Is That Really You?

"I didn't think you would," Michelle laughed. With that, all three turned and left Gary at the table.

When they got to the restroom, Stephanie turned to Michelle and exclaimed, "He is so sweet! Whenever you get tired of him, I want him."

"You can't have him!" Katie pouted. "He's closer to my age anyway. I get him next."

"No one gets him," Michelle said emphatically. "He's mine and I'm not going to get tired of him."

"He is a sweetie," Stephanie reiterated.

"If you weren't dating him, I'd grab him," Katie said.

"You two are impossible," Michelle said shaking her head while making her way to the door once again. "If you'll excuse me, I want some time with him before we leave."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," Stephanie said as she grabbed Michelle's arm. "What do think if we drove him home? I mean, he doesn't live far from us, it would save his family a trip, and you guys could have some time together."

Michelle's eyes widened at the idea. "That's a great idea, Steph! I'll see if he wants to do it." She hurried back to the table to Gary, who was finishing his drink.

"Back so soon?" he said.

"Stephanie had a great idea," she said excitedly as she sat down. "How would you like to drive back with us? We have plenty of room and you wouldn't have to wait for your dad and they wouldn't have to make a trip to get you. What do you say?"

Gary did not need a second for his response. "It sounds fantastic, but I'll have to call my mom and see if they don't mind me traveling with three women."

"You don't have to say you're driving with three women," Michelle said. "Just tell her you're driving with some friends."

"I could do that." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. By this time, the other two were approaching the table.

Gary had nothing to fear when he called his mom. She knew his dad would be thrilled at not having to travel to Columbus to pick him up. She told him to have a good time and be careful before they ended their conversation.

As he closed the phone, he said, "It's all done. It's fine with her."

"Let's get going then," Michelle said.

It only took Gary a few minutes to finish packing his last minute items and he met Michelle and her sisters at her dorm about a half hour later with two suitcases, his laptop and accessories, and a partially full clothes bag.

"I'm already packed," Michelle said when she opened the door to let him in. Looking at his luggage, she said, "We should have met you downstairs so you wouldn't have had to bring that stuff up here."

"Too late now," he said, shaking his head. He was only slightly out of breath.

After she locked the door, they made their way down to her parents' station wagon and packed Gary's gear. Katie and Stephanie occupied the front seat while Michelle and Gary sat together in the back seat.

"Keep your hands where I can see them," warned Stephanie as they began their trek home. Michelle only smiled and took Gary's hand in hers.

The time seemed to fly because there was rarely a quiet moment as all four bantered back and forth. Usually a quiet person who enjoyed listening to conversation rather than actively participating, Gary joined in quite often and enjoyed the trip immensely. He liked Michelle's sisters very much and thought to himself he would not mind dating either one of them if he and Michelle were not such good friends already.

Before they knew it, they were within Detroit's limits and Gary directed Stephanie to his house, which was but a few miles from their own. After they pulled into his driveway, he thanked them for a great time before he emptied his gear from the back of the car. Michelle stood with him and shut the tailgate after glancing at the front door of his house. It was open and his mom was eyeing them curiously.

"Call me and we'll get together during the week," she said earnestly.

"You can call me, too, you know," he replied. "Maybe we can hit a movie or something. Steph and Katie can come, too, if they want. I don't mind."

"I know you don't mind," Michelle said accusingly while poking him in the chest. She laughed. "They like you a lot," she said softly.

"They're really nice," Gary said, "but I like you a lot better."

"You better say that," Michelle giggled. "I just want a day or night to ourselves, okay?"

"I'd like that."

Michelle reached down for his laptop bag and said, "Come on, I'll help you with this stuff."

"You don't have to. I can get it."

She ignored him and picked up the narrow, black bag. He picked up the other two suitcases and his clothes bag and he led the way to the front door. His mom opened the door for them and let them pass into the foyer. As soon as he put down his luggage, he moved to his mom and hugged her.

"Missed you, mom," he said after he planted a kiss on her cheek.

Eyeing Michelle, she said, "I can see why you didn't want dad to pick you up."

Laughing nervously, Gary said, "Mom, this Michelle Mayfair. We went to St. Augustine's together and we met up last month at a party." He looked at Michelle and gestured. "Michelle, this is my mom, Cheryl."

"Pleased to meet you, ma'am," Michelle said.

"Same to you, Michelle. Thanks for bringing Gary with you, although I don't know why he didn't want to wait for his dad," she added, tongue firmly planted in her cheek.

Gary turned a bit red at that remark

"I didn't mind at all. You guys live only a few minutes away," Michelle explained.

To Gary, Cheryl said, "You better get those dirty clothes downstairs so I can wash them tomorrow and take your other stuff upstairs before someone trips on them."

"I better get going," Michelle said. "Mom and dad will be wondering why I'm not home."

"You don't have to run off, hon," Cheryl said. "I just want Gary to get his things put away, that's all."

"No, I really must get going. My sisters are waiting for me." It slipped out before she could stop it.

"Your sisters?" Cheryl asked, her eyebrows raised. She looked at Gary again. "Now, Ireallyknow why you didn't want to wait for dad!"

Gary shrugged and grinned sheepishly. "Come on, I'll walk you out," he said to Michelle as he touched her elbow.

"It was nice meeting you," Michelle said over her shoulder as Gary tried to lead her quickly out the door.

"Same to you, Michelle," Cheryl called back before the door closed.

Michelle burst out laughing as they walked back to the station wagon. "You should have seen your face. It turnedsored!"

"It's notthatfunny. Why did you have to say anything about your sisters? Now, I'll have to answer a thousand questions when I get inside. Thanks a heap!" He shook his head from side to side.

They reached the car door and Gary opened it for her. Michelle lingered at the frame momentarily and studied Gary for an instant. For the strangest reason, she had the distinct urge to kiss him. Not a friendly peck on the cheek as she had only done previously, but a sweet, slow, lingering lip lock..... She was liking him more and more and really wanted to show him how she felt, but she had to let the moment pass. Instead, she gave him a kiss on the cheek and smiled sweetly before settling in the seat. It was a moment lost, but she hoped the next opportunity would not slip by.

"Call me," she said again.

"I will," he replied before closing the door. He could still feel the moistness on his cheek as the three sisters drove out of sight. He always loved her soft, feathery kisses against his skin and he enjoyed kissing her back in kind. Her skin was so soft and she always smelled great. 'Someday,' he thought, 'someday I hope we kiss for real.' With that thought in mind, he turned and headed for the house to face his mom's interrogation.

IV.

In actuality, his mother's questions were brief, to the point, and relatively painless. She was pleasantly surprised to find they were dating, if but casually. She had often worried about him in high school because of his infrequent dating habits and hoped his social life would improve once he went to OSU. Cheryl knew that having a girlfriend was not the be all and end all of going to school, but she wanted him to be happy, remembering his dark moods when he was turned down for dates in the past.

In the days that followed, Gary called Michelle frequently but they were unable to get together because of one reason or another until the day after Thanksgiving. Michelle's parents were starting to ease up on her about Gary after Stephanie came to her defense during a discussion.

"Can't you see she's happy with him?" she had said. "He's a great guy besides. What's wrong with that?" she demanded.

"We think she could do better," her mom tried to explain.

"Do better?" Stephanie squealed. "He's smart, he's athletic, and he's not stuck up. What else does he need to be?"

Whatever happened, it seemed to ease the tension and Michelle was grateful for that. She briefly thought of asking him over for dinner, but thought better of it. She did not want to push her luck. Instead, he picked her up and they had a very nice dinner at a local Italian restaurant. It was a small, neighborhood eatery which Michelle had been to, but it had been a very long time ago. They did not talk too much since their phone conversations had been quite lengthy, but they told each other about their holiday with their families and enjoyed each other's company thoroughly.

They had not made any permanent plans for after their dinner, so Michelle suggested they go to a mall and look around. Gary was not too thrilled about the idea since he did not like crowds, especially the day after Thanksgiving Christmas sales throng, but he agreed nonetheless.

Hand in hand, they strolled aimlessly, stopping in a few stores here and there but not buying anything. "So," Michelle said after they left a bookstore, "what do you want for Christmas?"

"I don't know," he replied. "I hadn't given it much thought."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I mean with school and all, I haven't had time to think about that stuff. I don't even have any idea what to get my parents nor Chrissy, either." Chrissy was his younger sister.

"You know what I want?" she asked as they came to a stop on the outskirts of the food court.

"I don't have the foggiest..."

"You under mistletoe," she smiled.

Take aback slightly in surprise, Gary scuffed his shoe against the tiled floor nervously for a second or two. "That can be arranged," Gary replied softly with a sly grin. "I'd like that a lot."

"Hey!" she protested. "That's supposed to bemygift."

"But why can't you being under a mistletoe be my gift?" he asked.

Michelle laughed lightly. "I guess it can be our gift to each other, then. Okay?"

"Sounds great to me," he agreed.

They continued to walk around the large mall for a short time before Michelle stopped once more and faced him.

"Speaking of kissing," she began, "have you ever kissed a girl before?" She was looking at him seriously.

"I didn't know we were talking about kissing."

"Well, what do you think people do under the mistletoe? What do you thinkwe'lldo under the mistletoe?" she asked sweetly batting her eyes.

Gary turned a bit red from embarrassment and did not say anything for a few seconds. He said in a low voice, "Do my aunts or cousins count?"

"No."

He shook his head slowly. "No, I guess I haven't. Have you kissed any guys?" He looked at her for her reply.

"Nope," she said, "the same as you."

"Oh."

"You know what, though?" she asked.

"What?"

"Real soon, I'd like to kiss you. I mean that," she added seriously.

Gary smiled. "I'd like that. I'd like that a lot." He looked around at the crowded mall nervously.

"Oh God!" she exclaimed with a look of horror on her face. "Not here," she giggled. "I don't want to kiss you here. I want it to be private."

Gary exhaled with relief. He certainly did not want to share their first kiss with a couple hundred people gawking at them. He squeezed her hand and began to walk again. "Good," he said in a low voice, "I'm glad." He then pulled her close and hugged her to his side without missing a step. He tried to hide his nervousness as they walked, but he was afraid she would figure him out.

A few minutes later, they stopped in the middle of the mall and sat down on a bench that was unoccupied. Gary put his arm around Michelle's shoulder and smiled. "This was a good idea," he conceded. "I like walking around with you."

"I like it, too," she agreed. Michelle hesitated for a brief instant. "I'm really glad we met each other again," she added.

"So am I." He stared out into space for a few seconds as Michelle eyed him curiously. He shook his head and looked back at her. "Sometimes, I wonder if we ever would have come across each other again if we hadn't been at the same party."

"I don't want to think about that," she shuddered. "We met again and that's all that counts." She squeezed his hand tight before resting her head against his shoulder. "Besides," she said, "somehow, I think we were meant to be together."

"How so?"

Michelle raised her head, straightened slowly and stared at Gary. Without a word, she stood and took his hand. Puzzled, Gary followed her as they left the mall through the main entrance even though his car was in the back on the other side.

The November wind was light, but it still chilled them as they walked away from the warmth of the mall. They walked down the lighted concourse silently hand in hand for several minutes as Gary wondered what was on Michelle's mind. It was in front of the entrance to an eye care store where Michelle slowed to a stop and sighed as a small puff of steam escaped her mouth. Her eyes studied his face and it seemed as if she were trying to decide if she should continue or not.

"I didn't want to be around a lot of people back there," she began, her words slow and carefully chosen. "Back at St. Augustine's, you were one of only a few people who never made fun of me. You were a real, true friend and I could always count on you to be nice to me and like me for who I was."

Gary sensed she was about to say something that was really important to her, but he had no idea what was truly on her mind.

Michelle shrugged. "When we went on to high school, I guess I expected you to call me sometime, but you didn't." She raised her hand and quickly added, "I'm not blaming you or anything. I just guess I really wanted you to call. I was really disappointed when you didn't. I should have called you, but I was scared."

"Scared of what?" he asked.

"Scared of you rejecting me."

"I never would have."

"I know. I figured you had a girlfriend and wouldn't have time to talk to me or be around me."

"But, I didn't...."

"I know you didn't, but that was what I thought." She crossed her arms and walked a few steps away. "What I'm trying to say is, I never forgot you, Gary. You were that special to me." She laughed softly. "Just when I hadn't thought about you in a long time, I saw your name on the list for the party. I couldn't believe it. All those years and now we're dating!"

"I liked you a lot back then," she continued, "and as silly as it sounds, I think I maybe even loved you."

Gary stood dumbfounded and could not speak. After a couple of seconds, Michelle stepped back to him and smiled. "The funny thing is," she said softly, "IknowI love you now. I love you, Gary."

Without waiting for a reply, Michelle moved forward and hugged him fiercely, her cheek against his face. Instinctively, Gary held her close as a million and one thoughts raced through his mind. He had no idea she felt this way. He knew they liked each other a lot, but he did not love her. He was not in love with her. The thought of loving her and being loved by her exhilarated him, but he did not want to hurt her by not being on the same level as she was.

Their embrace seemed to last forever, but Gary did not mind one bit. It felt good and wonderful to hold her like this. It also gave him some time to think and decide what he was going to say to her. When Michelle did lift her face away from his, he could see her eyes were shiny with tears.

"I don't know what to say," he said quietly.

"You don't have to say anything. I probably scared the crap out of you by saying that." She looked away sorrowfully, thinking she said the wrong thing by admitting her feelings to him.

"I'm not scared at all," he replied.

Her eyes met his. "You're not?"

He shook his head. "If you were anyone else, I'd be scared to death. You're too good a friend...." He stopped.

"Too good a friend for what?" she asked.

"I don't know," he sighed. He debated as to tell her his real feelings.

"Tell me," she said, her eyes pleading.

Gary hesitated still and was not sure how to begin or to say anything at all, for that matter. Her eyes were melting his resolve, however, so he exhaled and looked at her.

"I'm not really sure what to say or how to say it," he said.

"Just say what you think. I want to know what's on your mind."

"It's just that...damn," he stammered as he looked away. It was too difficult for him to say.

Michelle moved forward and took his hand once more and squeezed it reassuringly. "Say whatever's on your mind," she implored him. "Don't be afraid."

Gary looked at her helplessly and shrugged. "I think you expect too much from me. This past month has been great and I love being around you, but I can't say that I'm in love with you, too." Inside, he recoiled for the emotional hit he was giving her.

She gave his hand a slight squeeze and smiled. "You're silly," she laughed. Gary looked at her stupidly. "I never said I wasin lovewith you, Gary. I love you as a best friend, the best friend I've ever had besides my sisters."

Gary sighed with relief and knew exactly how she felt, for it was exactly how he felt about her. She absolutely was his best friend and he could honestly say he loved her for it.

Michelle put her hands to his chest and straightened his coat collar. "But," she said softly, "I hope I do fall in love with you because I can't think of anything better than to be in love with your best friend."

Within seconds, Gary did not know who began to kiss whom, but there they were embraced in front of Lenscrafters kissing each other. Their kisses were soft and sweet, showing nothing but affection for the other. Eyes closed, Michelle parted her lips slightly and accepted more from him as his kisses became just a bit more urgent. For ones who had never kissed the opposite sex before, Gary felt they were doing a pretty good job because Michelle's kisses were having a profound affect upon him in more ways than one.

Michelle's breathing quickened and she felt her knees go weak as Gary's hands went to her face. His kiss felt so good and she could not believe how soft his lips were! Her arms were pressing against his back holding him to her. Several minutes went by before they finally broke their kiss. Michelle opened her eyes slowly and looked at the young man standing before her. Could he be the same scrawny youngster who was the only one allowed to call her 'Shelley'? Smiling, she only saw her best friend in front of her. Little boy or grown man, he was one and the same to her.

They stood before each other quietly and let the moment sink in. Gary tried to sort his thoughts, but too many things were swirling through his mind. Perhaps it was her kiss or the way she held him to her, or maybe it was the way she was looking at him now, but he knew they were more than best friends. And by the way he felt right then, he also knew Michelle was right. Theyweremeant to be together.

How long they stood there, they did not know. It could have been seconds or minutes for all they knew. The sound of a car horn blowing startled them out of their stupor and together, they laughed nervously. Michelle reached forward and lightly touched Gary's face.