Part 13
Michael walked through the aisles of the large home improvement center, ignoring the bothersome employees who kept stepping into his path to offer their assistance. He knew where he was going, what he was there for, and he had no need of them or their pesky offers to find everything he needed.
He finally reached the far end of the store where dozens of doors in every imaginable design and style were lined up on the wall. He wandered along the aisle until he reached the section that housed the outer doors, quickly locating the ones that he needed and cringing internally when he glanced at the price.
Thirty minutes later, after standing in line behind some moron who couldn't make up his mind about whether or not he wanted an extended warranty on his purchase Michael got into his truck and backed up to the dock so the doors could be loaded. He contemplated stopping for something to eat but decided against it in favor of getting back home and installing the doors while he still had plenty of daylight. He checked his watch; he could have a cold beer and throw a pizza in the oven while he was removing the frames from the broken doors, eat, and still be finished in plenty of time for the game.
The hardware store he had gone to was nearly an hour from his house and his stomach was rumbling by the time he drove around to unload the doors on the back deck. He wrestled the large crated doors up onto the deck and leaned them up against the house before grabbing a hammer out of the toolbox in his truck and prying the boards away from the house.
He carried the large boards back out to the shop and put them away before going back to remove the old frames. He slid them into the truck so he could put them in the garage until he got around to hauling them off and then went inside to fix something to eat. He stepped through the glassless doorframes and went into the kitchen, barely pausing to look around for his unwanted houseguest.
He pulled the refrigerator door open, scanning the shelves and quickly realizing that instead of filling every available inch of shelf space, the bottled beers occupied only half of the top shelf. He grabbed a beer and uncapped it, tossing the cap into the trash before taking a long drink of the cold liquid and contemplating this new development. He frowned as a thought occurred to him and he opened the door above, unprepared for the sight of an empty freezer, and his left hand tightened on the door as his teeth clenched together painfully.
He slammed both doors shut and stormed through the house looking for her, and he quickly concluded that she was either hiding like an intelligent human being or she was in the bathroom. He shook his head at the thought that she would hide from him and barged into the bathroom, unconcerned with modesty or propriety as he jerked the shower curtain aside.
Michael knew it was a mistake the moment he did it; not because it was wrong, but because the vision of her standing in his shower, naked and wet, was going to fuel his fantasies and keep him awake at night.
"Did you need something?" Maria snapped, forcing her arms to stay at her sides. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of cowering or hiding; his intimidation tactics were not going to work on her. She ignored the familiar feelings that rushed through her as his dark eyes slid over her body. Those feelings had only ever been invoked in response to one man and despite appearances he wasn't that man so she refused to acknowledge them.
Michael's eyes snapped up to meet her annoyed gaze and he shook his head. "What happened to all the food?"
"What you so generously refer to as food is gone."
"I can see that it's gone!" he roared. His body had immediately reacted to her and it was only pissing him off more. "What the fuck did you do with it?"
"Your garbage disposal got quite a workout today," was her only answer as she turned back to step under the spray, rinsing the soap from her body.
His eyes unwillingly followed the soap's path as it traveled down her body and after a moment he jerked the curtain back into place and stalked out of the room. In the kitchen once more he took a drink of his beer and set the bottle back down so he could brace his hands on the counter in front of him. He let his head drop forward and he stared at his traitorous dick, angry at its eager response to the woman in his shower. "You might as well hang it up because you're not getting any attention from me; I'm sick of catering to your obsession with her. So, you can either get yourself under control or you can have an ice-cold shower to calm you down."
"That's an interesting approach," Maria commented, leaning against the doorframe. He was probably so used to being alone that it hadn't occurred to him that she would overhear his… conversation.
Michael swore loudly and turned to face her; he couldn't hide his body's reaction to her so he didn't even bother trying. He was ready to yell at her for destroying all of his food and emptying out most of the beer, but the words froze in his throat when he saw that she was wearing one of his shirts. He wanted to scream in sheer frustration when he realized that her legs were bare below the hem of the shirt. "What the hell are you wearin'?"
Maria looked down at herself before shrugging her shoulders. "I needed something to wear and since I only have a few things and they need to be washed, it was either this or I was gonna have to walk around naked until I can wash my clothes."
"Well, you've got plenty of fuckin' time to do laundry because now I've gotta go to the goddamned store! Do you have any idea how much money you threw away this mornin'?" He stared at her in disbelief when she took four steps forward and placed the grocery list on the island that separated them. "I've already told you that I'm not buyin' a fuckin' thing on that list."
"Then I hope you plan to eat out a lot because if you bring one more frozen pizza or dinner into this house they'll meet the same fate as the previous residents of your freezer. You cannot eat that crap the way you do and expect to live - "
"I don't need you tellin' me what to do," he snarled. "I've made it this long without any outside interference and I intend to go on the same damn way." He slammed his fists down on the counter, angered by her continued defiance. "This is my house and since I don't know how long I'm gonna be stuck with you there're gonna be some ground rules that I expect you to follow."
"And I suppose all of these rules will benefit you."
"If the rules were gonna benefit me you'd be fetching my beer, cookin' my dinner, and we'd be screwin' our brains out. So, no, obviously, the fuckin' rules aren't gonna benefit me." He had started to pace while he ranted and he hadn't even realized it.
"First, I do not fetch anything for anyone, and second, I don't mind cooking for you; it's only fair since I'm staying here with you - "
"And yet I haven't seen you cook a single damn thing."
"Throwing a pizza or frozen dinner in the oven is not cooking and I will not waste my time with it. You go to the store and buy what's on that list and I'll be happy to cook." It was incredible how he didn't seem to care about his health. Sure, aliens didn't usually get sick, but with the way he was eating it was only a matter of time.
"Uh-huh, so you'll earn your keep as long as it's in a way that suits you; that's very mature." This girl had some nerve, telling him what to eat; what's next, telling him what to wear?
"Says the man who five minutes ago was carrying on a conversation with his penis."
Michael bristled at her insolent tone and his gaze dropped to the grocery list, reading over the items written there. "You want me to buy you clothes?"
"I only have a few things, but I have no problem making myself right at home and wearing your shirts until I have a little more variety. Oh, and there are also some other things on there that I'll need; deodorant, body wash, tampons…" She almost laughed at his disgusted expression. "But, I'll be happy to go with you to make sure you get the right brands."
"You're not goin' anywhere with me," he growled, snatching the list up and shoving it in his pocket. He walked around the island with the intention of leaving and he crossed his arms over his chest when the woman standing in the doorway didn't move. "Get out of the way or I'll leave without puttin' those new doors up."
"I am going with you; I can only imagine how completely lost you'd be in the feminine hygiene products aisle, and I'm sure as hell not letting you pick my clothes out."
"And you plan to go dressed like that?"
"Why don't you go put the doors up and let me worry about how I'm gonna dress." And with that said she turned and walked away, leaving him alone in the kitchen with his mouth hanging open.
Michael cursed and finished his beer before disposing of the bottle and walking back out to the deck where the doors were waiting. It took almost two hours before the doors were in place and the crating material was loaded into the truck. He retrieved a bottle of glass cleaner from the cabinet under the sink, along with a roll of paper towels, and sprayed the glass, wiping it until it was spotless.
Once he was satisfied that it was as good as it was going to get he put everything away and locked the doors. Pulling the keys out of his pocket he walked out to the truck and pulled the drivers' side door open. He took a step back when he noticed the woman sitting against the door on the passengers' side and he wondered when she had slipped past him to get in the truck.
"Thought you were gonna leave without me, didn't you?" Maria asked when he slid in behind the steering wheel.
Michael grunted and started the truck, determined to ignore her for as long as possible. He glanced in the rearview mirror and decided to make a quick stop to dispose of the doorframes and the crating materials before going to do something he absolutely detested and did as seldom as possible.
"Doesn't your stereo work?"
He bit his bottom lip and his right hand clenched on the steering wheel. This was a huge mistake, he could already feel it. He relaxed slightly when she fell silent once more, but he just knew it wasn't gonna last long.
"Do you have any idea how much pollution a vehicle like this contributes to - "
"Like I give a fuck," he muttered. "It ain't even my planet."
"So, just because you're not from this planet you don't care that you're contributing to the overall destruction of the environment?"
"No."
"How can you be like that?" She shook her head, dumfounded by his careless attitude towards everyone and everything. Her Michael had cared about those things; what had happened to the Michael of this world?
"How can you talk so fuckin' much?" he snapped. "Could you just shut up for more than thirty consecutive seconds? God, I haven't heard a single coherent thought in my own damn head since you showed up."
"Well, considering the fact that your thoughts revolve around sex, food, and beer, I can't imagine that you've missed too many meaningful thoughts since my arrival." Maria smirked, happy with her comeback.
Michael turned the stereo on, refusing to engage in the conversation any longer, and he rubbed his forehead in an effort to focus his concentration. He had survived battles, wars, countless dangerous missions, and even capture on several occasions, so surely he could survive one trip to the grocery store with Maria.
He made a quick stop at the landfill to unload the junk and left the back seat folded down, figuring he was going to need the additional space since her list was as long as his right arm. He slammed the back door before walking around to get back in the truck and head for the city; he already knew he wasn't going to be fortunate enough to make a stop at the small grocery store in the little town he normally went to when he had no other choice but to stock up on food.
Maria looked around in interest when they entered the city limits of Los Angeles, taking in the sights that it had to offer. She glanced at her silent companion when she felt the tension settling over him as he searched for a parking spot in front of the large shopping center. It was early afternoon, but there was activity everywhere; the parking lot was packed with vehicles, and people were on the move, hurrying between the various stores and their cars.
Michael spotted a car backing out near the front of the store and he ignored the woman patiently waiting ahead of him, swerving around her and pulling into the space before the other driver had completely vacated the spot. "We'll get the clothes first," Michael said as he opened his door and lowered his left foot to the ground.
"You just cut that woman off, Michael!"
He refused to argue with her and continued into the department store, unconcerned with the rightful ownership of the parking spot. Possession was nine-tenths of the law… well, he was now in possession of it, so that meant it belonged to him.
"This'll go much faster if you get your ass in gear," he shouted over his shoulder.
Maria hurried after him, shaking her head at his rude behavior. He was in the process of mapping out the store when she caught up with him, his military-trained mind planning out the best approach to find all of the items she needed in the least amount of time.
"Here's what we're gonna do…"
Maria nodded dutifully while he expounded on the best plan of attack and then chose her own direction, pushing the cart past him as she headed toward the section of the store that housed the health and beauty department. He followed after her just like she had known he would, grumbling under his breath about the amount of time it was taking her to pick out the items she wanted.
"How hard can this possibly be?" he finally yelled, annoyed by the people milling around the aisles, crowding him and making him feel claustrophobic. "It's deodorant, for God's sake!"
Maria continued to browse through the available selections, unconcerned with his irritated tone or his yelling. She laughed when the other people in the aisle scattered, hurrying to get away from the volatile man. "You're really too tense."
"Yeah? Well, a good, hard fuck would cure that."
"I don't think sex is your problem," she said as she finally found an acceptable brand of deodorant and dropped it in the cart.
"Sex isn't my problem… the lack of sex is my problem." His hands tightened spasmodically around the cart as he pushed it after her when she moved further down the aisle. "Which wouldn't be a problem if you'd just - "
"We've already been over this," she reminded him as she dumped an armful of items into the cart. "I'm not having sex with you."
"Right, I forgot… same name, same face, but I lack the saintly quality that your Michael had."
The laughter was so unexpected that Maria nearly choked on it. "Saintly quality?" she repeated, certain that she had heard him wrong.
"Well, apparently he was perfect and a saint because I can't imagine what other reason there is for you to turn down my offer."
"Michael was far from being perfect or a saint; he had lots of faults, but he was amazing in spite of them. He actually worked to overcome his past…" Her gaze turned to him and she was once again stunned by the clash of similarities and differences between him and her Michael. "I'm sure it would've been easier for him if he hadn't chosen to do better and improve himself, but he did make that choice and he was a better man for it."
"Whatever. Just get the rest of the shit on this list so we can move on." His tone was disgruntled and his expression didn't invite further discussion.
Maria finished gathering up the necessary items in that area of the store before following him to the clothing department. She was surprised when he actually took an interest in the clothes, but as soon as he focused on undergarments that were made for seduction she rolled her eyes and went searching for comfort.
"What's wrong with this?" he muttered, holding up the latest garment she had rejected.
She shook her head at the teddy he was obviously partial to and tossed a couple of packs of functional undergarments into the cart, along with a pack of socks.
"Well? What's wrong with it?"
"Nothing, if I was interested in dressing like a slut."
Michael frowned at the barely-there teddy, intrigued by the revealing slits cut into the wispy fabric in the most interesting places. "I don't see what's wrong with it," he grumbled, hanging it back on the rack.
"You're not picking out my underwear, Michael; you won't be seeing it anyway."
The reminder only pissed him off and he followed her through the maze of clothes racks until she stopped to browse. His attention was soon drawn to the racks where the more daring clothing was on display and he wandered over to do some browsing of his own. He had never been in a position where he had to shop for a woman, but this actually wasn't so bad, he thought as he picked out a mini-skirt that was so short he wasn't sure it would actually cover anything and a tee shirt with a plunging neckline.
"I'm not wearing that, either."
"Look, I'm payin' for all this crap so I think I should have some say in what you buy."
"Then pick out something that was designed for comfort because I'm not wearing that." She should have expected him to focus on the shortest skirts and the sexiest underwear, but he had another think coming if he thought she was going to wear any of it.
"What the fuck's wrong with it?" Michael looked at the skirt, not understanding her objection to it. It was perfect, in his opinion.
"I'm not some little whore who's gonna parade around your house dressed like a hooker because I'm just waiting for you to bend me over the nearest piece of furniture."
Michael threw the clothes on the floor and stalked off, allowing Maria to finish shopping in peace and quiet. Nearly an hour later she dropped the last item in the cart and went to look for him. His childish reaction to being told no was something she was still getting used to; it was such a contrast to his usual behavior and she wondered how many people had seen this side of his personality. She had no doubt that plenty of people had been witness to his hostility, anger, and bad temper, but she couldn't imagine that many had seen the petulant side he had exhibited several times since she had met him.