A Rather Average Start
They first met coincidently because of Francis' birthday present for her. Her brother, a lover of all things beautiful, thought it would be nice to give his baby sister a gift card to a local spa. How nice of him, right? Michelle was, of course, extremely grateful for such a present and decided to use it right away.
Though the woman at the spa took her for a teenager, and it took her school ID, actual ID and credit card to convince the woman that she was indeed twenty. Not a very relaxing start to a spa treatment. The lady just put on one of those fake customer service tight smiles that always gave Michelle the creeps and told her she had an hour before her treatment actually started and encouraged the young woman to have a swim in the pool and enjoy the other spa amnesties like the Jacuzzi and saunas.
Michelle settled for the pool, and after putting on a simple one-piece swimsuit, she entered the pool area that was, sadly, overrun by wrinkled old people. "Well, what a pleasant sight," she thought, and lingered at the edge.
She loved swimming and the ocean and beach but she would hardly say that she was 'in shape' enough to get in the fast lane. No, Michelle sat at the edge of the slow lane and lowered herself into the shallow end. There was another man there, old, really old, like his skin looked like it was sagging off and he paddled his way up and down the slow lane. The old man smiled at her once as he came to her end before turning and swimming to the deep end. There was also a person in the middle lane powering through the water like a professional swimmer. Of course, Michelle couldn't see what the person looked like because they barely stopped for air but she envied them just a little as she slowly made her way from the shallow end to the deep end. Just that action, going from shallow to deep in half an Olympic sized pool left her winded but she forced her arms and legs to get her to the end where her feet could actually touch the ground. She noted that the lifeguard took a particular interest in her…not the kind of interest one would want. He must have thought she was going to drown. Well, he wouldn't have been wrong, she barely made it to the shallow end without having to grab hold of the wall. Wow, she was really out of shape, her thigh muscles ached already.
Middle lane guy, she found out was guy when he paused for like half a second to adjust his goggles, was still trudging on, powering through the water. The old man in the slow lane with her still paddled on and for a second Michelle thought of mimicking his dog like swimming style, at least the man could go a full lap with feeling like he was dying. Swimming was no fun when it was chore, she much preferred it when she was playing around with friends and splashing people. She looked at the clock and realized that she still had forty minutes to kill.
Well, damn.
This was supposed to be a relaxing experience, but so far, Michelle just felt both tense and out of place. Perhaps if the lifeguard stopped glancing at her every time she actually decided to swim it would take the pressure off. All in all, it was the beginnings of a very sucky spa day so Michelle decided to liven it up by seeing if she still held the record for holding her breathe the longest under water. She inhaled and dipped under, sinking to the bottom and holding her knees to keep herself from floating upward. After a few seconds she opened her eyes. The water stung only for a moment before her eyes adjusted. She saw saggy skin man still doggy paddling along. Her eyes darted to the left and middle lane powerhouse was still going. His body looked rather nice stretched out against the water as it was. His legs were powerful, kicking away water, with stronger arms displacing the unnecessary water from his way. Michelle watched him in admiration, shimming to the side a bit so saggy man wouldn't step on her. She stayed under long enough to see the powerhouse go from one end of the land to the other before she had to come up for air.
Michelle barely made a splash when she came out of the water. Apparently though, the lifeguard was freaked, as he was kneeling down and looking about ready to dive into the pool. Not to mention he scared the shit out of her, causing her to choke on water upon emerging face to face with a total stranger. Michelle coughed and inhaled air; blinking rapidly to get the water from her eyes so she could address the curious stare. But he wasn't the only one giving her stares; the powerhouse seemed to have turned his attention to her as well. What? Did no one play the 'hold long can you hold your breathe game as a child?
"Yes?" Michelle asked in all of her accented English. Damn her French speaking adoptive family.
The lifeguard gestured to the water and then to her. Michelle followed his gestured and glanced at the powerhouse who just smiled in return. She quickly looked back to the lifeguard. "Are you okay?" He asked her. She nodded like an idiot before actually answering.
"I was just holding my breath." She told him.
The man raised his brow, "You were under for almost a minute. I was about to jump in and get if you didn't come back up soon."
"I'm good at it…?" she tried to reason though, honestly, wasn't sure what he wanted her to say. She was good at holding her breath under water and that was about the only talent she possessed.
The man looked a bit terrified and she was, for a moment, confused at why he was staring at her like that. What, did he thing she was trying to drown herself?
Oh God he did think she was trying to drown herself and, suddenly, Michelle felt a bit smaller with both men looking worriedly in her direction.
Her answer appeared to have sufficed (thank heavens) as the lifeguard forcefully laughed it off and stood up. He turned to the powerhouse guy, to which Michelle looked at him as well, and he said, "I thought you were the only one with talent here, Jules."
Jules? Interesting name and 'Jules' just smiled a very attractive smile for an older guy and she noticed the wrinkles near his eyes and laugh lines near his mouth. His skin was a nice tawny colour, complete with patches of body hair on his chest and arms that lay flat against his skin because of the water.
"I think it's a good talent," 'Jules' finally said and Michelle should have probably guessed that he was Italian…he just looked like the stereotypical Italian man. The curly hair on his head should have been a dead giveaway. "I can't do that," the last bit he direct towards her and she could have burst into flames at the sparkly brown coloured eyes giving her his full attention.
"It's just from a childish game," Michelle may as well have whispered because of how low she was speaking but 'Jules' heard her just fine and leaned against the ropes that separated the lanes, goggles pressed against his forehead making it look like he had two sets of eyes.
"Are you new here?" he asked and she shook her head.
"Yeah, this is my first time her," Michelle said and smiled a small smile at him. She didn't trust herself to do more than that.
Jules smiled brighter at that and pushed his goggles up into his hair, "Oh nice. Are you here with Martha," he pointed to an older black lady that had been roasting away in the Jacuzzi, "Are you her daughter?"
Michelle wasn't even bothered by the stereotype that all black people look alike because a ray of sunshine was smiling at her. She briefly thought about kissing those wrinkles in the corners of his eyes. Would that be creepy? Maybe? Yes, very creep and too much like her brother. Kissing people she didn't know wasn't her style.
"No," Michelle answered him shyly and he looked confused for a moment but only for a moment before brightening up as she clarified, "I'm not her daughter. I'm just here for the spa, wasting time in the pool really."
Jules laughed and really was like in those movies where someone's laughs sounds like birds flying or ocean waves or something sappy like that. It was a booming sound, something like the cracking of wood in a fireplace that gave her the warm fuzzys. Michelle ducked under the water a bit.
"Don't be shy bella! Your 'wasting time' almost gave the guard a heart attack." He reached his hand over the rope in her directions. "I'm Julius." He introduced himself.
Michelle extended her hands as well, "Michelle, nice to meet you."
Julius gave her a firm handshake before letting go and ducking under the water himself. He came up on her side and she tried to discreetly back away because he was big. Like, he felt like he took up the hold land or maybe she was just so tiny compared to him. Maybe he noticed, maybe he didn't. Michelle'll never know because he just winked before swimming toward the latter.
"Hopefully you'll come back and teach me that holding your breath game," Julius said as he climbed out of the pool. "Ciao, cioccobella."
She just nodded like some silly high school girl and tried very hard and failed not to look at his ass when he climbed up those stairs. Michelle watched him go from the pool to join Martha in the Jacuzzi.
She took a deep breath and ducked under the water again, this time to cool her temperaments from talking to the powerhouse that was Julius.
The next time she saw Julius was on the side of the freeway in the afternoon on a particularly warm fall day, warm enough for Michelle to wear short sleeves with a pair of boy cut ripped jeans. It was a totally unexpected meeting and mainly based on her horrible luck that her tire blew out. No other cars were on the freeway at the time. That was a good thing because she avoided an accident. It was also a bad thing because Michelle, being the clever girl that she was, had no spare tire and was stuck trying to get a signal on her phone to call Lili, her flatmate, and praying that someone would drive by. She was already late for her class, so going to university was out of the question, so if Lili would just come and save her, that would have been nice.
Instead as she sat on the hood of her car, legs dangling because she's barely tall enough to reach the ground when she's standing, Michelle held her phone up and squinted. A car slowed, crushing rocks as it pulled over in front of her car on the freeway shoulder. She put her arm down and looked at the rear of a rather expensive car. If it was some weirdo eccentric billionaire, Michelle was ready to tell them that she was just waiting for a friend to catch up to her and everything was fine. However, she was pleasantly shocked to see a rather familiar sunshine smile and brown curly hair. He didn't have his second pair of eyes in the form of goggles but Julius was dressed rather nicely in navy blue dress pants, a canary yellow button down shirt (she totally noticed the first two undone buttons) and a matching navy causal blazer. He was a lot taller outside of the pool, broader as well with thick arms and a cheery disposition.
Michelle recognized him instantly (she thought about him only for like the rest of the week after her spa visit) but wondered if he'd care to remember a shy island girl from the pool.
"Cioccobella," So he did remember…well, "I thought we had an agreement." Julius walked up to her but peeked around to check out her busted tire and shook his head.
Michelle jumped off the hood, a sheepish smile on her face, "Did we?"
For a moment, he looked genuinely hurt that she'd forgotten whatever agreement they made.
"The next time we met, you were supposed to teach me that game of yours." Oh, he was serious…? "Of course I was serious! I never joke with beautiful women." He thought she was beautiful…?
Michelle had no idea how to response to that so she gestured lamely at the pieces of rubber that hung from her tire rim, "I can't help it if my tire had other plans."
Julius just laughed his boisterous laugh and grinned in her direction. "Where's your spare?" Again, she gestured to the tire that was her spare in tatters on the pavement. Why was he finding everything she did so god damn funny!
"Women are so hopeless sometimes."
"Is that a sexist joke?"
"Would you been offended if it was?"
"Only if you don't take offense to me saying men can be idiots and assholes."
Julius laughed again and Michelle just smiled because his laughter reminded her of a certain Spaniard from times past.
"Bella, bella, come on," he started back toward his car, " There's a tire shop not too far from here where you can buy a spare."
She nodded, opening her car door to gather her computer bag and keys before getting into his Ferrari. Oh, smelled like new leather and aftershave in there and she settled into the plush passenger seat as Julius started the car that barely purred when he pressed the start button. It was on this car ride from the freeway to the nearest tire shop that she learned that Julius was an investment banker as well as antiques art dealer, the latter more so these days than the former. She learned that he was forty-two years old, twenty-two years her senior and he learned that she majored in horticulture because keeping plants alive was a lot easier than a pet alive. They both learned that they liked the beach, swimming and sunshine, chocolate and a good movie.
By the time they got to the tire shop, Michelle was too giddy to process that she just rode a few miles with a man she barely knew. Julius was nice, bubbly and confident and she liked him. Screw the fact that she didn't know anything aside from the little knowledge that she's just gained. She wasn't about to complain, it was her first time in a Ferrari.
There were things she noticed about him; like how when they addressed one of the workers, Julius had a commanding way about him that demanded the utmost respect. Maybe it was years as an investment banker that gave him that air of confidence. Or maybe it was the deep rumble of his voice or his big hands and long strides. Whatever it was, the sales person was eager to please him in their quest for a tire perfect for her old car. She also noticed that he liked to touch, to be specific he liked to touch her, particularly on her lower back. Like when they walked into the shop, he guided her in with a gentle nudge to her lower back that made Michelle's skin tingle. And when they walked up to the person helping them, he did it again. Every time they switched aisle, that hand was there and it was distracting when the guy was asking her questions about her car. Michelle could hardly focus with that hand burning a hole into her back muscles; she was both relieved and sad when they finally picked out a spare. It meant she could relax her shoulders and that Julius wouldn't have an excuse to touch her now that they were back into his car. It was fun while it lasted, she supposed.
Julius helped her get her new old tire on, meaning she stood over him and watched as he explained and demonstrated the process. It's worth noting that Michelle was too busy wondering if his hair was really as soft as it seemed to remember most of the steps. She also took the opportunity to sniff his jacket while he wasn't looking. It wasn't in a creepy way but, thanks to Francis, she was rather fond of nice cologne. Julius wore something that smelled of warm sandalwood and a hint of rose or some really soft flowery scent. It was nice. She liked it. She also managed to pull the suit jacket away and look like she was paying attention when Julius finally stood up. Michelle handed over his jacket and thanked him for his time. She was sure this would be the end of their rendezvous until,
"It's late, let's get dinner." Julius declared in that voice that said we are getting dinner. Or at least that's what it sounded like to her.
Michelle looked at him surprised, "Now?"
"Si, right now." Julius was already headed to his Ferrari, "Bring your car. I know a place."
Just like that, she was following him through the city, a feat that was not easily done because Julius drove like a speed demon and her little girl car couldn't go that fast if she wanted it to. It was only by the skin of her teeth that she was able to find the restaurant at all, not many people in the city drive around in a red Ferrari. Julius was easy to spot. Upon pulling up to the place though, Michelle felt horribly underdressed in her ripped jeans and plan t-shirt. The place looked like a middle scale Italian restaurant, not your local Olive Garden, which even came with a valet. But Julius ushered her in with his reassuring smile and a hand to her lower back. Somehow, she didn't feel so out of place anymore when he was so close.
They ordered pizza and Julius picked a suitable wine after having a miniature taste test. He and their waiter conversed in perfect Italian while Michelle nibbled on the free bread and olive oil until the food came.
They talked about everything. Julius told her about his two children, two boys, the first he had when he was twenty. He talked about how nervous he was when he found that the woman (also twenty at the time) was pregnant. Their parents pressured them to get married so they did but it didn't last long; they got a divorce six years later. By then, she'd had a second child who was four while the eldest was six. Neither of them wanted to split the boys up nor could they afford to take care of both of them. In the end, Julius took the youngest, Feliciano and his ex-wife the eldest, Lovino. He never married after that and had since been living the single dad life. Feliciano was a cheerful twenty year old while Lovino was twenty-two and finishing his college years. Michelle wondered if she'd ever seen Lovino since they both when to the same university even though she was two years older than him.
She'd have to check that out.
In the mean time, Michelle told him about her being adopted at four years old from a small African island called Seychelles. She told him about her grandfather who tried very hard to take care of her because both of her parents died but he couldn't afford to, plus he was just too old to deal with such an active small child. So he put her up for adoption and Francis' parents were the first to want her. She told him how her and Francis were inseparable as kids despite their five-year age difference. He kept her from getting picked on and even Francis' friend Gilbert and Antonio didn't mind having her around. Of course, after their parents died, their bond grew even stronger and Francis became more than just a big brother, he was her legal guardian. Luckily their parents left them a nice house and a hefty inheritance. It helped that Francis made a decent living as a stylist and she had excellent grades to get into university on scholarships alone. She told him how she kept in contact with her family from Seychelles and that her grandfather, though old, was still around and well. She told him how she dreamed of going back there some day just to remember what the sand feels like.
Michelle and Julius talked and drank and drank some more and midway through the second bottle of wine, Julius must have realized that her alcohol limit was set rather lower. That was trait she didn't inherit from her brother, his seemingly limitless ability to consume wine. Michelle was tempted to fall asleep right their on the restaurant table.
"I think it's time we go home, si," Julius announced, then poked her in the nose with his finger, "Can you drive?"
Michelle shook her head in the negative not trusting herself not to fall asleep at the wheel. She'd just replaced her tire; she didn't want to replace an entire car.
He laughed his infectious laughed that made her giggle and hiccup.
"I had fun though," Michelle told him and, thankfully, she didn't slur her words. Maybe she wasn't as drunk as thought.
Nope, she took that back after she bumped into another couple's table.
Julius followed the carefully explained instructions to get her home where Lili took over the caring process. In the morning, Michelle woke up to off pissed off hangover and a beautifully hand written note and her keys on the bedside table. The note, in Julius' script like penmanship reminded her of where her car was and also included two aspirins and a reminder for Lili to provide her with some water, which her roommate did. And at the very bottom was the elegant signature of Julius Vargas and a phone number.
Michelle screamed into her pillow.
She took the aspirin soon after.
A/N: So, what do you think of their first meeting? And their second meeting for that matter? Your input is awesomely appreciated!
-CeCe ^^
