A Dozen Dates (5 page)

“Yes...” Gemma confirmed, “It is definitely a yes!”

After dinner and dessert Michael paid the bill and they left the restaurant. “Take your shoes off... Let’s go for a walk along the beach...” Gemma removed her high heels and Michael put them in the vehicle along with his own. He smiled at his date and touched her hip to guide her in front of him down the short trail and onto the beach, and then he caught up and walked beside her.

The waterside was beautiful... The fresh fragrance of the sea breeze entwined with frangipanis in bloom lapped at their faces, both invigorating them and keeping them comfortably cool. The vista of the water ebbing and the waves crashing was accentuated by the light of the moon and the city alike outlining its edges and giving them a colourful iridescence. And then there was the hypnotic rumble of the waves blending with the hum of the distant traffic only episodically broken up by a ship’s horn as it signalled out at sea. The sand was cold and squished through her toes, and Gemma felt like nature itself – the confusion of who she was stripped away and there was only her in her innate form. Just her – Gemma, the woman... As she relaxed her lips parted and she breathed in the gentle awesomeness of the scenery. She was so calm that when Michael took her hand she didn’t even flinch; instead, she just closed her own hand around it. She relaxed and closed her eyes and enjoyed the entire ambience about her; and breathed life.

Suddenly Gemma was disturbed by a meddling, but not unpleasant scent. Her nose twitched and she opened her eyes. What was that? Michael was the only thing next to her... She turned her head towards him and discretely sniffed. It was him... and oh... It was making her a little woozy. Gemma felt her stomach muscles tense as she tried to expel the intoxicating scent from her mind. She knew animals responded to pheromones, but she never had... Greg hadn’t smelled that good! “Uh..!”

“Pardon..?” Michael exclaimed.

“Huh?”

“You said something?”

“No... I didn’t.”

“You like the beach, don’t you?” Michael observed.

Gemma smiled, “I like the outdoors. Beach, trees, plants, water, sun...” she listed and then she raised her free hand, “Moon...”

“That’s why you chose to do landscaping?”

“Yeah...”

“Gemma, can I ask you something... personal?” Michael requested.

“Okay...” Gemma agreed but with apprehension.

“Why were you a virgin?”

Gemma froze for a moment, and then answered, “Because I’d never had sex.”

Michael chuckled, “Well, I know that...” He paused before continuing, “But why..? Why didn’t you ever have sex?” Michael watched the annoyance flash within her eyes as she tried to retract her hand. Quickly he tightened his grip on it... “I’m sorry!” He paused again. “It’s just that you are so... tempting...” Gemma looked at him, surprised... “I don’t know how... with all the sexed up men out there in the world... You got away with it for so long.”

“Well, I didn’t live in the world...” she stated but her expression was blank.

“What do you mean? Where did you live?” Michael was confused.

“Out back...” said Gemma.

“Out back of where?”

“The outback...”

“You mean the outback of Australia?” Michael inquired.

“Yes, the outback. We were pretty isolated where I lived... This whole world you see around us,” Gemma gestured towards the high-rises, and frowned, “Seems a bit like Mars to me.”

“Wow! So when did you move here?” Michael asked her.

“Almost four months ago...”

Michael chuckled, “Almost four whole months..? Had you never seen the city before?”

“Oh, we visited every couple of years... For holidays..! I have been to this city twice before – I have wanted to move here ever since I was about twelve. To live near the ocean... the green... and people..!”

“Well, how often did you see people?”

“There was a community where we lived – about twenty-five people; adults and children.”

“No boys?”

“Well, once I became a teenager I started drifting towards the ringers...”

“Ringers..?”

Gemma looked at him, “You know... Cowboys...” Michael nodded. “My parents introduced rules about fraternising then...”

“Humph! I bet! I might have too...” Michael paused and then continued wide-eyed, “So you must find all this...” he waved his hand about, “Fascinating... Exciting...” Michael paused again, and his face took on an expression of empathy, “Overwhelming..?”

Gemma smiled widely, “Yes, yes... and definitely!” Michael smiled back, and then they walked for a while, in quiet.

“You are very brave...” Michael decided and Gemma smiled, and again they walked in enjoyable silence.

“Gemma, I want to do the right thing by you... And being that you were somewhat... virtuous... before I got my grubby hands on you...” Michael declared.

She wasn’t comfortable talking about that night yet and in a panic went to pull her hand away, “No that’s okay...”

“Stop doing that!” scolded Michael as he quickly caught her hand. “Just listen...” Michael paused and looked at Gemma and saw her staring back at him fearfully, “And trust me.” He took his other hand and placed it on top of hers, gently cushioning it between his own two strong man hands and started rubbing and stroking it gently. He smiled at her, dazzling her, “Stop pulling away...”

“Okay,” said Gemma, but she faced forward again, unable to meet his penetrating gaze.

Michael removed the covering hand and they started walking slowly again. He spoke as they walked, not making eye contact. “Saturday night should not have been out first date...” he informed her. Gemma’s nerves were beginning to fray, but she managed to stave off her impulses to bring to an end the conversation, and sensing her struggle, Michael smiled softly. “Tonight is a more appropriate first date... a romantic dinner, holding hands and walking along the beach, and later, a kiss goodnight..?” Gemma looked at him dumbfounded by his assumption, but unable to say anything because his reasoning made sense; and it wasn’t anything offensive. “Really,” Michael soldiered on, “A girl with... your prior... moral... stature.”

“Huh?” Gemma exclaimed, the phrase taking a moment to sink in, “Oh, just say it!” Gemma faced forward again.

“A virgin wouldn’t usually have sex until... oh; let’s say the tenth date...” Michael pressed on. “And frankly, wild, drunken sex...” Gemma’s jaw dropped and she couldn’t believe her ears. “Wouldn’t come into play until at least the twelfth date...” Gemma turned her head and just stared at him. Michael was bravely smiling as he went on, “So I figure I owe you nine dates, this being the first of them... Perhaps eleven...”

“Michael, you don’t have to do that...” Gemma told him.

“Yes I do,” he informed her.

“I’m okay...”

“I don’t care – I owe you nine dates,” Michael told her adamantly, his gaze confirming his decision.

Michael walked Gemma up to her door and stood there while she put the key in the lock and turned it. She was pushing the door open when he swooped down and grabbed her hand and slowly pulled it up to his chest, where he placed it flat and traced her slender fingers with his own. Gemma felt the warmth of his shapely mass beneath the slippery, shiny textile of his shirt and her stomach began to tighten again. She looked up at his face and saw his eyes searching hers – her soft full lips parted gently and she began panting in anticipation. Michael smiled harmoniously at her as he lifted his hand from hers, slid it under her hair and rested it on the curve of her neck and watched as Gemma instinctively and affectionately nestled her neck against his touch. He took his other arm and wound it around her waist and pulled her into him while she traced her hand up his strong supporting arm and placed it on his powerful shoulder. Her nostrils delicately flared as his masculine scent once again invaded her reason and she, by design, pushed her chest against his and tilted her head slightly back. Michael leant in slowly, never averting his gaze from her misty grey eyes and Gemma felt herself dizzy again; and so when she felt his breath on her mouth she allowed her eyes to fall closed. She tasted his sweet wetness as his lips gently met hers. She moaned quietly and subconsciously thrust the hand that was on his shoulder up the back of his neck and through his thick, sandy-brown hair, grabbed a handful and slowly squeezed.

Michael softly closed his lips over her top lip, sucking it into his mouth and kissing it, and Gemma closed her mouth, in effect, kissing his bottom lip at the same time. Slowly Michael parted his lips and wrapped them over both of hers, and kissed them tenderly, and then against the pressure of her grip, he pulled his head back slightly. Gemma parted her weighty eyelids and absorbed his gaze as he lent back in and they gave each other one final peck.

Michael unwrapped his arm from Gemma’s waist and put it by his side, and then he slid the one from her neck around to her cheek and stroked her softness with his thumb and smiled peacefully. Gemma let go of his hair, only just realising the grip she had. “Thanks for tonight, Gemma; I had a really nice time.”

“Errm... Me too... Thank you,” she muttered, and then she dipped her head, embarrassed of her provocative exposure and turned to fumble with the door.

“Night Gem,” Michael said and he started to step away.

Gemma half turned, but only made eyes through her shielding hair, “Night.” Michael smiled, and walked away.

Eight more dates..? Gemma knew he was only dating her because he quite decently wanted to make atonement for taking her virginity. Truth be told, she was rather loving Michael’s company, and under different circumstance she would really like to date him... But pity dates? Was he even aware of the effect he was having on her? Obviously not... Well that’s just great!

Gemma lied on her bed and thought about Michael... He sure did make her feel funny - she never experienced such strange sensations with Greg... What was that anyway..? Was it love? Is that what love feels like? There was no way she could survive eight more dates without developing some kind of strong feelings for him when he was already giving her palpitations? She could get really hurt, here...

Then again, if she was to date him eight more times, he could possibly grow to like her too... Perhaps he could forget the fact that she was inexperienced and somewhat lost! She could try hard and learn quickly and she could be the sex kitten that he originally mistook her for. Oh, how she wished she could impress him with the sophisticated sexual self-assuredness that comes from experience. But who was she kidding – she could barely talk to him without blushing and stuttering like a tentative fool... Every time she kissed him she became light-headed – her brain mutating into a pitiable handful of child’s “Slime” or “Goo”.

Thoughts; pros and cons of dating Michael jostled around her mind. He was so nice, and funny and so gorgeous, and she
so
wanted to keep dating him. But she also considered how hurt she could get... Most of all however, she just thought about his soft sweet lips and his musky scent, his soul-stirring pale blue gaze and his warm, strong hands.

Chapter Three

The next day was Tuesday, a college-free day, and Gemma went around the house as promised. She dressed appropriately in denim shorts which respectfully covered about a third of her thighs, a tidy and tucked in lemon coloured t-shirt, sensible, tough work boots and a broad brimmed Akubra hat shading platted hair and a sun screened nose. She carried with her, her knapsack containing her tape measure, notepad and pencil, sunscreen and a bottle of water tucked in the side pocket; and her gardener’s apron with pockets for her spade, a small fork, some shears, gardening gloves and a few other handy tools. Finally, she had her laptop!

She approached the brothers who were working removing a huge section of wall between the dining area and back patio with the intension of installing bi-fold doors. “Wow! This is going to be really great...” she stated. He would be shirtless, wouldn’t he..? But then, this is Australia and it does get hot in summer. There is just something particularly attractive about a man who wears work boots and socks with shorts, but no shirt... You can almost see their masculine perfume...

“You like it..?” Michael said.

“Huh?” Gemma responded, trying to remember what they were talking about, before finally answering, “
Yeah
...”

“I need to know the budget...” Gemma informed them after they had all said their greetings, and the boys gave her an approximate estimate.

“We are new at this, but we want to make a fat-cat profit...” Michael said and he grinned, “So we trust you will let us know if that is ridiculously low or high.”

“It sounds good, but I will save you where I can...” Gemma offered, understanding this was a business venture for them and not their own private indulgence.

“Good girl!” said Michael.

“Do you have any particular preferences regarding style?” she asked them

“Well, it’s an upper middle class area, so I don’t know... Whatever you think upper middle class people would like...” Nathan stated.

“Michael, is there anything you want?” Gemma asked and Michael grinned, and realising how he was interpreting her request, she quickly tried to correct herself, “In the garden...”