How Many Drinks (Chapter 4)
A/N: My first shot at AU and totally inspired by Miguel's How Many Drinks. Also, my first submission for the Richonne Fics April Song Challenge. Hope you enjoy it!
Michonne opens her eyes slowly to see a mass of dark curls on the pillow in front of her. She looks around the room, trying not to panic, then comes back to the dark curls allowing her gaze to move to the broad shoulders, the masculine back….Oh my. I didn't, but I did. I had sex with him. She groans aloud before she knows it and the head of dark curls turns to reveal a smiling handsome face with the bluest eyes she has ever seen.
She swallows nervously as he stretches making the sheet drop even further and she sees just enough to know that he is as naked as she is.
"Good morning," he greets as he moves closer to her. Reaching out, he strokes her upper arm and leans in to place a soft kiss on her shoulder.
She actually shudders as the memories of what she and this man….Rick. His name is Rick….shared last night come flooding in. Honestly, I haven't had sex that good in…..I don't think I've ever had sex that good. His hand on her ass brings her back from her reflections quickly.
"Can I get you something? Breakfast? Coffee? Me?" He asks seductively.
Damn. Why is that working on me? She thinks as he moves even closer. She can feel all of him as he presses his body against hers and he is really turning her on. Oh, what the hell?
An hour later, she is getting dressed as Rick disappeared several minutes ago. She carefully makes her way through his spacious apartment, looking around curiously. The wonderful aroma of freshly brewed coffee drifts to her and guides her to the kitchen. Rick is there wearing only a pair of gray sweatpants. He smiles as she walks in.
"Have a seat. I've got coffee. Just tell me how you like it," he requests.
She places her purse on the bar as she takes a seat, watching closely as he sets a mug of coffee before her. "Just cream and sugar. Thank you."
He gives her what she needs, moving back to the stove, and asks, "So, how do you like your eggs?"
"Please. Don't go through any trouble for me. I should get going," she tells him.
He turns to face her. "So, is this the part where you run off and I never hear from you again?"
Michonne takes a sip of her coffee and contemplates how to respond. "Look, I don't want to sound like a prude but honestly I've never slept with someone I just met. I had a couple of drinks last night but I wasn't drunk so what excuse can I use for this behavior?"
"Attraction? Desire? Lust?" He folds his arms across his chest, leaning against the stove as he waits for her reply.
All of those things and more she reflects quietly as she drinks him in with her eyes. Out loud, she says, "Well, whatever. I should leave now. Wait. We came here in your car, right?"
"Right, so I guess I'll have to take you back to your car at the club," he states.
"Or I could catch a cab," she suggests.
"No way. I'll be right back." Moments later, he returns having put on a navy t-shirt and running shoes. He grabs his keys from a post by the door. "You ready?"
She sighs as she slowly removes herself from the bar seat, grabbing her purse to follow him out. He gestures for her to walk ahead of him. A gentleman too? She looks back at him with a self-conscious smile, noticing that he is definitely checking her out. Why is the fact that he isn't wearing any underwear the only thing on my mind right now? I need help.
They are mostly quiet during the car ride. Rick can tell that she is struggling with what happened while surprisingly, he isn't struggling at all. He has never done anything like it before either, but there's a first time for everything and he doesn't regret it. The sex was the hottest he has ever had.
The nightclub comes into view, looking totally different in the light of day. Rick pulls up to Michonne's car. She is already grabbing for the handle before he can shift to park.
"Hey, can I at least put my number in your cell phone?" He inquires.
Against her better judgment or maybe it's just to get rid of him sooner, she reaches into her purse and hands him her cell. He quickly puts his name and number in and saves it under her contacts.
"Call me," he requests as he hands the phone back to her. She exits the car and moves into hers quickly. He sits waiting patiently, ensuring that she leaves safely.
She gives him an awkward wave as she drives off.
Damn. She's not going to call me. He realizes as he follows her out of the parking lot and turns in the opposite direction.
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Two weeks have passed and Michonne has browsed through her contacts each day, pulling up Rick Grimes' info, saying she's going to call, but never does. Excuse after excuse pops into her head and she backs out every time. She feels awful because she never even thanked him for driving her to her car, but the embarrassment of having a one night stand still clouds her thoughts and she just wants to forget it ever happened. Of course, forgetting is not that easy as he seems to invade her dreams….erotic dreams mind you…almost every night.
To top it all off, she made the mistake of telling her best friend, Andrea, about her encounter who was only too happy to do a little investigating to find out exactly who Rick Grimes is. Former cop from some hick town in Georgia, owns a home in Senoia, club owner with his former police partner and best friend, Shane Walsh, early thirties, and may be a possible womanizer.
"You really know how to pick 'em Chonne," Andrea scoffs.
"Don't remind me, ok?" Michonne replies.
"Well, what was so special about him anyway?" Andrea wants to know.
"I don't know. He looked nice, he bought me a couple of drinks, we had a decent conversation and I still don't know how I ended up in his car and in his bed," Michonne returns.
Andrea sits up abruptly, "You think he roofied you?!"
"No, no. I was of sound mind and body the whole time. There was just something about him," Michonne reflects.
"So, why haven't you called him?" Her friend looks at her pointedly.
"Try embarrassment. He probably thinks I'm a whore and you just told me that he probably is. I was just another notch on his bedpost," Michonne details.
"Awww, you sound so disappointed. You really like this guy," Andrea states.
"I don't even know him. How can I like him?" Michonne retorts.
"Oh, you like him 'coz you fucked him. I hope he was good," Andrea says as she rolls her eyes.
Michonne gives a slight smirk, then laughs.
"Are you serious? He was that good? Tell me," Andrea insists.
"Oh no. I never kiss and tell. You know that. I just haven't stopped thinking about him," Michonne's voice goes quiet as Rick's face pops up in her memory.
"Isn't Thursday night usually ladies' night at the club?" Andrea's mind is turning as she asks the question.
"You can forget about it. I am not going back to that club," Michonne affirms adamantly.
Well, she kept her promise. She didn't go to the club, but that didn't stop Andrea from making an appearance. The next day, she reports to Michonne that Rick wasn't even at the club.
"How do you know that?" Michonne asks.
"We met Shane last night, so I just asked him where his partner was," Andrea supplies.
"We?" Michonne prods.
"I made Sasha go with me," Andrea answers.
"So, where was Rick?" Michonne questions.
"I don't know. Not there. Shane wouldn't say more and I didn't want to seem like I was interested in Rick," Andrea says.
"Wait. What?"
"I gotta go. I have a massive hangover. I'll talk to you later," Andrea promptly ends the call.
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Saturday morning arrives and Michonne has just pulled into a space at the park where she likes to jog. She walks to her favorite starting point and begins to stretch. She is just about to put her earbuds in to listen to her IPod when a gentlemen walks by slowly and a little too closely for her comfort. He stops at the tree in front of her and turns to face her. Her heart nearly stops as she recognizes Rick Grimes. The nervousness comes immediately and she wishes she could just run away but…..he looks even better than the last time I saw him.
"Hi," he greets her, smiling.
"Hello. What are you doing here?" she inquires.
"Following you. I knew you weren't going to call me, so I took matters into my own hands. Did a little police work and found out where you live, where you work, where you like to jog. I figured I'd fare better here at the park instead of at your house or your job. I'm giving off that whole stalker vibe, you know," Rick admits.
Michonne can't help it. She laughs, but she can't complain because she basically had Andrea do the same thing to find out about him.
"Before you say anything, can we start over? Would you go out on a date with me? I really want to get to know you," Rick suggests with a hint of hesitation and nervousness.
"Really? Just a date after everything we've shared," Michonne returns.
"Just a date. Tonight. Can I pick you up at 7?" Rick's look is hopeful as he stares into her eyes.
Michonne feels like a school girl talking to her crush as her stomach seems to be doing little flips and her heart is beating so fast she might faint. "Ok. I'll see you at 7." What am I doing?
He nods and begins to walk away. "Enjoy your jog. See you later."
"See you later," she tells him as she replaces her earbuds and starts her jog. Unbeknownst to her, Rick turns around to watch her as she jogs off, admiring her in her spandex jogging pants and matching tank top.
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The doorbell rings at exactly 7 pm. Michonne checks her appearance in the foyer mirror and opens the door with a smile. "Hi. Prompt, huh?" She almost gasps when she notices the huge bouquet of flowers he is holding.
"Hi. Yeah, I kinda need to make a good impression here," he tells her. "These are for you."
"Thank you. Come in," she invites as she accepts the bouquet and slyly watches him, admiring how handsome he looks in a light blue button down shirt, navy blazer, blue jeans, and boots. It's a tad more casual than the suit he was wearing when she first met him, but he still looks good.
He turns to face her, unabashed in his appraisal of her in a lacy black dress. "You are beautiful."
"Thank you. Um…you want to have a seat while I put these in some water and get my purse?" She offers. He agrees so she guides him to the living room with a promise of her short return.
An hour later, they are well into their dinner and actually enjoying each other's company. "So, what does AFU stand for?" Michonne wants to know.
"Now, that was all Shane. It's police slang but fitting I suppose. All Fucked Up," Rick answers with a smile.
"Are you serious? I thought it was Atlanta something or other," she returns with a laugh.
"If you ever meet Shane, you'll understand," he says.
"Did you guys have this dream of owning a nightclub? Is that what you talked about on stake outs?"
"Not really. Shane came into a lot of money after his mom died and he felt like we weren't going anywhere in King's County, so he pitched this idea of opening a nightclub in Atlanta. It was far-fetched but he had the money, he wanted me in with him 50/50, so I took a chance and it worked out. I'm not as involved in the actual running of the club, not like before. I mostly handle security, plus I've started another business where we specialize in security systems for homes and businesses," he informs her. "I just landed a nice contract with a housing development, so things are really taking off."
She is intrigued. "Well, that's impressive."
"Says the lawyer who may be up for partner soon," Rick takes a sip of his wine, watching her.
"How could you possibly know that?" she asks.
"I used to be a cop, remember? There's not a whole lot about you that I can't find out," he relays.
Michonne shakes her head, "Well, stop digging before you find that body I buried in my back yard."
They share another laugh and continue the conversation throughout dinner and dessert. Afterwards, they take a short stroll through the square, both content with the ease in which they can communicate.
An hour or so later, Rick is escorting Michonne to her door, bidding her good night.
"Are you sure you don't want to come in?" she asks.
"Oh, I want to come in alright, but I also want you to take me seriously, so I think I'd better decline," he admits.
Michonne feels a new respect for Rick. She is a bit disappointed, but understands and is quite pleased with his decision. "Can I at least kiss you goodnight?"
Rick quickly takes her into his arms and they share a short but meaningful kiss. "So, when can I see you again?"
She smiles widely at him. "Is tomorrow too soon?"
A/N: Please review and let me know what you think. Part II coming shortly.