She smiles. “Good to know.” She leans in to kiss me softly, and as much as I want to take it deeper, I resist, letting her dictate what happens next. When she pulls back, she continues to hold my gaze. “Our sex life was good, active, but, Stuart wasn’t as… enthusiastic, I’ll say, as you.” She chuckles. “But don’t getme wrong, last night, and this morning… they were amazing, fantastic. And, surprising. Surprising to me at how quickly I reacted to you. At my ability to… um…” She bites her lip, and I want to gnaw on it myself before ravaging those plump lips.
“To get off?” I grin.
She laughs. “I’m usually not shy about speaking what’s on my mind, but I haven’t been with anyone since my husband, and, well, you… this…”
“Is taking you by surprise,” I supply easily, hoping to squash her nerves.
“Yes.”
“I like the thought of surprising you. Hope I can keep it up.”
“I have a feeling that won’t be a problem.”
We smile at one another before I turn the subject to another topic. “So tell me about the tattoo. What inspired it? Midlife crisis?” I give her a playful wink.
Michelle closes her eyes and shakes her head. “No.” When she opens her eyes, they’re clearer, more focused. “I’ve always had a fascination with tattoos, the beautiful artwork. I just never followed through with anything I thought I might like. And let’s just say Stuart wasn’t a fan of them. A piercing was one thing, which I’ve had for over twenty years, but any tattoo would’ve been a sore spot in our relationship.”
“Even something as beautiful and obviously meaningful as what you have?”
She nods and slides off my chest to lie on her side next to me, so I roll to face her, propping myself up on my elbow.
“I’d taken yoga off and on for many years, but it was only about six years ago I got serious about my training in order to incorporate it into my counseling therapy. I knew the benefits it could provide and thought it would be a great adjunct for many of my patients. Not only did I start using it in therapy tothose interested, but I began teaching it twice a month in classes offered through the hospital.
“When Stuart passed and I went through a rough spell, I finally started listening to my inner self, knowing I had all I needed inside me to move beyond the grief. Certainly helped to have friends like Dani and Stacy in my life as well.”
She sits up, resting against the backboard, crossing her legs at her ankles. She still doesn’t bother to cover up, which doesn’t hurt my feelings in the least.
“Anyway, I gave myself a dose of my own medicine, you could say. I also decided I was going to do something just for me; something that meant a great deal to me.” She traces a finger around the edge of the orange lotus floating on water.
I realize her piercing is in the center of the flower and the jewelry is a charm of some sort. I can’t quite tell what it is, and before I can ask, Michelle starts speaking again.
“The lotus symbolizes rebirth or self-regeneration. The location is the second chakra, the sacrum or sacral chakra, which is symbolic of the water elements within the body. It deals with our ability to be happy and joyful as well as influencing our desires and sexuality. It’s also represented by the color orange. This symbol is the Sanskrit for the chakra.”
When she’s silent, her fingers begin playing with the colorful beaded bracelet on her wrist. After only a moment, she looks up to meet my gaze.
“For me, this tattoo represents my own rebirth. I had to rediscover myself and realize I could go on alone after I lost my husband. I had to find joy once again and make myself happy.”
“And have you succeeded?”
She smiles. “I’m getting there.”
I nod to her wrist. “Does the bracelet have meaning too?”
Michelle glances down at it before looking back at me. “Yeah, the colorful beads represent each of the seven chakras. Theseblack beads can be used as oil diffusers. I place a few drops of my favorite scent and enjoy for hours.”
“And what’s your favorite scent?”
“Peppermint. It’s invigorating.”
I scoot closer to her, trailing my hand up her thigh then over her hip before tracing the tattoo just as she’d done herself. Smiling up at her, I say, “Remind me to pick up a gallon of peppermint oil next time we’re in town.”
She releases one of her bold laughs that has my heart flipping in my chest. She leans forward to brush her lips over mine while her hand caresses my cheek that’s already sprouting whiskers. She keeps it brief, much to my disappointment.
“I suppose we should get cleaned up. I imagine you need to return to the bar and check on the status of whether or not you’re going to have electricity for your performance this afternoon.”
I shrug. “I’ve got time. I’d rather stay right where I am and get to know more about you. Unless you need me outta your hair.”
She places her hand atop mine that’s resting on her leg. “I’ve got time.” She grins. “How about showers then breakfast?”
