Chapter 1- Day 1
The thick humidity forced droplets of water to run down the side of the plastic cup Rick was holding, leaving his fingers cold while the rest of him sweltered in the balmy night. He dried his palm on the untucked hem of his button down shirt, leaving light grey streaks of moisture across the white cotton, then absentmindedly ran his fingers through his hair, taking in the scene.
This wasn't his type of place; loud music, ten dollar drinks served in tiny plastic cups, girls who looked way too young to be wearing what they were wearing and dancing how they were dancing. This was Shane's type of place. He'd chosen it because he said they needed the full beach vacation experience since they rarely made it to the coast. They were situated on a deck that stretched over the sand and the ocean waves crashed just below the platform. It would have been the perfect place to relax with a beer and enjoy the roar of the water, but a hundred plus bodies were jammed together, writhing on the dance floor, some in time to the music, some not, drowning out the peaceful song of the sea.
Despite the broiling temperature, Rick thought they might be able to catch a breeze coming off of the waves if they could make it through the crowd to the edge of the deck. He raised his voice over the exuberant request by the Black Eyed Peas for everyone to get it started, and nodded to his friends to follow him. Abe nudged Shane with his elbow and their ever prowling friend bid adieu to the girl he was talking to, who Rick was sure was significantly younger than the man realized. They followed the path Rick was forging, out from under the canopy that covered the bar and the dance floor, and into the open air where a warm breeze was mercifully drying the brows of those who had escaped there.
"Grimes, do you really think your need for fresh air was worth ending my conversation with that pretty little thing in there?" Shane challenged.
"It was either that or arrest you," Rick said, breaking free from the wall of people to find a clear spot up against the railing of the deck. "You check her I.D.?"
"Listen, Officer Buzz Kill, trust the fine men working the door to keep the clientele above age. You're on vacation, remember?"
"Damn straight!" Abe agreed.
Rick smirked at the two, lifting his ridiculously expensive Solo cup in the air. "I remember," he assured them, taking a large swig of his drink.
They managed to hold on to their comfortable spot as the crowd ebbed and flowed before them. Throngs of people pushed onto the deck when the music slowed, pulling back like the tide once the beat picked up again. The bass from the speakers was vibrating through the floorboards currently, so they had plenty of elbow room where they stood.
Abe and Shane were once again engaged in a debate over the upcoming college football season, Abe contorting his hand into the shape of the horns of his favorite Texas team, while Shane rattled off the attributes of his precious Georgia Tech. Rick was leaning casually against the railing, nodding in agreement with Shane when appropriate, and watching intoxication wash over the room as the night ticked forward.
He had been watching a couple of women out of the corner of his eye for a few minutes now. Two friends who were seemingly part of a larger group, as they kept making faces across the room at a few other women, when the man who was talking to them took a sip of his drink. They didn't know him, Rick could tell. Reading body language was one of the things he considered himself particularly good at. He was trained for it as a cop, but he had always had a knack for pegging people, reading their intentions. This guy's intentions were to continue this conversation with one or both of these ladies well after last call.
The blonde woman seemed to be egging him on for her own amusement, while her companion looked like she was trying to decide between being polite and telling the guy to screw off. The way she stared at the man with one eyebrow raised incredulously, her large eyes questioning his every word, made Rick chuckle.
She was wearing a fitted orange tank top and her chocolate skin had a bit of a sheen to it from the temperature. The light bounced off of her, highlighting her toned arms and proving she was more than capable of handling herself in the situation. The guy was on the smaller side, she could definitely take him, Rick mused. He was sure the two women had it under control, but still, he kept them in his peripheral vision, just in case.
He did a sweep of the room again, feeling himself get tired just watching the dance floor bounce from one song to the next without taking a break. He had refilled his drink twice already and, after spending more than he had on dinner, he was finally feeling the fiery rum sparking in his veins. At least they were mixing some country music in he thought, as he felt his shoulders begin to loosen and his blood start to pump in time with the bass.
He heard an awkward laugh come from over his shoulder and he turned back to where he had been watching the two friends, noticing the blonde scanning the crowd behind her. She was searching for an exit, he noticed. The man was invading her personal space now and she was beginning to look uncomfortable. Her friend was starting to look pissed.
Rick stood up straighter, glancing at Shane and Abe who were handing money to a waitress for some colorful shots she was serving from a tray. He sized the guy up again, confident he could end the situation pretty easily if he needed to.
The blonde woman noticed him watching them over his cup as he took a sip, and to his and her friend's surprise, she pointed a finger at him, saying something to the man. He knew his back was against the railing, but Rick still turned over his shoulder, half expecting her to be pointing at someone behind him that he hadn't noticed. Suddenly she plastered on a wide grin and walked the few steps over to where he was standing, hooking her arm through his and pulling him into the group.
"There you are, honey," she exclaimed. "I've been waiting for you to come back." She turned toward the man they had been talking to and smiled. "This is my boyfriend."
She gave his bicep a squeeze and he watched her friend roll her eyes and shake her head. Rick cleared his throat, before committing to the woman's lie. "Sorry, sweetheart," he drawled. "There was a long wait at the bar."
The man looked Rick up and down, squinting as if he was considering challenging her claim. Seeing that she was being unconvincing, she reached up and ran her fingers over the stubble on Rick's jaw, looking him in the eye and contemplating kissing him right then and there to sell her story. Rick could see her formulating that plan, so he leaned over and gave her a chaste peck on the forehead, wrapping his fingers lightly around her wrist to stop her stroke. He glanced at her friend who could apparently sense his growing discomfort and was utterly amused by it.
"It's ok, babe," she replied. "You're here now. I guess we should be going, nice to meet you." She waved to the man and reached for the other woman's arm. "Come on, Michonne."
Michonne. Rick rolled the name around in his head as he allowed her friend to pull him away from the poor guy who was still standing there with his mouth hanging open. It was a fitting name, beautiful and unlike any he'd ever heard. He had definitely never met a Michonne before. He had also never seen a woman with such flawless skin, and captivating eyes. And her lips, he had never seen lips like that. They were heart shaped and plump, and he couldn't help imagining what she might be willing to do with lips like that.
He watched her push ahead of them and he felt his dick twitch, as her hips swayed beneath the long flowy skirt, wrapped around her perfect ass. He realized he was staring so hard she could probably feel his eyes on her, so he forced himself to refocus his gaze past her shoulder at nothing in particular. When they had sufficiently blended in with some of the other patrons, his new girlfriend released him.
"Thanks," she said, using her palms to smooth his shirt over his chest. "You're a doll."
"No problem," he answered, looking over her shoulder at Michonne. She still had a smirk on her face and she hadn't said a word yet, but he could tell she was the type of woman who could make you melt or kick your ass, depending on how much she liked you.
"Let me buy you a drink for playing along," Michonne's friend said, pulling his attention back.
"No," he said, shaking his head. "It was no trouble. Besides, I already have one." He held up his cup of now watery alcohol, tapping it against hers.
"Let her," Michonne said, surprising him with the way she met his gaze and held it hostage. He swallowed hard, for some reason feeling a little weak at the sound of her voice. "She owes you. Andrea, get the man a drink."
Andrea passed her gaze back and forth between them, obviously noticing the staring contest they had begun over her shoulder. Rick didn't say anything. He really didn't want her to buy him a drink, but it occurred to him that he might be left alone for a few minutes with Michonne if Andrea took off for the bar. He was weighing the options when he felt a hard slap on his shoulder.
"Thought we lost ya," Shane bellowed, slinging an arm around his shoulders and forcing him to look away from Michonne to greet him.
"You found me," Rick answered, doing a poor job hiding his irritation at his friend's untimely arrival.
"And you made friends." Abe came up behind him, closing the circle they were making. "Ladies..."
Rick shrugged out of Shane's embrace, taking a step back as his two gregarious friends greeted the women. He ran his thumb over his brow, peeking from under his hand to watch his best friend introduce himself to Michonne. He was pleasantly surprised to find she didn't seem all that impressed with Shane even though he was giving her his most charming smile, his brown eyes shining with sexual confidence.
Shane could be overpowering sometimes. It wasn't that Rick couldn't hold his own when it came to the opposite sex, it was just that he did better when he had time to actually talk to a woman. Shane often intercepted those opportunities.
Rick had been so busy scoping out Shane's intentions that he hadn't noticed the two women whom Michonne and Andrea had been gesturing to previously had joined their group.
"Sasha and Maggie," Andrea said as the introductions got around to Rick.
"Rick Grimes," he said, shaking each of their hands.
"It's Maggie's bachelorette party," Andrea announced, giving the young brunette a hug.
"It's a pre-wedding girls trip," she corrected. "Bachelorette parties are silly."
"Right," Sasha countered. "And Glenn is having a barbeque at Daryl's house."
"He is!" Maggie sighed. "What about y'all?" she asked the men. "Celebrating somethin'?"
"Celebrating being alive, ladies," Abraham said, tipping his chin to the night sky and taking in a deep pull of salty air. "And life is good down here."
"Shane and I were here for work, decided to make a vacation of it," Rick said. "Abe decided to join us."
"I don't miss a party," Abe said. "Even if I have to invite myself."
Michonne laughed along with the others at Abe's joke, but Rick noticed she hadn't said much. She was still sipping a pink cocktail with a fresh cut orchid floating in the top, and seemingly taking in the cast of characters that had followed him into their evening. He tipped back his cup and swallowed the last of his drink, catching her gaze over the conversation that had sprung up around them. She didn't look away and he smiled, feeling emboldened by the rum burning in his chest and her apparent immunity to Shane's charms. He stepped out of the circle they had formed, and behind Andrea who wasn't so immune, to press a finger to the back of Michonne's arm. She stepped away too, unnoticed, and turned to face him with a cautious smile. She was trying to get a read on him, he figured, after the situation he had just helped them exit, and he thought he wanted nothing more than to be a book that she could browse all night long.
"Can I get you another drink, Michonne?" he asked, unable to keep from saying her name out loud.
The corner of her mouth curled upward and she brought her cup to her mouth, draining it. "Sure."
He held an arm out, gesturing for her to lead the way and let his hand graze the small of her back, making sure not to lose her in the crowd. When they reached the bar she squeezed onto a stool, putting her at eye level with him and giving him an even better view of her pretty face. She flashed the bartender a bright smile, earning them immediate service. Rick ordered another round of their chosen poison and gave the bartender his name to add them to his tab.
"So, what do you do, Rick Grimes?" she asked, trying his name out for size the same way he had done. "You said you were here for work."
He took a sip of his drink before answering. "We had an annual training down here. I'm a cop," he said, using his thumb to wipe the excess moisture from his lip. He found that information could produce a variety of reactions, and he leaned back on his heels, studying her face for hers.
She nodded, taking a matching sip from her straw. "That makes sense."
"Really?" he smiled, amused by her confidence. "How's that?"
She spun around on her seat to face him, crossing her legs in the small space between them. "I saw you keeping an eye on things over there. Looking out for two women you didn't even know. I also saw you watching those girls who look like they definitely got in here with fake I.D.'s"
She gestured behind her to a threesome of tiny, tan, blonde girls who looked like they should be ordering milkshakes at the mall food court instead of jello shots at the bar. "So," she continued. "You're either the protector type, like a cop or a dad...or you're a total creep."
Rick laughed out loud, enchanted by her playful banter. "Come on," he replied. "Would Andrea have dated me for these last few minutes if I was a creep?"
"You don't know Andrea," she shot back, joining in his laughter. Rick shifted on his feet so her knee settled against his thigh. He leaned an elbow on the bar, bringing his chest closer to her and he could smell the scent of coconut and sun-kissed skin drifting from her.
"And what about you, Michonne? What do you do?"
"Well, Officer, I'm an attorney. My firm mostly works with young girls who have been victims of sex crimes."
"Wow," he replied, more impressed with her by the minute. "So, you're the protector type too...and that's why you noticed those girls." He nodded his chin toward the three whom they had both been keeping an eye on.
"Mmm hmm," she confirmed, watching him intently. They smiled at each other for a few moments, mulling over their similar career paths.
They felt the crowd around them grow thicker with eager patrons vying for the man behind the bar's attention, and Rick noticed the music had had a change in mood. Kenny Chesney's Anything But Mine, came blaring over the speakers and Rick smiled as the dance floor immediately divided into circles of drunken friends singing along to the classic summertime lyrics, and couples taking advantage of the opportunity to press themselves together.
"You like this song?" Michonne asked, taking in the easy grin on his face.
"I do." He met her eyes, losing himself in the thick brown sea. "Do you think my girlfriend would mind if I asked you to dance?" he asked.
She leaned forward and whispered into his ear with a coy smile, as she eyed their group of mixed friends, still chatting. "I think you're about to break up."
He followed her gaze and saw Shane's arm wrapped around a giggling Andrea. He couldn't help but laugh at how quickly his friend had made his move on the flirty woman. He turned back toward Michonne who was still beaming at him and grabbed her hand, helping her down from the stool before leading her through the wall of sweaty people to an open spot on the floor.
Kenny crooned on about fleeting summer romance and making the most of the night, and Rick felt a wave of empathy for the singer, as he slipped his free hand around Michonne's waist and pulled her against his chest. "How long are you here?" he asked, suddenly fearing her answer.
"Two more days," she answered, her eyes starting to reflect the wistfulness of the song.
"Us too. And then where?"
"Atlanta," she replied, watching for his inevitable reaction to her distant home.
He stopped swaying for a moment to squint quizzically at her. "Really?"
She nodded, staring up at him as they stood still. "You?"
"About forty-five minutes south of there. Town called King's County."
She looked at him with the same cocked eyebrow she had given the man he had rescued her from. "So we both traveled five hours to end up at the same sweaty bar on the same little stretch of sand?" she asked. "Where are you staying?"
"Comfort Suites," he chuckled. "Shane picked it."
"We're two hotels down, The Tidal Inn. Tall one with the white balconies."
"I saw it from the beach this morning," he said, as the song came to an end.
They held onto each other, both secretly hoping for another ballad, but the beat picked up and the crowd filled back in around them. Sasha appeared beside them then, pulling Maggie behind her and the two started dancing to the tempo. Sasha playfully bumped into Michonne with her hip as she danced, forcing Rick to loosen his hold on her. She smiled at him, feeling the pull of her friends' revelry and the woman she was supposed to be celebrating with.
"Can I see you tomorrow?" Rick asked over the music, feeling as if he was about to lose his shot.
"I assumed you were going to ask me to go home with you tonight," she simpered, giving him a sexy smile that made his stomach flutter. His mouth dropped open and he stumbled for a response. "I would have said no," she said, letting him off the hook.
"Glad I went with my plan then," he said, regaining his confidence. He held onto her hand as her two friends worked to surround her and take back her company.
She looked him up and down with a smile. "Like I said, we're on the same little stretch of sand. If you're meant to see me tomorrow, you will." With that she dropped his hand and allowed Maggie to pull her into an intoxicated dance embrace, gifting him one more smile over her shoulder before turning away.
...
"Thought you were gonna get yourself some tonight, Rick," Shane said as the three friends left the bar and made their way down the cement path toward their hotel. Abraham snickered beside them, having had too many drinks to inject his usual crassness into the conversation. "You had that intense look you get when you ain't fucking around. Thought for sure Abe and I would be getting ourselves some ear plugs from the concierge and sleeping on the living room floor."
"I'll see her again," Rick answered, not wishing to go where Shane was headed with this conversation.
"Alright, Brother. Just remember what I told ya...vacation!" He simulated a sexual act with his hands and hips, laughing at his own humor.
"I got it," Rick answered, glancing up as they passed Michonne's hotel on their walk. Two more days, he thought.