"The main condition for the achievement of love is the overcoming of one's narcissism. The narcissistic orientation is one in which one experiences as real only that which exists within oneself, while the phenomena in the outside world have no reality in themselves, but are experienced only from the viewpoint of their being useful or dangerous to one. The opposite pole to narcissism is objectivity; it is the faculty to see other people and things as they are, objectively, and to be able to separate this objective picture from a picture which is formed by one's desires and fears."
― Erich Fromm, The Art of Loving
XXXXXX
"I thought it was a misnomer to think all black people knew each other?" Negan just knew how to make things awkward when Herschel escorted Granny Mabel over.
"What is your name?" Granny asked the handsomely dressed man that had glimmer of mischief in his eyes.
"My name is Negan, ma'am."
"Negan, I will say this plain. I don't like you and I really hope Michonne is not entertaining you."
"Ma'am, I am like an expensive bottle of your best scotch, not everyone gets to take a sip..."
"Nor like the taste." Michonne quipped. "This is my Grandmother, Jackass. For real. My Grandmother."
"Mabel, may I get you a drink? Water? I would like to escort Mr. Negan so we can have a quick chat of which horse he is waiting to bid on outside." Herschel was very attentive to Michonne's Granny Mabel that Michonne was perplexed. Negan took that as his cue to leave with the much older gentleman.
"Yes. Mr. Greene. That will be fine. Water would be real fine.
"What's going on with you and Mr. Greene?" Michonne asked her Granny.
"A woman never kisses and tells." Granny Mabel was trying to play coy with her granddaughter.
Michonne didn't recognize this side of her Granny who looked obviously giddy. A youthful giddy.
"Is that so?"
"What's going on with you and Richard? I thought things were going so nicely between the two of you."
"Granny, you put too much thought into things. I am not thinking about Rick and obviously he isn't thinking about me."
"Did you mess things up Michonne?"
"I am not here to talk about Rick. We are acquaintances."
"You make sure all your acquaintances are STD free or just Richard because you been sleeping with him? I asked when I was laid up in the hospital if he was trying to get fresh with you? He told me no ma'am."
"He probably doesn't have a clue what you mean granny and no we aren't sleeping together." Michonne felt like she was telling the truth because they had not ever slept in the same office space together.
Michonne was thankful when Herschel returned with Granny's water and escorted her to meet more people at the fundraiser, leaving Michonne alone.
Rick avoided her. Michonne avoided him.
Rick couldn't understand Michonne. Why was this thing he was trying to do so fucking complicated. She was on his ignore list even though she looked absolutely stunning when he did catch a glimpse of her chatting a way with whomever. She was real chummy with Morgan Malone. Negan seemed to always be in close proximity of Michonne with his boistorous talk of this or that. Rick couldn't stand him. Rick has been intimate with Michonne more than five times and he couldn't seem to get her out of his system. He didn't like her talking to men. He knew that was one reason his blood was boiling and what distracted him from making the final winning bid on the horse he had his eye on for sometime.
There was an attractive red head that was sitting next to him who was trying to out bid him on a horse he wanted to use for stud services. She thought by flirting he would be distracted. He was distracted and she won. Rick couldn't understand how the woman was taking his short responses to her questioning as an invitation to find a a secluded spot and fuck but he absolutely wasn't interested.
Michonne couldn't understand Rick. It wasn't the same Rick that was presented to her from the beginning of the merger. The one she knew was on her ignore list. She braced herself for that asshole part of him to rear his ugly head but he hadn't and she was beginning to wonder if he existed at all or was it just a version of him. Had he really changed? A redhead sat next to Rick chatting his ear off. Michonne wasn't amused.
Rick was looking extremely handsome and so well groomed even with the facial hair. His dress slacks and his signature white crisp shirt with the most perfect cufflinks...the time he took in the details of his appearance, Michonne wondered how she never noticed him before the merger. She was failing at not being interested as she texted him.
Michonne: Cheating on my Granny already?
Rick: Looks like your Granny is cheating on me with Herschel...
Michonne:...
Rick: I would say your Granny and I are even. If that is how you see things.
Michonne: I am watching you with a redhead.
Rick: I watched you with almost every man in this room. What is your point?
Michonne:
Rick: The man who hurt you is not me. If I were to make you mine. Marry you. Official. If I say I was going to do that Michonne I wouldn't back out. I would never leave you at the Alter. He was an epitome of an asshole. I am not him.
Michonne: What are you talking about?
Rick: You were left at the alter. I would have never done that to you.
Michonne: Granny tell you that?
Rick: I am not him. You want me to be but I am not him.
Michonne: Don't send me any flowers or gifts. I am officially done.
Rick: Michonne, I have been done, Count number officially lost.
XXX
Monday rolled around. No flowers. No flowers were waiting for Michonne when she arrived to work. She thought it wouldn't bother her but it did. At around 11:30am still no flowers. She wasn't going to have a good Monday.
"Sorry, Miss Benton. Your flowers have not come in." Beth had a sad look on her face.
"It's okay Beth. I was just wondering." Michonne went back into her office determined to not text Rick. She had two important meetings in succession and she was visibly distracted. No flowers.
Rick was confused about what was going on between him and Michonne. The text where she proclaimed him an asshole and to lose her number had him no longer centered no matter how he tried to realign himself. He spent half the day at the country club playing golf with Shane and Daryl. He was hit on by 4 women of various ages who were eager and willing to drop their panties for him in the nearby ladies room if he was so inclined but he wasn't. It annoyed him.
"What's got into you?" Daryl asked Rick.
"She was clearly hitting on you." Shane stared at Rick.
"Not interested." Rick said simply.
"Since when?" Daryl smirked. Technically he knew the answer based on what his fiancee, Sasha had whispered his way. Daryl found it hard to believe. He knew Rick for years and it wasn't unknown that Rick never went twice to the same buffet.
"She has nice tits." Shane remarked his eyes following the young woman who looked slightly jilted by Rick's lack of interest in her less than subtle invitation.
"Not interested." Rick tossed back his drink as they sat on the outdoor patio of the Country Club Golf Resort.
"You keep checking your phone and you been way over par more than any other time. What gives?"
"I have to go. I have to get flowers to someone or I will never see square one ever again."
"What?"
Rick didn't respond. He left calling the flower shop to have the most extravagant flower arrangement waiting for him.
"Ms. Benton, I am taking off now it's 5:30pm. I just wanted to let you know that a Rick Grimes is requesting to come in." Beth was smiling standing in the doorway of Michonnes office.
Michonne was completely caught off guard. "What?"
"Goodnight, Ms. Benton. See you in the Morning." Beth left the door open and in her place stood Rick with a bouquet of flowers.
Michonne felt her heart race as her eyes quickly went from the huge bouquet to the face of the man that was standing there in a V neck sweater, jeans and loafers. "I refuse to enter your office with a buttoned shirt."
"What are you doing here Rick?" Michonne was absolutely surprised.
"I had a bad feeling that if I continued whatever this is that is going on between us it would be irreversible. I want to continue to make your Mondays a day to look forward too. I don't want this to be that Monday..."
"But it is that Monday." Michonne walked from behind her desk.
"I know...the Monday that I hand delivered your first bouquet of flowers with this card."
Michonne read the card that he handed her:
I am confident that you are Sure To Date me.
Grimes
"You are corny too?"
"Only you know how corny." Rick beamed.
Michonne couldn't help but smile as she took the flowers from him and placed them on her desk with the card as she chuckled.
"Will you date me Michonne Benton?"
"Do you even know what that entails?"
"I am quite sure you will tell me our parameters."
"We wouldn't see other people."
"So you are okay with being exclusive?"
"I am not trying to waste my time with you Rick."
"No wasting time."
"I am not a go out all the time kind of person. I like to be home when I can. I like relaxing. Cooking. Watching movies. Kind of boring."
"Boring is good."
"I don't like needy, clingy. I need my space sometimes. I may go off and do my own thing but you will know that. I will tell you. You won't have to guess. I would want you to do the same. We are not joined to the hip and I don't want to start that kind of shit."
"Ok. I think Granny Mabel and I can find some trouble to get into."
"I love sex. Plenty of it."
"Glad to know that." Rick absently licked his bottom lips.
"I don't share. I won't share you and if I know it there is absolutely no do over."
"Doesn't that fall under exclusive?"
"Don't cheat on me. I will never cheat on you. That is as clear as I can be."
"This kind of sound like a marriage more so than dating."
"Are you asking me or telling me?"
"I'm not sure, Michonne." Rick said in absolute honesty.
"Do you think you can't be faithful to me Rick?"
"As your husband I am quiet sure I can. As the man your dating I will."
"You would have to love me Rick for me to be your wife. As the man that wants to date me I think you like me alot."
"I am really scared of the day when I can differentiate between the two." Rick stepped to Michonne who was leaning against her desk and pulled her to him. He held her close to his body. His lips just mere inches from hers. He was taking her in. Just inhaling her essence had him reeling with desire. He no longer was aware of his own heart beat or his uneven breathing.
"Why didn't you tell me your companion was my Granny?"
"I wasn't sure if you felt anything. Holding you like this. Having you like this. Feeling you against me Michonne, I was wrong."
Rick leaned in an kissed her slowly and then thoroughly. He couldn't help but squeeze her ass as she palmed his arousal causing him to tear away from the kiss and hiss. Electrifying. This woman. Not just any woman but this woman. It was the beginning of his death as a bachelor.
