To Have and To Hold

Chapter 5

Lisa had walked in, and she ignored Michael as she warmly greeted Carlos.  They engaged in some small talk, then Carlos made his hasty exit, but not before once again assuring Michael he was next door.

Michael chewed his lip nervously and stared at Lisa, who also seemed to be at a loss for words.  As he had been warned, she looked annoyed and bitchy.  Her lips were pressed together and her eyes had that green tint that usually accompanied intense passion on either end of the affective spectrum.  Still, she was a vision of loveliness .  Her jeans hugged her tightly, and the blouse and leather jacket fit perfectly, conveying an image of casual elegance.  Her hair was a bit longer again, and it flowed around her shoulders, making her look younger.  She had kept her make-up light, her lips standing out, having been rendered slightly darker than their natural hue. All in all, she sent his senses into overdrive, and his blood on a rushing journey through every cell of his body.

“Hey.  Welcome…” His first attempt to talk came out insecure and hesitant.  The tone of his voice irritated him: he had nothing to be insecure about, after all.  This was his hotel room and Lisa was on his turf.

“Well, I guess, I would feel a lot more welcome if I had not been brought in through the backdoor like some late night snack delivery.”

“It was not the backdoor.  It was the kitchen.”

She raised an eyebrow.  Oh, no, that was not the right answer…  He felt like ducking for cover. 

“Really?  After more than 12 hours on a plane, you are going to argue with me about whether it was the back door or the kitchen, Michael?  The fact is, for some reason I had to be snuck in like a dirty whore.  Is that how you see me?”

Did she have to be so melodramatic?  And crass?  He started to ponder what he could have done with the money he just invested into that charter flight had he just left her ass back home.

“No, I see you as a dear friend, and I think I was pretty considerate to want to preserve your privacy and not announce to the world that you are here.  The papps are out in full force…after…earlier.” He cleared his throat uncomfortably.

Taking a couple of steps closer, she threw her purse on the nearby sofa.  He had kept his eyes on the ground, but raised them to meet hers as she stood mere inches away from him.  Her scent momentarily took his breath away.  How could she smell so good after just having been on a forever long flight?  He inhaled deeply, and realized the warmth of her body combined with her perfume sent blood to all the wrong regions of his anatomy. Alarm bells went off: What was she up to now?

Not giving him a second to call up his defenses, she leaned in and brought her full lips temptingly close to his mouth.  Had he not, hours ago, dreamed of those lips? Even though their feel and texture was branded into his mind, he could not resist the chance for a real life reminder of her sweet taste.  His breathing rate shot up and he instinctively followed the pull toward her, capturing her bottom lip, sucking it in lightly, feeling her soft and pliant under him, her mouth opening up as he started to deepen the kiss.

Then the cold shower:  She pulled back and laughed. 

“Ha! I knew it! Good friend, indeed.  You did not give me the good friend vibe.  And that was not a kiss for a good friend.  You are full of shit, Michael.  You brought me here ‘cause you thought you could fuck me into forgetting that you just jumped into the marital boat with the Debster.  Well, I hope it’s the Titanic.”