave her a lop-sided grin, "None come to mind." The door opened. He slipped past her into the room.

 

Michelle followed him into the room, closing the door behind her. Sebastian kept walking until he was in the bedroom, unbuttoning his shirt as he went. He took long strides so that Michelle had to scurry to keep up. When he turned to face her, she almost ran into him.

 

Sebastian looked down at Michelle. Her cheeks were flushed, her breathing shallow.

 

"Sebastian, what's gotten into you lately? Your empty praise is coming dangerously close to mockery. Are you trying to pick a fight?"

 

Sebastian didn't know which part of Michelle's accusation he wanted to contradict first. The conflict saved him from blurting out something stupid in his own defense. Instead, he gave her a feral grin.

 

"Michelle, close your eyes." His voice was calm with a definite air of command.

 

Michelle's eyes snapped shut, but her arms crossed her chest in a gesture of annoyance. Sebastian walked around behind her, "Drop your arms."

 

"Sebastian, what's this all about?"

 

Sebastian stood behind her, towering a head and a half above her, close enough that Michelle had to feel his presence. For a moment, he almost lost his nerve. But, he realized he'd already gone past some point of no return and relaxed. He took one of her elbows in each hand, his touch gentle but firm.

 

"No more questions," he said. "No more talking."

 

Michelle relaxed her arms a little. Sebastian positioned them at her sides. He felt her body tremble a little. He stroked her arms from shoulder to elbow.

 

Before Michelle could regain her equilibrium, Sebastian leaned down and kissed Michelle on the shoulder. Michelle gasped, her eyes flying open. She went to pull away, but Sebastian's arm was around her waist, holding her to him.

 

"Sebastian..." her voice quavered. Sebastian kissed the side and then the back of her neck, "Sebastian, stop." The last was barely a whisper.

 

With his free hand, Sebastian reached up and unzipped her dress a little. He pressed his lips to the flesh he'd exposed. Michelle gasped. Sebastian repeated the process, inching the zipper down with each kiss. As he got halfway down her back, Michelle let out a seemingly involuntary moan. Sebastian wanted to cheer, but stayed focused on what he was doing.

 

He was kneeling behind her, the zipper all the way down, kissing just above her tailbone, when Michelle moaned, "Sebastian, please stop."

 

Sebastian knew what a dangerous line he was treading here. It was an all-or-nothing bet. If he'd guessed wrong, Michelle would probably never talk to him again. If he faltered, he would lose her.

 

Placing one hand on the small of her back, he pushed Michelle gently towards the bed. Michelle went, although she could have easily resisted. Releasing his arm around her waist, Sebastian let the dress fall to the floor as he pushed Michelle forward again, more insistently this time. She stumbled and fell over the end of the bed. She was dressed only in a tiny, black thong now. Kissing his way downward again, Sebastian gripped both sides of the thong in preparation of pulling it off.

 

"Sebastian, please," Michelle whimpered. "I'm scared."

 

Sebastian hadn't been ready for that. It hit him like a gutshot. He wanted to give up, draw her into his arms, comfort her. But, he couldn't. Every instinct he had told him that, if he stopped now, it would be the end of them.

 

Instead, he released her thong, placed his hands on either side of her on the bed, kissed his way up her spine again, more quickly this time. When he got close to her ear, he whispered as comfortingly as he could, "There's nothing to be scared of. We've done this before."

 

Michelle shook her head, "It was never just us."

 

Sebastian's chuckle emanated deep within his chest, "Belle, my love, it was always just us."

 

Michelle nodded. Whether in assent, surrender, or consent, Sebastian didn't know. His hand was already working its way down the path his lips had traced, sliding under her thong, cupping her warmth. Michelle gasped. Sebastian sighed in relief. She was wet and ready. He slid his index finger inside, stroking and exploring. Michelle quivered. Sebastian cupped her pussy in his hand, his wrist pushing her thong down until it fell to the floor.

 

"Sebastian," she moaned. "Oh, God. Sebastian."

 

Sebastian chuckled in her ear before gently taking the lobe between his teeth. The sensation seemed to shoot through her body as she stiffened and let out a gasp.

 

For nearly a decade, Michelle had told Sebastian everything. He had a catalog in his head of what had driven her wild when other men did it. The last time he'd had a chance to use it, he'd resisted the urge. With her new boyfriend there, it seemed like it would be bad manners to show too much capability in giving her pleasure. Now, he had no such limitations.

 

Keeping one finger inside her, Sebastian leaned down until his tongue could get inside her, too. Under the twin assault of his tongue teasing her clit and his finger probing more deeply, stroking her g-spot, Michelle melted. She moaned and gasped. Her body flailed. By the way the bedspread moved, Sebastian knew that she much be clawing at it.

 

The urge to possess her was almost more than Sebastian could bear. But, he put it aside as long as he could. By the time he relented, Michelle was covered in a light sheen of sweat and reduced to whimpering, seemingly no longer capable of human speech.

 

Sebastian licked sweat off her spine from tailbone to right between her shoulderblades. On top of her again, he got up next to her ear and announced, "Michelle, I'm going to fuck you."

 

She shuddered and nodded. Sebastian was already struggling out of his pants. With one hand, he pushed her legs apart. Then, with a single thrust, he was all the way inside her.

 

"Oh, God. Sebastian," Michelle cried. Finally given what he most wanted, Sebastian was immediately relentless. He drove into her, each thrust like an assault, impaling her completely.

 

Now, his arms were around her, pressing her back to his chest, his hands stroking and massaging her breasts. Michelle's head was thrown back, pressed against his shoulder, her whole body trying to arch against him. Sebastian bore down on her, keeping her pinned, secretly afraid that she still might escape.

 

Timing the peak of her pleasure, Sebastian pinched her nipples each between thumb and forefinger. Michelle tried to claw for him or bite him, but he she was still pinned.

 

"God," she moaned. "This is so unfair."

 

Sebastian laughed, "I bet you didn't know I was taking notes."

 

"You just wait until I get on top," Michelle growled. "I remember a few things, too."

 

Sebastian, already on the verge of climax almost since he'd started, lost control then. Burying himself one last time, he came deep inside her. Michelle gripped him tightly as if unwilling to let him go.

 

Sebastian knew that nothing was entirely settled yet, but felt a wave of euphoria overcome him. Rolling over, he missed the edge of the bed, falling on the floor and dragging Michelle with him. Somehow, he stayed inside her, even as she landed on his lap.

 

Michelle spasmed when she landed, arching her back and wrapping her hands around the back of his head. Holding that position, she chuckled, "That's a new one."

 

"Oww," said Sebastian. "I don't think I want to try that one too often."

 

Twisting, turning one leg past him like the ballerina she'd wanted to be, Michelle pivoted on Sebastian's lap, nearly keeping him inside the whole way. They were face to face now. Sebastian held his breath, waiting for what she would say next.

 

"Dammit, Sebastian," she growled. "I was beginning to think that was never going to happen."

 

Sebastian laughed, leaning back against the bed, relieved, "Well, you certainly didn't make it easy."

 

"No," said Michelle, combing her hair out of her face, "I didn't, did I? But, what on earth brought that on?"

 

"Ten years of friendship," said Sebastian. "It can wear you down."

 

Michelle had a look of wonderment on her face, "I really didn't think you had it in you."

 

Sebastian hugged her, "What can I say? You bring out the best in me."

 

Michelle laid her head on his shoulder, "Everything is different now, you know."

 

Sebastian stroked her hair, "It doesn't have to be." But, even as he said it, he knew it wasn't true.

 

                                -=-

 

"I'm going to have to go back to school, you know."

 

Sebastian nodded against her. They were lying together in bed, Michelle wrapped in his arm, "I know. You could stay for the summer, though."

 

Michelle kissed his chest, "I was thinking that I would. I spent a lot of the trip down here trying to figure out how I was going to manage it."

 

"You could have asked," said Sebastian. "I would have said yes."

 

Michelle raised her head, "You mean I didn't have to put out in lieu of rent?"

 

"Oh, no," said Sebastian, his hand sliding down her back. "I would have definitely made you put out. But, I do appreciate the prompt payment of your security deposit."

 

Michelle leaned down and kissed Sebastian. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her on top of him. Michelle rubbed herself up and down his cock, which stiffened immediately. Sebastian looked up at Michelle.

 

"You really are beautiful, you know."

 

Michelle blushed, "You don't have to say that, bucko. You're already golden."

 

Sebastian rolled his hips, flipping Michelle over on her back and pouncing on top. Pinning her wrists, he kissed her lips, "You are. Your face is beautiful." He kissed her throat, "Your neck is beautiful." He kissed each nipple, "Your breasts are beautiful."

 

Michelle sighed and shifted underneath him. Sebastian worked his way down, "Your belly...your hips...Your legs." He stopped between her legs.

 

"Okay," he said. "To be fair, all of these are funny looking."

 

Michelle tried to squirm away, but Sebastian still had her wrists pinned, "Oooh," she said. "You just wait. I'm telling the women writer's conference on you. You haven't suffered until you've suffered through a two hour poetry reading on the beauty of the vagina."

 

Sebastian pressed his face into her, his tongue probing. Michelle gasped and squirmed, seemingly torn between pulling away and bearing down. Sebastian had to move his hands from her wrists to her hips to keep her from injuring him.

 

"Oh, God," Michelle moaned. "You bastard."

 

Sebastian looked up, one hand taking the place of his tongue, "Bastard?"

 

Michelle closed her eyes and gripped Sebastian by the shoulders, "This winter...I was...starting to wonder...if you'd really been listening...Now, you're pulling out all the stops."

 

Sebastian kissed her belly, "Oh. I know all about what you like, Belle. But, with your new boyfriend there, it seemed like it would be bad manners to show too much familiarity with your lucious little body."

 

He licked and teased her nipple with teeth and tongue. Michelle moaned and wrapped her legs around his waist. She bit Sebastian on the juncture between neck and shoulder.

 

"See what I mean? Bastard. You were plotting this all along."

 

"Maybe," admitted Sebastian, although he knew that it was stretching the truth. "Can you blame me?"

 

Michelle moaned again. In Sebastian's ear, she growled, "Keep doing what you're doing and I could forgive you damned near anything."

 

Sebastian wrapped one arm underneath Michelle, drawing her into his lap. His other hand stayed between her legs, tracing lazy patterns inside of her.

 

He slid his arm up her back, hooking the elbow so that he could support her weight while guiding her head forward into a kiss. Her mouth opened hungrily, but Sebastian teased her with the kiss, his tongue darting in and out, teeth raking her lower lip. When Michelle moaned in protest, he deepened the motion of his fingers, letting one slide across her perineum to tease the other entrance to her flesh.

 

Still, he teased with the kiss. Michelle tried to press forward to deepen it, but Sebastian pulled back, laughing. She was clinging to him like a rock in a storm now, subvocal noises coming from deep in her throat.

 

Sebastian leaned forward, laying her on her back again. Michelle tried to keep her grip on him, but he slid out of it, breaking the kiss to let his mouth trail down her body. When he moved his hand away to press his lips and tongue between her legs again, Michelle moaned.

 

"God, Sebastian. Are you trying to kill me?"

 

Sebastian chuckled, but didn't answer. With one finger in her from behind and his tongue probing inside her, he knew that Michelle was at his mercy. He took advantage of the situation fully, teasing, licking, and probing. She seemed to be coming continuously now. Sebastian lost track of time, pulling away only when his jaw started to ache.

 

"God," Michelle panted. "That felt like you were working up to a proposal."

 

Sebastian laughed, laying his head down on the pillow next to her, "I should have planned ahead better."

 

Michelle levered herself up on her elbows, kissed Sebastian tenderly on the mouth, and took his cock in her hand, "You'd better fuck me before you kill me."

 

"I don't know," said Sebastian airily. "I'm sure you would make an exquisite corpse."

 

Michelle squeezed him a little, "I think you would find I'm much better as an active participant. I didn't do all those Kegels to be outdone by rigor mortis."

 

Sebastian rose up, freeing himself from her grasp. Taking the pillow from behind his head, he placed it beneath her hips.

 

"Roll over," he growled, "on your belly."

 

"Yes, sir," said Michelle, faux meekness heavy in her voice.

 

Sebastian sprang into a kneeling position behind her, pushing her legs apart. He used one hand to raise her hips until they were lined up, then drove himself into her, burying his cock to the hilt in her soaking-wet cunt.

 

Michelle gripped him as if trying to prove her point about Kegel exercises. Sebastian barely moved, sliding only an inch or two in and out of her. Each thrust was agonizingly slow.

 

"Harder," moaned Michelle. "Don't be such a tease."

 

"If I do it any harder, it'll be over in about thirty seconds."

 

"Drive you that wild, do I?" asked Michelle. She wiggled her bottom, nearly sending him over the edge.

 

"Nnngg," Sebastian groaned, grabbing her hips. "Hold still."

 

"Still on the necrophilia kick, eh?"

 

Despite his best efforts, Sebastian knew he wouldn't last very long. Sliding his hands around Michelle, he cupped her small, firm breasts, squeezing them hard.

 

"Squeeze them harder," moaned Michelle. "Pinch them."

 

Sebastian had been testing the waters, working up to that. He resisted the urge to mutter, pinching them extra hard instead. Michelle cried out in pleasure and pain, trembling over the edge of climax. Sebastian came a few seconds later.

 

Curled up in his arms, it was a long time before either of them spoke.

 

"Brute," said Michelle, her voice heavy with sleep.

 

Sebastian chuckled, "You love it."

 

"I realize now that I've made a horrible tactical error, telling you as much as I did."

 

Sebastian nodded, "Collaborating with the occupier, always a mistake."

 

As Michelle dozed in his arms, Sebastian was thoughtful.

 

"Belle," he asked. "You weren't serious about that proposal question, were you?"

 

"It was a joke, sweetie," she murmured, not quite awake.

 

"Oh," said Sebastian, not sure if he was relieved or not.

 

"After all, when would you have had time to buy a ring?"

 

"I...uh,"

 

Michelle levered herself up, "Relax, Bas. It was a joke."

 

Sebastian rewarded her with a wan smile, "Of course."

 

Michelle lay back down, her eyes closed. Sebastian stared at the ceiling.

 

"If I were," Sebastian asked, "would you..."

 

Michelle rose up, eyes open, "God, no."

 

"Oh," said Sebastian.

 

She lay her head on his chest, "I didn't mean to say that so vehemently. I just don't plan on getting married, ever."

 

"I know," said Sebastian.

 

Michelle traced a pattern on his sternum with her finger for a minute before speaking again, "Can I tell you a secret?"

 

"I believe that is still permitted," said Sebastian.

 

"Whenever I fantasized about being married, it was always to you."

 

Sebastian was jarred into full wakefulness with surprise, "Always?"

 

"Well," she admitted. "Not at first. It used to be Brad Pitt."

 

"That would have been good, too," said Sebastian. "Kylie Minogue and I could have had you two over for dinner on Sundays."

 

"Kylie Minogue? How mainstream."

 

"I was twelve," Sebastian protested. "What did I know? Street cred was not big on my list."

 

"Clearly," said Michelle.

 

"Oh yeah, like Brad Pitt is oh-so-street."

 

"Well, him and Alice Cooper. I was going to find a way to marry both of them."

 

"That's just wrong on so many levels."

 

"I was going to be his billion-dollar baby."

 

Sebastian laughed and hugged her tight.

 

Michelle's head popped up, "Do you think it's too late to get room service?"

 

Sebastian raised himself on his elbows, "You know, I'm hungry too. Let's find out." He sat up and dialed the phone. After a brief conversation, he said, "Kitchen is closed. Want to go out?"

 

"You read my mind."

 

Sebastian slapped his forehead, "Now I develop that skill."

 

They ended up wandering the streets of Nashville , looking for a place to eat. The process was slowed because, every few minutes, Michelle would wrap herself in Sebastian's arms for a kiss or Sebastian would draw her to him for the same thing.

 

Sebastian was pleasantly surprised to find that Michelle seemed giddy and euphoric over the evening's developments. Considering how long and hard she had fought to keep it from happening, it seemed an odd reaction.

 

Eventually, they found a pizza place that was open all night and doing a brisk trade. The clientele was primarily made up of high school and college kids. Walking in the front door, Sebastian heaved a sigh of relief. For a moment, he'd been given a reprieve from adult life. It was like he had never graduated.

 

They sat in a booth, almost pressed together as they ate. Between them, they polished off most of a pie and all of a pitcher. They didn't talk, but it wasn't awkward. They were content to enjoy each other's company and eat.

 

When they came out, it was after midnight and a sprinkling of rain was coming down. Sebastian wrapped an arm around Michelle's shoulder, holding her to him as if that were enough to keep her dry. In spite of the rain, they didn't rush to get back to the hotel. By the time they got back to the hotel, they were both rather damp.

 

Sebastian tsked, "Young lady, we should get you out of those cold, wet clothes and into bed before you catch your death of cold."

 

"Why, sahr," she said in her best Charleston accent, which wasn't very good, "I'm so glad that you're looking out for my well-being. So many of these young rapscallions might take advantage of my distress to get their hands on me in inappropriate ways."

 

Sebastian advanced on her, placing his hands on her waist, "How scandalous. Let's get you undressed and I'll be sure to get my hands on you in only appropriate ways."

 

Michelle laughed, wrapping her hand around the back of his head and entwining her fingers in his hair, "Don't limit your options. I was sort of looking forward to being touched inappropriately."

 

But, when Sebastian reached down and untucked her t-shirt from her pants, she squirmed away. Turning to face him, she said, "They left the air-conditioning on. We'll freeze."

 

Sebastian grinned, "Then, I will wrap you in blankets and warm you with my own body."

 

"Mmmm," said Michelle. "We could do that...or we could get another shower. Some hot water would feel really good right now."

 

Sebastian nodded, tugged at a non-existent fetlock, and said, "Very well. I shall start madam's bath promptly so that her bathing chamber is suitably warm for her to disrobe."

 

Michelle smiled, "God, Sebastian. I hope this never changes."

 

Sebastian, sensing she was serious, said, "What, Belle?"

 

Michelle shrugged, "This. The way we are. I love the joking and the banter. Promise me that's not going to change."

 

Sebastian smiled, drawing her into his arms, and kissing the top of her head, "Things are going to change. But, we're not going to stop being who we are, Michelle. No matter how serious things get, we don't have to."

 

Michelle reached up, unbuttoning his shirt low enough that she could kiss his chest at her own eye level. Even the light touch was like electricity to Sebastian. He sighed deeply, stroking her hair.

 

"Careful, my Belle," he said. "You keep that up and I'm not likely to let you anywhere near the shower."

 

Michelle laughed, continuing to unbutton his shirt, "I like my thralls stripped to the waist when they serve."

 

Sebastian allowed his shirt to be removed while muttering, "I'm not a thrall. I'm a minion."

 

"Very well, my minion. Draw my bath."

 

Sebastian withdrew to the bathroom, grumbling theatrically. But, his body was already starting to respond to the idea of getting Michelle in the shower with him. It was a fantasy he'd had for a very long time. He would have done it up at the cabin, but it had become an unspoken rule that nothing went on between him and Michelle or between Devon and Sakura behind closed doors or anywhere that would automatically exclude the others.

 

Now, he had Michelle all to himself and intended to take full advantage of the situation. Once the bathroom was steamed up, he stripped out of the rest of his clothes, stuck his head out the door, and said, "Your bath is ready, madam."

 

Michelle stripped down on the way, discarding clothing as she walked. She was naked by the time she was halfway across the living room.

 

"Cold," she said, jogging now. Then, more emphatically, "cold cold cold cold cold."

 

Inside the bathroom, she took a deep breath, "Mmmmm. Warm."

 

Sebastian stepped into the shower, Michelle following. She stood with her back to him, stretching in the stream of hot water and pressing herself back against him. Sebastian used the excuse of soaping her up to get his hands all over her body, but eventually the soap was forgotten.

 

As things progressed, Sebastian realized that he had a choice to make. His general inclination in a new relationship was to start out slowly, being a gentle and considerate lover while he sussed out what his partner wanted. But, this wasn't a new relationship. He knew what got Michelle off and the frustration she'd expressed with men who were gentle and considerate for even a moment too long.

 

So, he went with what he knew instead of his instinct. With his hand already pressed between her thighs, he let one finger slide over her perineum and tease what she had, in the past, referred to as her rosebud.

 

Michelle gasped and closed her eyes. Even as things had heated up, they'd chattered about inconsequential matters. As Sebastian's fingers probed and teased, one taking her from each side, the only sound was the water on the shower floor and her ragged breathing. Soon, her moans were echoing off the walls as well.

 

"God, Sebastian," she moaned. "If you're going to keep doing that, you'd better hold me up. My knees are about to give way."

 

Sebastian wrapped his free arm tightly around her waist and whispered in her ear, "I'm going to do worse than this."

 

Michelle's knees did buckle then. Sebastian held her to him. Before she could recover, he slid his hand away and his cock inside of her. Not letting her regain equilibrium, he pounded into her, even savage strokes, keeping her unbalanced, his arm around her waist lifting a little with each thrust to reinforce her powerlessness.

 

Michelle responded, her arms clawing at open air, her voice an inarticulate, continuous cry of pleasure. Somewhere, Sebastian thought he heard his name, but couldn't be sure.

 

When he pulled out, Michelle cried out in disappointment. But, she needn't have worried. A moment later, he was pressing insistently against her ass, demanding entry.

 

Michelle's eyes widened. "You bastard," she whispered.

 

Sebastian chuckled. Shortly before they'd headed up to the cabin for winter break, he'd asked her what the most intense sex she'd ever had was. She'd said it was standing up in the shower and being taken anally. For some reason, on this little tidbit, she'd sworn him to secrecy. As he promised, he'd kept it a secret, but he'd also filed it away for later use. And now, he was using it.

 

He didn't tell her that, though. Instead, he thrust into her. Water made a lousy lubricant and tended to wash away natural ones, so he acted quickly. Even so, it was kind of rough going the first half-dozen thrusts. Michelle was a rag doll in his arms, her limbs actually flopping with each thrust. She whimpered and shuddered at the onslaught. With her head laid back on his shoulder, Sebastian could see only the whites of her eyes.

 

Triumphantly, Sebastian pressed the advantage, turning their bodies so that he could use the wall to support her. Having been so thoroughly drained twice already tonight, his own climax was slow in building and he took advantage of every minute of it, hands touching her as intimately as only someone with as much coaching as Sebastian could. He knew all of her secrets and used them all to his advantage now.

 

Michelle was past complaining or even speaking for that matter. She whimpered and moaned and let Sebastian have his way with her. When he finally came inside of her, she was limp and spent. Sebastian's own knees began to buckle and he sat down slowly, drawing her down with him, staying inside of her.

 

"God, Sebastian," she said a long time later. "We're supposed to go shopping with Sarita tomorrow. How in the hell am I going to do that when I won't even be able to walk?"

 

                                -=-

 

Sebastian was feeling inordinately pleased with himself and smug when he got out of the shower. Michelle had finally stood up, washed herself off, wrapped herself in one of the hotel's robes, and wandered out of the room.

 

So, he was more than a little stunned to come out of the bathroom and find her lying on the bed, her back to him, her shoulders shaking with sobs. For a moment, Sebastian was too stunned to move. Michelle weeping like...well, like a woman? Unheard of.

 

He sat on the edge of the bed, behind her and said quietly, "Michelle?"

 

Even more quietly, she said, "Go away, Sebastian."

 

She said it into her pillow and Sebastian assumed he must have misheard, "What?"

 

"I said, go away," Michelle repeated more clearly. She rolled on her back so that he could see her tear-stained face. "You got what you wanted. Now, go away."

 

Sebastian suppressed the desire to ask her if she was insane, considering that it would probably play into whatever was going on. Instead, he tried to get inside of what Michelle had said. Did she really think that he'd spent ten years wooing her so that he have sex for a week or a month then cast her away?

 

He wanted to deny such an idea or reassure her. But, she was still Michelle. He knew how that sort of approach would work with her. Instead, he said, "I've barely even started getting what I wanted."

 

When Michelle spun and smacked him in the face with a pillow, it was not entirely unexpected. She beat on his chest with ineffectual girl-punches. Sebastian caught her by the shoulders, pressing her arms together so that she couldn't reach anything more vital.

 

"You bastard," she sobbed. "I said no. I told you to stop." The last words were said not as an accusation, but with an air of disbelief. Sebastian had always been a fan of not playing games and missed out on more than one opportunity with women who told him to stop, but were really just playing games with him.

 

Now, he said what he never expected to pass his own lips, "You didn't want me to stop. What's wrong with you, Michelle. You were an enthusiastic participant not half an hour ago."

 

She looked up at him, "What choice did I have? Goddamn it, Bas. This is so unfair. I didn't know you were taking notes. If I'd realized how much you remembered about me, I would have had you killed."

 

Sebastian laughed, but Michelle didn't.

 

"I never felt taken advantage of until tonight," she said.

 

Sebastian knew that it was Michelle's way to say such things mostly to shock, but he was shocked anyway. Still, he knew that he couldn't rise to her bait. It was meant to divert things from the main point and give her a chance to yell at him without risking actually getting to the point.

 

"Well," he said. "That was quite an accomplishment then, wasn't it?"

 

This time she did laugh, but there was very little humor behind it, "See what I mean? How am I even supposed to fight with you? Now I know how the Democrats must have felt after Watergate."

 

Sebastian stroked her hair, "You're not supposed to fight with me. You're supposed to submit to my evil and nefarious purposes."

 

Michelle's sulk was obviously staged, "I don't see as I have much choice. Goddamnit, Sebastian. I mean what I said. At some point in the shower, I just lost it. You could have done anything you wanted to me and I would have gone along with it. I've never felt that way. It scares the hell out of me."

 

Sebastian's grin was lascivious, "Anything?"

 

She hit him with the pillow again, but there was no force behind it, "Dammit, Sebastian. Will you be serious?"

 

Sebastian shook his head, "No. You made me promise not to."

 

That, finally, made her smile. She said, "I may yet have to kill you for what you know."

 

Sebastian kissed the end of her nose, "Then, I'll just have to keep you well fucked enough that you are pliant and submissive."

 

She smacked him on the shoulder, "Fat chance of that."

 

Sebastian made a mock serious face, "So, I shouldn't try?"

 

Michelle snaked her hand up around the back of Sebastian's neck, drew his head down and kissed him, "I didn't say that."

 

                                          -=-

                                         

They didn't make love again that night. In between all the driving and everything else, they'd both been exhausted. Sebastian fell asleep with Michelle nestled against his chest, already snoring quietly.

 

They did in the morning. Sebastian, still fighting his way up from sleep, felt Michelle's hand wrapped around his cock, stroking it gently. Without opening his eyes, he found the back of her head and drew her into a kiss.

 

"Morning," he said.

 

"You have crypt mouth," Michelle announced. "There will be no more kissing until you've brushed your teeth."

 

Sebastian tried his best to look hurt, "Hey. I didn't wake you up by grabbing your dick."

 

Michelle laughed, "Does that mean you want me to stop?"

 

Sebastian answered by reaching for her. Michelle said, "Gently, please. I'm too sore for anything else."

 

She ended up straddling his hips, riding his cock. Things did not stay entirely gentle, but Michelle was in the driver's seat and Sebastian didn't complain.

 

He had come, but was still inside of her when the doorbell rang.

 

"Didn't you put up the 'Do Not Disturb' sign?" Michelle asked.

 

"Yeah," said Sebastian. "But, it's ten o'clock. That must be Sarita and Fischer."

 

"Ten o'clock?" asked Michelle. "Shit. Why didn't you wake me?"

 

"Because I was asleep too," protested Sebastian.

 

"Slacker," muttered Michelle, sliding off of him. "I'll get the door. You get presentable so that I can switch off and clean up."

 

Sebastian nodded, grumbling and rolling out of bed. He washed up quickly, threw on jeans and a t-shirt, and emerged into the living room. Michelle and Sarita were sitting on the couch together, talking in low voices.

 

"Bathroom's all yours," he said. Michelle rose from the couch, wrapping her robe around herself, and trotted off.

 

Sebastian sat in a chair facing the couch. Sarita was watching him with an amused look.

 

"Morning, stud," she said.

 

Sebastian smiled a little, "She told you, I guess."

 

"I knew as soon as she answered the door," said Sarita. "But, yes. She told me. The details were getting pretty graphic when you showed up."

 

"She was just getting warmed up then," said Sebastian. "Where's Fischer?"

 

Sarita laughed, "He may join us later. But, I suspected Michelle wouldn't be ready on time, based on past experience and he gets colicky if he has to wait."

 

"I'm sorry I sicced Michelle on you," said Sebastian. "I slept kind of late."

 

"Don't be," said Sarita. "I've got friends here in Nashville and they can be outrageous in their own way. But, none of them are like Michelle. Of course," she looked off at some distant point, "no one is quite like Michelle, are they?"

 

Sebastian laughed and shook his head, "You can say that again."

 

"Somebody like that comes along once in your life," said Sarita, as much to herself as Sebastian.

 

"But, no pressure," he commented.

 

"Sorry," said Sarita. "Just thinking out loud."

 

The shower started in the background. Sebastian said, "I could use some coffee. Could you use some coffee?"

 

Sarita grunted, "Coffee good."

 

There was no conversation between them as Sebastian made the coffee. Looking over his shoulder, he saw that Sarita looked lost in thought. In fact, when he put the cup in her hand, it seemed to take her a moment to register what it was.

 

"There's milk in this," she said.

 

Sebastian nodded, "And one Sweet N Low."

 

She looked surprised, "You remembered."

 

Sebastian shrugged, feeling apologetic, "Apparently, I remember far too many things I'm not supposed to."

 

"No," said Sarita. "I'm just surprised. We haven't had breakfast together in a few years."

 

"Actually, you came and visited us at Stryker a little over a year ago," corrected Sebastian. When that got him only a blank stare, he added, "I guess I've just got a good memory for coffee."

 

Sarita took a long sip and looked thoughtful again.

 

"Something on your mind?" Sebastian asked.

 

Sarita shook her head, "Just feeling a bit of nostalgia, I guess. I miss you guys."

 

Sebastian's smile was subdued, "It's good to see you too, Sari."

 

                                          -=-

                                         

"This is the line for pancakes?" Michelle asked. Her voice was incredulous.

 

"Well," said Sarita. "they serve other things, too. But, brunch at the Pancake Pantry is something of a tradition. I would have tried to do it Sunday, but knowing your temporally impaired ways, I was afraid we would wind up stuck behind the after-church crowd."

 

Michelle scowled theatrically, "They'd better be damned good pancakes."

 

As it turned out, they were excellent pancakes. Michelle ordered an omelet, then ate pancakes off of Sebastian's plate until he playfully slapped her hand and told her to eat her own breakfast. Sarita talked briefly about her life in Nashville , but seemed far more interested in what Sebastian and Michelle had been up to.

 

The conversation followed them from breakfast to a used book store across the street. Sebastian was glad to find that, by the time the subject turned to the winter break at the cabin, they were already sitting, relaxing in Percy Warner Park.

 

Michelle's descriptions were surprisingly non-graphic. Sebastian didn't know where she'd found this modicum of decorum, but he was glad for it. Still, she said plenty that made his ears burn.

 

"And now," Michelle said at one point. "I'm in his clutches, a thrall to his base lusts. He's taking me to his secret lair in Darkest Texas. With good behavior, I may be out in a month."

 

"Not a chance," said Sebastian idly. "I'm keeping her forever. After being the thrall all this time, I'm up for a little bit of payback."

 

"See?" said Michelle. "He's so romantic."

 

                                          -=-

                                          

Fischer did join them just in time to head into the suburbs for some hard-core antiquing. While he and Sebastian did not seem likely to agree on much, they both found themselves bored and somewhat baffled by the practice.

 

"I can't remember the last time Saya actually bought anything at one of these places," Fischer opined, standing outside a renovated barn while the women shopped inside.

 

Sebastian laughed, "Michelle lives in a dorm room. To my knowledge, she's never bought a piece of furniture in her life."

 

"And yet they migrate to these things like the swallows returning to Capistrano."

 

Sebastian laughed, not because it was particularly funny, but because it was the first indication he'd had that Fischer might be capable of humor at all.

 

They stood on the hillside, watching the barn as if something extraordinary were going to happen.

 

Finally, Fischer said, "What do you think they're doing in there?"

 

This time, Sebastian did laugh out loud and slap Fischer on the shoulder, "Fixated much? They're in a barn filled with blue-haired old ladies. What could they be up to?"

 

Fischer fixed him with a baleful stare, "I hope you don't take it personally, Sebastian, but when she's around Michelle, I don't know what Saya is capable of. Your girlfriend is a bad influence. And, while you've been charming company, I will breathe a big sigh of relief when you take her out of here."

 

Sebastian chuckled. His instinct was to defend Michelle from Fischer's disapproval, but the man really hadn't said anything that Michelle herself wouldn't agree with. So, he said, "Michelle makes a lot of people uneasy."

 

"I knew girls like that in college," said Fischer. "I won't say they didn't intrigue me. But...well, more power to you if you can handle her."

 

Sebastian smiled again, "I've known Michelle forever. Whether I can handle her still remains to be seen."

 

                                          -=-

                                          

When Michelle and Sarita emerged from another barn, Sebastian tapped his watch and said, "Your tournament starts in twenty minutes.

 

"Plenty of time," said Michelle. "First break is still more than an hour away. Sarita was talking about a shop out by Franklin I want to check out."

 

Sarita shook her head, "We'd never get there and back in an hour. Come on. I want to see these mad stick skills you keep bragging about."

 

"It's not bragging," said Michelle. "I'm going to kick ass today."

 

"I should get going," said Fischer. "When it's your job to listen to music, the weekend is a busy time."

 

Sarita went up on tip-toes and kissed him on the mouth. Fischer bowed a little bit at the waist, "In case I don't see you again, it was a pleasure meeting you two again."

 

As it stood, Michelle narrowly avoided forfeiting her first game by the time she got to the tournament. By the time Sebastian and Sarita found seats among the spectators, she was already finishing off her first table of nine ball.

 

As the referee was racking the balls for game two, Sarita asked, "So, did you and Fischer have a nice talk?"

 

Sebastian shrugged, "Not particularly. I don't think we have a lot of common ground."

 

"Funny," said Sarita. "He certainly had a lot to say about you and Michelle."

 

Sebastian raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"

 

Sarita nodded, "He wanted very much for me to say that my relationship with Michelle was a mistake. I think it pricked his manhood somehow. Leave it to me to find the one guy in the world who doesn't think that sort of thing is hot."

 

Sebastian was saved from answering by Michelle lining up for the break. They watched silently as she ran the table.

 

"Wow," said Sarita. "She really is impressive, isn't she?"

 

"Yeah," said Sebastian. "This is the first time I've seen her play."

 

"Really? I thought you two were inseparable."

 

"For the most part, we were," said Sebastian. "But, after this winter, she started playing in tournaments, I think, as a way to get away from me once in a while."

 

"Was it really bad?"

 

Sebastian shrugged, "Hard to say. In most ways, life went on as usual. But, it definitely needed to be resolved."

 

Sarita smiled, "Well, at least it's resolved now."

 

Sebastian laughed, "This is Michelle we're talking about. I doubt the resolution will be so simple."

 

"Well," said Sarita. "I don't suppose your involvement makes it simple, either."

 

Sebastian raised an eyebrow, "What's that supposed to mean?"

 

"Well," said Sarita. "You haven't exactly had a sterling past with relationships, have you?"

 

Sebastian was surprised, "Why do you say that?"

 

Sarita said, "I don't mean to hurt your feelings, Sebastian, but can you think of the last year you didn't break at least four or five hearts?"

 

Sebastian laughed, "I don't break hearts. I've just never been involved in a really serious relationship. I'm a young guy."

 

Sarita looked at him evenly, "Ah. Must be my mistake, then." The way she said it left no illusion that she might have meant it.

 

Sebastian sat, watching Michelle shoot her way to an easy first-round win, thinking about what Sarita had said.

 

                                          -=-

                                         

Michelle advanced easily all day. She ran table after table, blasting through from break to nine ball without giving her opponents a chance to shoot. In the fourth round of the night, she came up against and defeated Bonnie Benson, a lean, angular woman in her fifties who'd been playing on the professional circuit as long as there had been one. Bonnie had been the number two seed.

 

Afterwards, Michelle came over to where Sebastian and Sarita were sitting, "Let's get out of here. I'm starving."

 

But, trailing in her wake was a camera crew with the ESPN-2 logo on the side. A man with a microphone said, "Excuse me. Could I have a few minutes of your time before you go? We'd like to do some setup shots for tomorrow's broadcast."

 

"Sorry, guys," she said, shrugging. "My adoring public awaits."

 

So, they waited while Michelle was interviewed. Then, the camera crew set up a few shots of her at the table, lining up and making shots. It was another hour before they were ready to leave. Sarita called and left a message on her home answering machine that she would be late.

 

Then, they headed for an upscale Japanese restaurant near their hotel that Sarita knew had late hours. Michelle cracked them both up with her Mohammed Ali impression. With today's showing, she was seeded second in the quarterfinals tomorrow. That meant that, even if she lost in the quarterfinals, she would be ranked fifth or sixth and was guaranteed at least two thousand dollars in prize money. It was already more than she'd made in a single tournament before. But, the scuttlebutt was that she was considered the dark horse candidate, capable of taking the whole thing.

 

"I feel like I was playing on a different level today," said Michelle. "I was really able to focus and just get the job done."

 

"Ahhh," said Sarita, sipping on her third Sapporo . "I wonder if you've had any....relaxing influences lately."

 

Incredibly, Michelle blushed and lowered her head at the statement. Sebastian had seen her blush more in the last week than he had in the entirety of their previous relationship. He decided to pounce on it, flexing dramatically. Michelle slapped him on the arm, laughing.

 

After dinner, they walked back to the hotel. They'd all been drinking and no one felt comfortable driving, even a short way. They ended up sitting in the living room, Sebastian in the chair, Michelle and Sarita on the couch, joking and laughing far into the night. At some point, Sebastian dozed off in the chair.

 

When he woke up, Sarita was asleep on the couch and Michelle was nowhere to be seen. Sebastian glanced at the clock, which read a little bit after two a.m. Rising to his feet, he yawned and stretched. Then, going down on one knee, he gently shook Sarita's shoulder.

 

Sarita opened her eyes, laid a hand on his shoulder, and then ran it idly through his hair, but didn't speak.

 

"Come on," he said. "Let me get you home."

 

Sarita shook her head, "Just get me a blanket."

 

Sebastian smiled, "If you want to stay, there's an extra bed. But, I think I should give you a ride home."

 

Sarita sat up, "Is there something wrong?"

 

"No. I just know what Fischer thinks of Michelle and what he's going to think if you spend the night in her hotel room."

 

"Fuck Fischer," said Sarita crossly. "He's such a fuddy duddy."

 

"Maybe he is," said Sebastian. "But, if you really want to address that with him, this is not the way to do it."

 

"'M still drunk," offered Sarita. "It doesn't take a lot."

 

"It's all right," said Sebastian. "I'll drive."

 

She narrowed her eyes, "You throwing me out?"

 

"No," said Sebastian. "Like I said, you're welcome to stay. I'll even tuck you in. But, I think you should go home."

 

"You're a fuddy duddy, too," opined Sarita. But, she was already rising, looking for her shoes.

 

Sebastian rose as well, "I guess I am."

 

Sarita had to lean on his shoulder to get back to the van. She fell asleep again in the passenger seat. Once she woke up, she was walking none too steadily, so Sebastian helped her to her front door before heading back to the hotel. When he crawled into bed behind her, Michelle was dressed in only a long t-shirt and sound asleep. She woke up enough to press her body back against his, but never opened her eyes.

 

                                          -=-

                                         

With very little prompting from Sebastian, Michelle made it to the tournament on time. As Sebastian took his seat in the spectator's area, Sarita was nowhere in sight.

 

Michelle had commented on the way over that she hoped she still had her stuff, considering as she'd had no 'relaxation therapy' the previous night. It became immediately obvious that she still did. Her quarterfinal round wasn't even a challenge. Michelle rolled over her opponent without missing a beat.

 

While waiting for Michelle's semifinal round to come up, Sebastian felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. Aware of all the dire warnings about cell phones during the competition, he went out to the parking lot to answer it.

 

He was just finishing the call when Sarita waved a hand in front of his face. He'd seen her coming all the way across the parking lot, but somehow not registered that it was her.

 

"Heya," she said. "How's Michelle doing?"

 

Sebastian nodded, "She just humiliated her quarterfinal opponent. The semifinals should begin shortly."

 

"Are you okay?" Sarita asked. "You look like your dog just died."

 

Sebastian waved away the question, "I just got a call. It's...something I'm going to need to deal with. Come on. Let's go inside."

 

When they got back inside, Michelle was looking for them. She gave Sarita a big hug, "You made it."

 

"Yeah," said Sarita. "Fischer wasn't happy about it, but he knows better than to actually forbid me to do something once my mind is set on it."

 

Sebastian didn't hear most of the conversation. He just smiled when it seemed appropriate. Michelle gave him a sharp look, "Are you all right?"

 

Sebastian nodded, "Just tired. You're doing great out there. Ready for the semifinals?"

 

Michelle nodded, "I don't know. I feel my concentration wavering. Maybe we should run out to the van for a quickie."

 

Sebastian gave a wan smile, "I don't think there's time. The next round starts in twelve minutes."

 

"All right," said Michelle. "It will have to be right here. Hurry up, thrall. I need servicing."

 

Sarita laughed, "God, I love being with you two. You're so much fun."

 

Michelle's next round had most of the attention in the room by then. The first seed, a Vietnamese woman by the name of Nu Nguyen, was considered a dominant force in the league and expected to handle her opponent handily, which she did.

 

Michelle's match turned out to be a barn burner. Both women ran the table on their first two breaks. The next match, Michelle's break left an awkward lay on the table, forcing her to snooker her opponent on the four ball. When she got the shot back, she ran the table.

 

Michelle's opponent, Angela Jackson, was considered one of the hot new names on the circuit. Blonde, pretty, and standing nearly six feet tall, she'd picked up a lot of endorsements and gained the sport visibility, much like Gabrielle Reese had done for beach volleyball. The announcers kept talking about the difference in "reach," which seemed like a euphemism for height. Still, after fighting back and forth, Michelle managed to scratch in a way that left the five ball trapped between the nine and a rail. Jackson made a valiant effort, but ended up missing the shot and turning over an easily-run table to Michelle in the end.

 

After that, Jackson seemed rattled. Michelle gave her a small opportunity in the fifth game, which she failed to capitalize on. In the sixth round,  Jackson 's break was just ugly. Even the crowd knew it before anything was said. She made a valiant rally, but a cluster of balls in the middle of the table doomed her.

 

Just like that, it was over. Michelle was in the finals. Angela Jackson came over and gave her a hug at the end just before the camera crew descended on her.

 

After the standard questions, the on-air personality asked Michelle, "It looked like Angela Jackson whispered something in your ear during that hug. What did she say?"

 

Michelle grinned, "Nothing I can repeat on basic cable."

 

                                          -=-

                                         

"She said," Michelle would tell Sebastian and Sarita some time later. "'Don't be afraid of that bitch. Just pretend she ate your dog.'"

 

                                          -=-

                                         

In the relatively small world of women's billiards fans, what came next would go down in the annals of the sport's short history. Nu Nguyen was viewed as the Michael Jordan of the sport. With more championships under her belt than the next six people combined, she was viewed as more or less unbeatable.

 

She didn't disappoint on her first break, clearing the table without giving Michelle a chance to shoot. On Michelle's break, she made a small mistake on the six ball that caused her to give up the game to Nguyen.

 

Down two games to none, Michelle rallied back, winning her own break and Nguyen's. Then, Nguyen took the next one. Then, Michelle won one. They traded games back and forth until it was 7-6 in Nguyen's favor. The last game went back and forth, each move carefully planned to keep the opponent snookered. Neither player took a chance for a while.

 

Finally, Michelle took an opportunity, trying to drive the five ball into the nine. If the nine had sunk, she would have ended and won the tournament. Instead, it spun in the corner, near the hole, but resolutely refused to drop.

 

After that, Nguyen cleared the rest of the table. Thus the natural order was restored. The unbeatable was still unbeaten. But, Michelle had shown that she wasn't unbeatable. By the time the spin doctors got done with the match, it would be the epic struggle between the experienced gunslinger and the hot, young gun. In the end, the veteran was still standing, but it was clear that, one day, she wouldn't be.

 

"Fuck 'em," said Michelle afterwards. "I made six grand for two days' work. I can live with that."

 

Because she'd made it farther than she expected and the last round had gone on longer than was expected, it was well past midnight by that point. Michelle laid her head on Sebastian's shoulder, "Do you think that Austin can wait one more night for us to get some sleep before we hit the road?"

 

" Austin can wait as long as we need," said Sebastian.

 

He'd meant it to be an off-hand comment, representing insouciance. But, somehow, both women picked up on something immediately.

 

"What's that mean?" asked Michelle.

 

Sebastian took a deep breath, "My uncle called me earlier. Proffet and Horton got served with a couple dozen subpoena's having to do with the Enron scandal on Friday. They're going through layoffs and a hiring freeze. It's last in, first out. So, I'm out."

 

"Oh, Sebastian," said Sarita. "I'm so sorry. What does that mean?"

 

Sebastian shrugged, "It means I have to start looking for another job. And, I probably won't find one in Austin . A lot of accountants are going to be looking for work."

 

"So, are you going to head back to New York ?"

 

"No," said Sebastian. "At the very least, I need to deal with the place I leased, all the furniture I'm shipping down there, and Michelle's writer's conference. That will all take time."

 

"Is there anything I can do?" asked Sarita.

 

Sebastian shook his head, "I don't think so. I need time to process it all. Ironically, despite the fact that I never showed up for work, I'm entitled to severance pay, so I'm okay until October or so. I just need to figure out what to do next."

 

"Do you guys want to stay at my house tonight?"

 

Sebastian shook his head, "I don't think that will be very restful. But, thank you."

 

"Don't worry about it," said Michelle. "I'll make sure we have a room tonight. Thank you, Sarita."

 

Sarita nodded, but still made sure they were safely ensconced in a new hotel room before she headed home. By then, it was after two. The place was clean and all of the appliances worked. Other than that, it was unremarkable.

 

The two of them lay in bed, Michelle's head on Sebastian's chest, talking out what he would do next. By the end of the conversation, Sebastian still had no more answers than when it had started, but somehow, he felt better.

 

And, some time near dawn, when Michelle's hand roamed down across his stomach and gripped him, Sebastian wanted to say that he was too worried and too tired for any such thing, but he found that he was neither. Michelle took him into her mouth only long enough to get the length of his cock wet. Then, she was on top of him, lowering herself onto him, impaling herself on his cock. Sebastian surged up, wrapping his arms around her, and reversing their positions. Soon, he was on top of her, driving into her, eliciting little squeals of pleasure. Other than their breathing, Michelle's sounds of pleasure, and the creak of springs, the room was silent.

 

When he came inside of her, it was with a strangled cry of victory. Michelle gripped him hard, seemingly unwilling to let go.

 

                                          -=-

                                          

Sebastian woke to the sound of the door closing. Michelle was coming in from outside, already dressed for the day. When she saw Sebastian's eyes open, she smiled.

 

"I got us a late check out. We've got until one. You looked like you could use more sleep."

 

Sebastian nodded and rolled out of bed. His muscles ached from sleeping too soundly. Staggering off to the bathroom, he welcomed the pounding needles of hot water as they worked out the kinks in his muscles. It was a long time before he finally stepped out, toweled off, and got dressed. As he did, Michelle was scribbling furiously.

 

"More notes for your novel?" he asked.

 

"Something like that," said Michelle. "Are you almost ready to go? It's a quarter to one."

 

Sebastian nodded, "I'll be ready soon. It won't kill us if we check out a few minutes late."

 

They stopped for food at another Cracker Barrel a couple of hours later.

 

"I think I figured it out," said Sebastian. "Once we get to Austin, I'll take care of closing the house, send my stuff back to storage, and head back to New York with you after this conference. I should have a much easier time finding a job there. Then, when Stryker starts their MBA program, I'll come back."

 

"I have another suggestion," offered Michelle.

 

"Okay," said Sebastian. "Shoot."

 

"You could not do that."

 

Sebastian scowled, "I thought that was what you wanted. I'll come back to New York . We'll be together. In a year or two, we'll be back in school together."

 

"It would be great," said Michelle, her eyes probing his. "But, I don't want it to happen because you're afraid to take a chance. As I figure it, you probably want to try to make things work in Austin , but are afraid that, if you say so, I'm going to take it to mean that you don't want to come back with me. I don't want to be responsible for you not trying."

 

Sebastian smirked, "Pretty full of yourself, aren't you?"

 

"Always," conceded Michelle. "But, I'm not wrong. Am I?"

 

Sebastian didn't answer for a long time. Instead, he stirred his coffee and thought about what she'd said. He wished the thinking would take longer. Michelle had him pegged far too well, a skill she'd learned from him.

 

Finally, he sighed, "This conversation is making me feel kind of taken advantage of."

 

Michelle smirked, "Just lie back and think of England . It will be over soon enough."

 

"All right," said Sebastian finally. "I want to give it a shot."

 

"Good," said Michelle. "And I'm going to do everything I can to help you. Don't get any funny ideas, Bas. I want you to fail and come back to New York . But, I don't want you to come back if it means you'll spend the rest of your life playing 'what-if.' So, I'm going to make sure you have every chance to succeed."

 

Sebastian felt extremely gratified by the offer, but knew better than to express that gratitude. This was the sort of thing he and Michelle had always done for each other. So, instead, he grunted.

 

"That is typical Michelle logic," he said. "Good. For a while this morning, I thought you were getting all responsible in anticipation of some sort of breakdown on my part."

 

Michelle waved her hand, "Nah. I checked the reserve tanks. I have just enough responsibility and maturity to last about three days. I figure that's enough to get us to Austin and somewhat settled in. After that, it's on your shoulders again."