Forty isn't Old if You're a Tree Ch. 05

Since Michael had seemed ready to do it but had not, she was worried. She remembered the email and Bob's comments. Had Michael remembered also? Is that why he had been so rough when they actually joined?I'll worry about that later.She pressed tighter to him.

The weekend had been so good that Julie wanted a repeat. After her walk on Tuesday night she got ready for bed. She showered and shaved her legs. She put on perfume and a nice nightgown, although not her fuck-me one. She found Michael in front of the TV.

"Why don't you go take a shower?" The kiss before her request had gotten his attention. He wasted no time in heading upstairs.

The lovemaking was slow and tender this time. After lots of kissing and caressing, he bent to take her nipples by turn in his mouth. The thrills stoked her fires, but that was as far as his mouth wandered. He did finger her, sliding slowly between her nether lips and lightly over her clit. She had an orgasm while he was on top of her. Afterwards they cuddled and kissed for awhile before dropping off to sleep.

While she was driving to work the next day, she pondered the previous night. The tenderness that he showed reassured her about their progress. However, the absence of oral stimulation showed that he hadn't forgotten or completely forgiven yet.

******

The next week Michael had to travel to headquarters for the whole week, so they canceled the appointment with Dr. Cooper. The following week Julie had a bad summer cold so they canceled that week as well. They never got around to making another appointment.

However, Julie managed to keep going to Dr. Jacobsen. Not that the questions that the gentle psychiatrist asked were comfortable.

"Why do you think you got mad at Michael for complaining about his duties while you were in Atlanta?"

"Why did you believe he was having an affair just because other women flirted with him?"

"So the first time back here after Atlanta, you suggested to Bob that you go to his apartment. Why do you think you did that?"

Julie struggled during those hours in the therapist's office to look inside and figure out what was going on. The answers didn't make Julie feel good about herself.

Wonder of wonders she got a call from a headhunter in August. The potential job seemed both below her capabilities and outside her experience, but she ended up pulling out the resume she had first circulated. She was embarrassed to realize that the resume was not really intended to find another job. It was just an excuse to get Michael's request out of her inbox. That night she reworked her resume. The next day she pulled up the ads on the internet from last week's papers and submitted for some open positions.

*****

"Michael, you've done a good job for us this year." Jack was beginning Michael's annual review. The company had finished it's fiscal year on June 30 and now, finally in early August, the books were closed and earnings calculated. Now the bonuses could be distributed.

"Your department was outstanding technically. The innovations you came up with, particularly on the redesigned 423 line, made the introductions very easy."

"Jack, I'm sure you remember that those were Rob's ideas."

"I remember, but we measure you on how well your department does. Not whether you do it personally. One area I am concerned about is your ability to draw on resources outside your department. When you initially had problems with the 423 line, you clammed up. I eventually realized you needed more help. After I gave you Jim temporarily is when the technical solutions began to pop out. If you had said something sooner, you might have avoided a lot of those extra hours."

"You've got to look at the big picture," Jack continued. "Asking for help or sharing your problems doesn't make you a failure."

"You're right and I'll try to keep you better informed this year."

"Well, I don't want to be too harsh. You had a great year. You've earned your bonus and a Special Bonus on top. Congratulations."

As Michael walked back to his office, he thought about the last year. It suddenly hit him. Not only his work, but also his home life suffered from lack of communication.