The Calm before the Storm By Christina Paul
A short story about a young couple's secret rendezvous.
Word Count: 3,109
Cool summer breezes carrying the delicious smell of barbequed hamburgers, hot dogs and steak wafted through the air for miles throughout the little sleepy town of Humphrey, Texas. The hot July sun was sinking lower and lower, retreating into the horizon marking the end to one of those perfect country-summer-days where children's laughter echoed from every neighborhood playground. As the sun retired, a young couple followed suit. Making their way from opposite ends of town to reunite together; excited to forget all about their hard day’s work.
Julie parked her car on the side of the road and got out. She stopped to grab the blanket and a picnic basket out of her trunk. She beamed as Michael pulled up behind her; she hopped on the back of his bike with the basket and blanket in tow. They rode through the grassy field to their favorite spot. Soon enough they were lying under the shade of an oak tree that was centuries old while Michael's harley engine cooled in the background. As the radiant rays of gold highlighted the brilliant green leaves of the massive oak; they stared into one another's soul, blanketing them in familiarity. Overhead a monarch butterfly danced, it‘s black and orange detail flirting with the last emissions of light before the sun started it's final descent.
Julie’s designer one-and-a-half inch black leather peep toes were tossed lazily in the corner of the red and black flannel blanket next to Michael’s balled up socks and steel toed motor cycle boots. A couple of egg sandwiches, a bag of doritos and a six pack of miller lite was all that looked ingestible, their meager spread came from a deserted gas station that they had passed on their way to the oak tree. It was a pathetic attempt at a picnic but then again, they didn't usually come to their tree to eat.
A line of ants that already learned the drill and began their desperate attempt to infiltrate the woven picnic basket that sat only inches away from the couple’s bare-soled feet. Birds sang softly to the sun as it made it’s final departure. Most of the creatures in the surrounding meadow were settling down for the night; seeking safety in their shelters to avoid becoming a midnight snack for any bigger creature that would be hunting in the shadows.
For a brief moment that felt like it should have spanned an eternity to the duo, Michael and Julie laid nestled in each other’s embrace. Completely comfortable with each other in the surrounding silence. So closely intertwined that any by-passer wouldn't be able tell whose limbs really belonged to who. They were completely oblivious to the outside world. When they were finally able to they tore their eyes off of one another. Diverting their gazes skyward so they could watch as their world changed colors slowly before them. Hues of red, yellow, orange and purple painted the skyline. Michael stole a glance down at Julie and took a moment to awe at her beauty, her angelic face was highlighted by the twilight and her eyes projected her joy up to the night’s sky. He could feel the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed softly against him, crushed in against the left side of his body. Closing his eyes, he lowered his head so he could inhale that wonderful smell of strawberries and vanilla that always came from the strands of Julie’s long, wavy strawberry-blond hair. She snuggled into his black t-shirt cladded chest as Michael wrapped his arms more tightly around her, pulling her even closer. Her heart beating faster, pounding through her Ed Hardy tee, as she shifted her weight to form a human glove that fit so perfectly against his body.
Michael cupped his free hand around her chin and tilted her face towards him. He loved to get lost in her eyes. They were the color of emeralds, and even sparkled like them on nights like tonight. She felt his warm breath on her face and smiled. She knew deep down in her heart that she could lay with him like this forever and not have one complaint about it. Michael slightly parted his lips and leaned in to give her a slow sweet kiss that was intended to tease her, to leave her not just wanting more but practically begging to have his lips against hers. The invisible electric current intensified between them as their lips finally touched. Julie was baffled by the fact that every time they kissed that still happened. He could make her want him so bad without doing a thing; it just didn't seemed fair.
A little coy smile danced on the corners of his lips because he knew what he was doing to her and he enjoyed it. He kissed her harder and with a little more passion. He loved the taste of her cherry chapstick. He hooked his thumbs through the belt loops in the back of her designer jeans that probably cost more than his whole entire wardrobe. With a soft moan Julie crushed herself against his frame; putting the pressure on all the right spots that sent her nerve endings into overdrive.
Michael’s tongue gently caressed hers, softly at first, gentle and slow. Their kiss gained momentum fast enough though because within ten minutes they were both panting for breath and tearing at each other’s clothes. Moments later, thousands of dollars worth of clothes were carelessly tossed in every direction. The crisp night air hit their skin with a shock that was quickly forgotten about in the heat of passion.
He worked slowly down her body. He was so hungry for her, desire was dripping out of his every pore as he slowly teased her with his tongue from the base of her neck to her perky nipples; savoring, sucking and teasing her until she called out his name. Michael paused and looked up just long enough to smile at her. Julie wrapped her fingers in his hair and pulled him up to face her, she kissed him hard and deep. She was on the brink and he knew it. Michael pulled away from her longing gaze and resumed trailing soft, gentle kisses from her breast right down to her core. He caressed the inside of her thighs working inward, enjoying watching her arch her back and feeling the rhythm of her heavy breathing.
Julie was in pure ecstasy as she felt his warm breath getting closer and closer to where she wanted him the most. She was so ready for him; she almost couldn't stand the ache. Then he was on her, right where she needed him to be. Michael let his tongue play, flirting with the heat of her fire he created. Julie felt like she just exploded from the inside out. Her orgasm came hard and fierce and he milked it until the very last drop. He moved slowly back up her body retracing his invisible path of torment. Julie moaned as she wrapped her long legs around his body and pulled him back up her body. All the contentment from lying in each other’s arms watching the sunset was gone. Replaced by an aching hunger they both couldn't wait to feed.
Hours later, they lay in a heap of limbs; spent and exhausted. Their hearts raced, this time from physical exertion rather than unbridled lust. Julie lay there unable to move as her eyes twinkled like the stars, a smile of satisfaction plastered on her face. She caught Michael looking at her from the corner of her eye. She turned her body towards him, and brushed her left hand through his hair. Suddenly she was no longer smiling; the twinkle of eyes only remaining because it was reflecting the twinkle from the 18 carat diamond ring on her ring finger.
"What's the matter, baby?” Michael asked even though he already knew.
Julie got up and fished around for her clothes in the moonlight, "I have to go", she relied without even looking at him.
He grabbed her wrist and forced her to look at him. Tears glistened in her eyes as she stared back at him but he wasn't going to let that sucker him again. They'd done this routine far too many times in the last six months. After all, he was the man, why should he be reduced to feeling like a cheap whore. Left naked and alone in the night, cursing silently; asking himself over and over in his mind why he let himself fall for her as she drove off with the intent to spend the night in the arms of another man. He knew from the get-go that it was just supposed to be a fling, great sex with no strings attached. Right. She had ruined him, reduced him to being a needy, clingy love-sick pup. At least no one else knew what a pussy he'd let himself become, they probably wouldn't believe him if he blew the whistle anyways.
"Don't go, Jules", he whispered, "Stay with me."
Julie broke from his hold, turned her back to him and went back to finding her clothes. She couldn't look him in the eyes right now. It tore her apart the way she felt; it wasn't supposed to be this way. He'd just been some handsome biker, in the right place, at the right time when she needed to feel wanted. Her husband sure as hell didn't take the time to make her feel like a woman anymore; he was too busy chasing after his secretaries. She wasn't going to let herself cry over this. After all, she didn't really love Michael, did she? Even if she did it's not like she could just walk away from her world and everything in it. She'd worked too hard and too long to claw her way up in the ranks of the country club world.
Even though Michael hadn't admitted that he loved her, she knew and it felt so good just knowing that he loved her, that someone loved her, but it made it way too easy to get swept up in the moment. He was a good man but she couldn't allow herself to love him back. It would make their relationship too complicated and she would end up losing everything and as shallow as that made her feel, she was too terrified to explore the consequences of pursing their relationship to the next level. She didn’t sign up for that; she didn’t sign up for a relationship in the first place. Frustrated with her emotions, she focused her energy into finding her clothes. Where the hell is that damn bra? Next time, she vowed to just not wear one.
"Jules, did you hear me?” he raked his fingers through his hair in frustration, his hard naked body illuminated by the moonlight in all the right places.
"You know that I can't stay, why do you have to act like this every time I go to leave?" She said as she slipped her shirt on and buttoned her jeans.
"Guess this means your not up for round two then", he joked between his clenched teeth. Julie didn't need to know how he really felt; it would probably just make her run and never look back. She made it very clear from the beginning that she wasn't looking for any semblance of a relationship. He bent down, grabbed the ball of jeans at his feet and threw his legs into them, "I just don't get why you’re always in such a rush to leave".
She turned to him, gave him her best "Duh, we've been over this" look and threw her left hand up and pointed to the huge rock on her ring finger. "You know why", she answered, her tone cold and full of disdain. Then she went back to putting the only shoe she managed to find on, completely ignoring him.
Yup. That pissed him off. It was like she could be two different people and this one, he just wanted to knock her off her high horse right into a pile of horse shit while he pointed and laughed. He hated it when Julie, his Julie - the one he'd come to love so desperately that he's put his last twenty bucks into his Harley completely dropping everything just to meet her out here in bum-fucked Egypt, turned into the cold, calculating bitch standing before him. He stepped closer into her personal bubble, visualizing a cartoon-ish version of himself strangling her as he bent down to whisper in her ear, "Always in such a rush to get back into his bed, aren't you? If you love him so much why you do jump on the first chance to ride my dick."
She straightened up and laid her hands on his bare chest to push him away as hard as she could manage. Michael took a step back but it was more from his own accord than her strength. Julie did her best to pretend that he didn't unnerve her and spoke without bothering to raise her voice, "Don't talk to me like I am just another one of your cheap whores you picked up at a dive bar. Who the fuck do you think you are?"
Michael's throaty chuckle was the only retort she got. Throwing his arms up in the air, he went over and sat next to the picnic basket and grabbed a beer. Leaning back so he was propped up on one arm, he twisted off the top and tossed it aside. He took a nice long swig as he watched her fumble around with one shoe on looking for the rest of her things. If he wasn't so pissed off he would have helped her or at least flipped the headlight on his harley on for her. He was wound up too tight though; he could feel the tension running through all the muscles in his body. He couldn’t decide who he was angrier with, himself for falling for her or her for treating like he was some kind of fucking prostitute. Trying to decide who he was really angry with only seemed to piss him off more.
She found her other shoe at last, "Thanks for the help, asshole", she said as she slipped it on over her perfect pedicure. She straightened out and threw a couple of twenties at him from her back pocket and winked at him, “For services rendered; get some gas so you can get your ass to work in the morning.”
Michael laughed. She didn’t know how much that had hit home for him. Julie probably thought she was just being nice, the perfect little sugar mommy, always trying to give him money, buy him stuff or foot the bill but it just made him feel like a bigger piece of shit. At the moment all it did was piss him off more, which he didn’t think was possible. This woman drove him to the brink of insanity without even trying. He could feel the heat radiating off of his body; literally casting off steam as he lay there staring at the twenties at his feet.
Julie ran her fingers through her hair in a vain attempt to tame her bed head before she made the trip home. “What’s your problem anyways, I thought we were having a good time.”
"I would love say the same but this shit is getting old. Next time do us both a favor and don't bother calling me."
“Okay, if that is really what you want,” she shrugged him off like it was no big deal.
“You’re a bitch, do you know that Julie”, he said flatly and took another swig of his beer.
She sauntered over to him and bent down to straddle his hips; she reached over and took his beer and set it aside before gently brushing his hair off of his face. “Stop being so broody baby”, she softly spoke into his ear before she leaned in and gently pecked him on the lips. Julie looked at him expectantly and his arms automatically went around her to draw her in closer. Holding her against him, he felt himself calming down; she had that effect on him. He locked eyes with her, “I love you Jules, stay with me. I can make you happier than he can. You know I can.”
Julie knew that he was being sincere but she didn’t respond. She didn’t know what to say. It was a lot simpler knowing that he loved her before he actually said it out loud. She just stared off blankly before placing her index finger against his lips, “Don’t talk like that; you’ll ruin everything.” Julie got up and walked a couple of feet away just to put some distance between them.
“That’s it. That’s all I get in return. I just told you I fucking love you!”
“I know! Let’s just pretend you didn’t and go back to business as usual.”
Rejected and damaged, Michael just shook his head and reached for his beer. “I think you should find someone else to whore around with. I am tired of this shit.”
"Whatever Michael, fuck you", Julie said as she turned to walk back to her convertible Mazda MX-5; grateful to put more distance between them.
“No thank you. Been there done that and to tell you the truth Princess, you’re not worth the gas money”, he replied as coolly as he could, rolling the twenties between his fingers, “I completely understand now why your old man feels the need to be balls deep in his secretaries”, he called after her shadow as she stormed through the field to get back to her car. When he heard her luxury sports car hum to life, he was sure that he’d fucked up but he was just still too pissed to care. Chucking his still- full beer, he felt around for the rest of his clothes. He donned his old black t-shirt, leather jacket and his boots then got on his bike; leaving the blanket and picnic basket there. Once his tires hit the asphalt, he sped off into the night.
Julie hadn’t left yet. She still sat on the side of the road, her lights off and her engine running. She heard him reeve up his motorcycle and watched him pull out a few feet ahead of her and speed off like he had somewhere important to go. Once she was sure he wasn’t turning back she hung her head in her hands and wept.
"The Calm before the Storm" by Christina Paul AKA thepaulohana is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on work at thepaulohana.blogspot.com
No comments:
Post a Comment