Mia:
This was the atmosphere on the bus over the next three days. We arrived in New Orleans late on Tuesday night. Just in time to check into the hotel.
"Me and Lilly are sharing a room," I explained to Michael, "But she wants to go to Manny's."
He smirked and pulled me aside, away from everyone else. "Then you want me to come to your room? Or to my room?"
I turned slightly and saw Orlando looking at us suspiciously. I put on a serious face so that the others would think we were having a real serious discussion. "Mine." If I had to build up the nerve to go with him to his room I would never get there.
"Mia, you know I'm not expecting anything," he whispered, covering his mouth. "I know the other night was…"
"Special," I supplied. He's adorable when he's flustered. And I'm the only girl in the world that sees that.
He tried not to smile, "Yeah. I know it was for me at least," he said taking a deep breath. "But I want this to be more than just…"
"Sex."
"Yeah. I mean, it's really a special thing for me to actually be admitting how I feel after what seems like forever."
"You know it was special for me too," I replied. Since that night that I broke up with Felix we hadn't spent a night in the same bed. In fact, we'd spent a great deal of time trying to look uncouplish.
You know the drill. We didn't hold hands. We didn't even innocently flirt. Hell, can you innocently flirt with someone who had just kissed you- uh, in a place hidden by clothing? This was totally pointed out by Lilly.
"What's wrong?"
"Wrong?" I asked as we were waiting in line for the ladies room in Nashville
"Yeah."
"Nothing is wrong with me. What about you?"
She looked struck for a moment. "Nothing is wrong with me. Why on earth would there be something wrong with me?"
"Uh because you are freaking out?"
"I meant with you and Michael. Is he still pissed about the engagement?"
"I'm not engaged for the millionth time! Felix and I broke up. Keep up with your gossip columns lately?"
"Uh, yeah. Especially the one about you getting a delivery from La Perla before we left. I don't recall getting that box."
Whoops. I'd ordered some under garments for the tour. You know, stuff that was nicer than Queen AMidala. She'd gotten me through a lot, but now was the time for grown up panties. I'd had them delivered to my mother's loft. She wasn't home due to a trip to San Francisco to see Frank's half brother. I thought no one had noticed it.
"What's the big deal?" I asked.
"Uh, you never shop at nice places like that. Who are you trying to impress now that El Dorko is gone?"
"I thought El Dorko was Michael?"
"Since he's signing my paycheck he's gone up in the world. But I repeat, who is it?"
"I just thought…well, I'm newly single I should re-stock, ya know?" I lied, scratching my nose. "God, this bathroom reeks doesn't it?"
She looked at me oddly. "Okay, so what is up with Michael then? Why is he acting so weird?"
"Weird?"
"Not a single sexually explicit comment in your presence all week. No eye rolling. He's hardly even talking to you. Are you guys in a fight or something?"
Good Lord. I thought she was going to figure it out and ask me straight out. Not Lilly though, no way is she going to let this be easy. "Nah, he's probably just PMS'ing. We can't be like that all the time, can we?" I asked. "I mean, we can't be close all the time. This week Manny and I have been hanging out a lot."
She looked at me strangely once again. "Are you sure that's it?"
"Yes. Why?"
"I think he's plotting his next move."
"Hi-His what?"
"Now you are single. He's gonna try to nail you. Don't let him."
I forced a laugh. "He's my friend. He wouldn't do that."
"He's a sexual being who happens to have an unnatural attraction and obsession with you. Don't let him get away with anything."
I snickered at this memory.
"What?" he asked.
"Oh, nothing. Just thinking."
"Well…I guess I wanna say, I just want to lay with you."
I let my long hair cover up my face so I could smile. "Kay. I'll see you in thirty?"
He ruffled my hair, "You betcha." Damn, he's got that big brother act down all right.
"Hey, Mia did you want to meet me down there in the bar for drinks?" Orlando asked after he walked me to my room.
"Oh, no. I don't drink," I reminded him quickly. "But thanks."
I didn't want to look too sexy. Get his hopes up, ya know? I mean, yeah, the other night was special. But I wanted this to be of substance. Not just sex like it was when we were kids. I put on my grey sweats and cleaned off any makeup I had on. I took out my contacts and put on my glasses, then plopped onto my fluffy bed, waiting.
I switched on the TV and put on a pay per view movie. That's why I love hotels. You can just rent the movies that are in theaters. You save so much money that way (okay, let's just ignore the fact that the hotel itself is more than any movie).
A knock came to my door after fifteen minutes. I got up slowly and looked through the peep hole to see Michael bouncing back and forth on his heels.
"Hey," I said softly, opening the door. "Come on in."
"No come on. Let's go to the market and grab snacks. They rob you blind here."
I looked at my clothes, "I'm not dressed to go out."
"Who cares?" he said grabbing my wrist. I quickly grabbed my purse and room key off the shelf.
MICHAEL:
I needed snacks. And Mia was the one to come with me. Okay, the only one I wanted to come with me. She looked cute in her grey sweatpants and tank top. Her hair was messy and…well, perfect.
We goofed around and were loud and obnoxious. Just happy to be together and have no one watching us at all.
I had a shopping cart to fill with cereal and snacks for the bus. She came up behind me and jumped onto the cart and turned back and smiled at me. Her smile was as wide as it ever has been. Well, until she rode into some magazines.
I burst out laughing. "Are you okay baby?" I asked, helping her get up.
"Excuse me, sir, can you and your friend please make your purchases and leave?"
Which made us laugh even harder. I handed the clerk a hundred dollar bill and took our cart out front. "Sorry about that," I said between laughter.
We did get to bring our food back to the hotel, and managed to avoid anyone from the band seeing us return. They were all sitting in the bar watching a baseball game. She started peeking in to see who was playing, but I'd already taken the liberty of finding out that it was just the Royals and Rangers playing. I started kissing her in the elevator once I convinced her it was not the Yankees or the Red Sox. "You are such a rebel baby," I said leaning her against the wall.
She smirked and wrapped her arms around me, "Yes. I am racing in a shopping cart derby at the A & P in the next city."
"Try not to hurt yourself," I whispered. I liked being so close to her. Knowing that no one else would be this close to her ever again. Just me. She was good as mine now.
"I don't let anyone hurt me. No one."
We went back to her room and pigged out and played rummy. I let her win. "Bed time," she announced at two in the morning.
I rubbed my eyes. "No. Stay up and be with me," I said in a kid like voice.
She smiled and grabbed my wrists and dragged me to the bed. I like this Mia.
"You can be with Mia," she said with a smile. "With all of your clothes on."
I liked cuddling and falling asleep with her humming a tune that I could faintly recognize. "Where's that from?" I asked, kissing her shoulder.
"It's just a song that my mom used to sing to me when I was a little girl," she replied. "It kind of relaxes me."
She turned onto her back so I was leaning over her. "Why wouldn't you be relaxed?" I asked softly, watching her chest go up and down as she breathed.
"Because I have a gorgeous man in bed with me," she said softly, watching as I fingered her belly. "That's all."
I leaned down and kissed her belly button, and looked up to her for permission to continue. She faintly smiled and put her fingers through my hair. "I can try to relax you," I said softly.
I made my way up her upper torso until she was left shirtless. She wasn't wearing a bra since she was in bed and I got to just look at her without feeling guilty. Okay, sure I have a girlfriend but I was in the process of ending that.
See, it's weird. This is Mia Thermopolis here. I've dreamed of kissing her bare breasts for as long as I've had hormones. I've dreamed of touching her. At times even pretended others were her.
And yes, I know when we were younger I had done these things. And the other night I had done them as well. But everything was so rushed back then and even the other night. We didn't want to get caught, ya know? At any time someone could have walked in on us. Our foreplay was basically silent then and fast. But tonight….tonight was very different.
And how here I am. About to try to seduce her. "We won't go far," I promised. I knew that that other day had been a fluke. A whole bundle of hormones searching for disposal. Now we could take things slowly. She was single and I was as good as single
And yes I've seen her naked before. But not like this. Not with her knowing I fully enjoyed it. And that I…well, that I more than enjoyed it. Seeing her like that was natural.
She bit her lip nervously, "Okay." Immediately she covered her breasts. Hiding them from the light that the lamp next to us had imposed on them
"Calm down," I whispered, pulling her hands away. "Why are you doing that?" I asked, pulling myself up so I was at eye level with her. "It's not like I haven't seen them before."
She avoided my eyes. "It's just…"
"Just what?" I whispered.
"I'm not like the others you've been with.
"Mia, I'm not even thinking about those girls. I'm all about you. Only you."
She looked up at me skeptically. "I'm just as flat chested as I was when I was fifteen."
"Then I'll buy you a boob job," I teased. She looked alarmed so I kissed her, but not on her face. On a place to prove how much I liked her chest.
And then we fell asleep, me on her covered chest. She was holding me lightly to herself. That was how we woke up when there was a banging at the door. "Hello?" Mia asked groggily, walking to the door, forgetting about her shirtlessness. I easily tossed her tank top to her before she opened up to the maid.
"Oh, thanks," she said with a soft laugh.
She looked through the peep hole. "Get on top of the blankets," she whispered.
I did so, "Who's there?"
" Orlando," she hissed.
Why was she so concerned about him seeing us together in bed?
"Hey," she said cheerfully with one hand on her hip.
"Breakfast?" he asked with a single word.
"Um…." She started, gazing back at me, "Give me a few minutes, okay? I still have to shower and get dressed."
"Okay. I'll see you down there."
She sat on the end of the bed and rubbed my ankles, "Wake up Moscovitz."
"Why? I wasn't invited to breakfast," I grumbled teasingly.
"You don't need an invitation. But come on. Shower time."
She said that like MC Hammer said 'Hamma Time"
I made a puppy face and she pulled me up. "Come on. Someone needs to wash my back."
We very nervously got into the shower. This was the first time we had actually seen each other totally naked. Sober. In the daylight. There was that shower we took after her junior prom, but that was years ago. And we had a few in us then.
I started rubbing my nose, a horrible habit I picked up in college. I do it when I'm nervous. And she knew this.
But she was just as nervous. She was endlessly putting her hands through her hair. Putting it behind her ears. I slipped my boxers off and hopped into the shower with my back turned toward her. She came in and leaned against me, kissing my back. I put my hands against the cool tile to control myself. I wasn't going to do this here with her. "Mia we can't…."
She didn't answer me. She just leaned past me and turned on the water. Then she stopped kissing me. Stopped touching me. I turned and saw that she was just washing herself. And I was standing there like a pervert just watching her.
She looked at me innocently, "What? Never seen a girl showering before?"
It was like that night against the Green Monster. When we first kissed. She just looked too perfect not to kiss. I pushed her against the tiles and put a shot in hell to my plans of a slow seduction. She hopped up so she was handing on me around my waist. "Mia…." I moaned into her neck. "You want this right now?"
"Would I be naked in your arms if I didn't?" she asked kissing me back.
I was just about to shut off the water and to just take her right there on the bathroom but we heard the room door open. She sighed heavily.
"Hello? No housekeeping," she yelled.
"Well of course not. I don't clean up after the mess you and my brother made last night. You showering?"
She closed her eyes. "Just getting out. Michael is going in now."
I kissed her nose and let her put on a robe.
