Hopeless Romance

Chapter Thirty

A week or so later Sophia was back in my room.  I sat up straight, ready to fight her sexy as hell onslaughts. 

“Relax.  I won’t attack you.  I hate it but I accept how you feel.  I still want to be friends okay?  We’ve been ‘just’ friends for a long time now.  I need you in my life; you are in my life forever what with Sapphire and Mitch.  In a few weeks we will celebrate their second birthdays together and I don’t want to feel awkward or have them stressed out as we glare at each other across the room.  I’ll just be friends as long as you want to.  I do love you.  And, I know you love me and want me, and won’t be able to stay away.”

She smiled at me.  I fought back parts of my body that were firing up.  She noticed and smiled larger.  “Brain might want to communicate better with other parts still partial to me.”  I heard her laughing clear down the hall way.  Her laugh didn’t feel directed at me now though; she was just happy I wanted her.  Regardless of what I was saying.

I knew I just needed a woman, someone else.  That would fix the traitorous parts of me.

I was now on the lookout.  Denny was right when he told me to date someone else, that there were plenty of women here. There were so many hot women everywhere!  It was seriously every guy’s dream, little competition and lots of willing women.  This must be how wild animals feel.  I flashed to a TV program I had once watched with my parents about African animals.  There was a big lion with a shaggy mane and lionesses all around him.  I am a lion now I told myself; I don’t belong with a little wild street cat.

I had one night stands.  I knew I was being cruel.  I was angry I couldn’t have May or Sophia- the women I loved.  I was back to this kind of sex: varied, unemotional, animalistic. 

One lady was in my research and strategy meetings. I had never noticed her before.  After I turned away from Sophia I had noticed her looking at me in a way that left no doubt she had noticed me before.  She had green eyes, lighter than May’s.  Brown hair, short, cut at the nape of her neck, showing off a slender, beautiful neck.  I realized I wanted to kiss that neck. 

After the meeting I went up to her.

“Hey, I’m Michael.  Are you new?” I tried for a charming smile.

“I’m Claudia.  You don’t remember me?”  She smiled back, so her feelings weren’t too hurt.

“Sorry, I’ve been in a daze since I lost my, my, love May.” I said, looking at the floor.  I so didn’t want to talk about May.

“I know, I mean I’ve noticed you out of it during some of our meetings.  You both rescued me from a place in Port Aransas.  I looked different then, kind of wasted away.  They only fed us every few days.”  She said it matter of fact, not looking for pity. “Anyway, I wanted to tell you I’m sorry about May.  I just didn’t want to bother you when you were obviously in so much pain.  I could tell on that mission you really loved her.  You didn’t even look at me or the other girls.”  She glanced at my forearm, where I had my May tattoo. 

She looked somewhat familiar now; I recalled her peeking out from the blanket, getting out of the Mustang when we returned to the cave.  “Thanks for giving me some time and space.”  I said.  “Hey, do you want to get something to eat?” 

She leaned in closer.  “I don’t think that is what you are hungry for.”  She kissed me.  I lifted her up on my hips, against the wall.  We heard someone coming down the hall and broke apart, but she whispered, “Come with me.”  

And, I did.  I had been all turned on in the meeting room but now in her room, things, um, weren’t working well.  She tried.  She was totally hot.  I had no idea what was going on.  I was way too young for this!  Eventually, she was able to persuade reluctant parts.  Then, I had no protection.