He returned to me with Pellegrino in a water goblet.
Handing me the glass, he said, “I know it makes me look terribly spoiled, but I’d rather work than mess with all that shit. I can do it all. Believe me, I did my time when I was growing up. There wasn’t a thing I didn’t help my mom with. And Rochelle is well compensated, including benefits for her and her son. She’s a single mom.”
“You don’t need to defend yourself to me.” I sipped my water rather than tell him I couldn’t stop admiring his past passion for protecting his mom, and the way he was a white knight when it came to anyone else he met.
I wondered if I had a son like Mick, would he do the same for me? Priscilla was doing her part to encourage me to get free. Girls and women talk, but men take action, right?
“We do,” Mick said.
“Ugh, talking out loud again. It’s becoming a bad habit with you. There’s something about you. I let my guard down, which is a big deal because I don’t think I’ve lowered it in a decade.”
“That’s a great compliment.”
He leaned forward and took my goblet, setting it behind us on the table. Then he used a fingertip to bring my face close to his, his lips caressing mine. Softly at first, then a little firmer until my mouth opened and his tongue entered my mouth.
We sat like that for a long time, kissing, his palm roaming my back, under my shirt, my skin on fire. When we finally broke free, my lips felt wrung out in the best way possible, and my body was hot with need.
“You need to get out, Margo,” Mick said, cupping my chin lightly. “Not for me, not for us, but for you.”
“I know. I’m trying to think about the best way. I called a lawyer. Did the preliminary stuff, asked questions. We’re going to meet.”
“Do it sooner rather than later,” Mick said, his eyes black like the night, but inviting like a warm bath in the winter.
“Okay.”
“Good.”
We kissed a while longer, and my groin ached. My body had never felt so primed.
“Mick,” I murmured.
“I know, but not now. We did that once. Rushed. Once you’re free, we can take our time.”
My libido was wild, making me want to crawl out of my skin.
“Am I panting?” I asked, and this got me a huge barrel laugh.
“A little.” Mick smirked when he said it, and it was more cute than sinister.
I wanted to go to bed. I desperately wanted him inside me. I needed to tell him I’d made a mistake in thinking we rushed last time, but before I could, he took my hand and pulled me up.
“Believe me, I’m aching for you, but we’re doing this right. You are getting out of the bad place you’re in, and then we’re making it good together. I’m going to call you an Uber.”
I walked to the window and looked out. “I love this view.”
“Me too. Especially when I’m on my exercise bike to nowhere.”
This made us both chuckle as we looked toward his Peloton.
“I hope to share this view a lot more with you.” Mick came up behind me, kissing my earlobe and whispering promises for our future until the Uber app pinged.
Then I was on my way back to thebad place, as Mick had called it.
Margaret
“Have the best time,” I shouted at Priscilla as she boarded the bus for their fall class trip.
It was the second week in October, and the air already hung limp with condensation and heavy with decisions I needed to make.
