After the Fall Ch. 07

Ezra shook his head. "No. We're just going to get him secured in a jeep and drive him into town."

"Good riddance. I'll have my radio on if anything comes up."

Michael and Mariah took the golf cart back to the main garage. When they got into the elevator, Mariah pushed the button for the second floor.

He pulled her back against his chest and wrapped an arm around her. "What are we doing on the second floor?"

"I don't know what you're doing, but I'm going to check on Sarah's room and then check on Sarah."

"Mind a little company?"

"Since when does it matter if I do?"

He didn't answer, but when the elevator door opened, he dropped his arm to let her go. She didn't know quite what to do. She looked back at him.

"I'll be upstairs."

The elevator door closed before she figured out how to respond. Trying to shrug off the feeling that she had been a jerk, she hurried down the hall to the room Sarah had picked out. Paula wasn't there, but she had obviously been busy. The room was fresh and clean. None of the furniture had been changed out yet, but Paula was probably waiting for Seth and Marcus to be able to help her.

She hurried down to the other end of the hall to Ezra's quarters to find Sarah. Sarah answered the door so quickly that Mariah wondered if she'd been waiting for a knock.

She frowned when she saw Mariah. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"Nothing happened. Nothing's wrong. I just came to see if you could use some help. Why? Is there something you're worried about?"

"I wasn't worrying about anything. I just thought you looked upset."

"Oh, sorry. I'm probably just a little tired. So, did you and Ezra figure out anything about your stuff?"

Sarah looked sheepish. "He had some extra drawer space he offered to let me use, so I put my clothes away already."

Mariah kept her expression neutral. "What about the rest of your stuff?"

"He said we could figure it out when he got back."

"Oh. Well, just so you know, it looks like Paula's got your room cleaned up. There's no bedroom furniture in it yet, but if you just need floorspace to stack anything, that's available."

"I tried to help her clean it. She let me sweep a bit, then chased me out."

"Sounds like Paula. Since you don't need help unpacking, do you want to finish the tour of the house?"

"Ezra's planning to take me through the house when his shift ends."

Mariah firmly resisted the urge to smirk. "Is there anything you need? Anything I can do to help? I feel like I've just left you stranded here."

"You worry too much. I'm fine. I've got everything I need. You're the one I'm worried about. You haven't even been giving me a hard time about Ezra."

Mariah shrugged. "I didn't want you to take it the wrong way if I teased you."

"What do you mean? Why would I take it the wrong way? Do you think I'm moving too fast?"

Mariah laughed. "Too fast? You met him yesterday. I can't imagine what's taking you so long." She dodged Sarah's playful punch. "See? That's taking it the wrong way!"

Sarah stuck out her tongue. "You're just jealous because my guy's a gentleman!"

"Oh, so now you admit Ezra's your guy?"

"I didn't mean it like that!" Sarah protested.

"What other ways are there to mean it?"

"Whatever. At least you're smiling now."

"It's hard not to smile. You know I love teasing you about it, but I'm not being critical in any way. I think Ezra is a great guy. You deserve a great guy. How fast or slow you guys approach things is nobody's business but your own. You're the only one who knows what feels right to you."

"Thanks. I'll admit I was feeling a little self-conscious. Not that anything serious has happened, but just self-conscious that I'm feeling this way about him so soon." She looked at Mariah skeptically. "Wait a minute. This open-mindedness wouldn't have anything to do with how long it took you to get with Michael would it? And just how long did that take?"

"Since when haven't I been open-minded? You act like I'm some sort of puritanical busybody."

"I just mean I've never seen you involved with anyone before. You've always been so secretive about it."

Mariah rolled her eyes. "I just like to keep that part of my life separate from the rest. I don't want to have to deal with those relationships being entangled with the rest of my life."

"Damn, Mariah. That's cold."

"It's not like you're making it out to be. They weren't serious relationships, and it's not like there were a lot of them. I'm not a nun. Those men weren't priests. We enjoyed each other and left it at that. When it was over, it was over."

"But not Michael."

"Oh, he's managed to get tangled up in my life all right, but that doesn't make it a serious relationship. It just makes it messy."

Sarah shook her head. "I'm not buying it that it's all one way. I think you're all tangled up in each other."

"That would be even messier."

"Life's messy."

They both jumped when they heard a knock. It was Ezra, knocking politely at his own door. After a quick hello, Mariah excused herself and wandered down the hall toward the elevator. Without the distraction of conversation, she lapsed back into moodiness. She still felt like a jerk for her snide remark to Michael, when for once, he had actually asked whether she wanted his company and given her an option. Not only that, he had just let her talk to Carruthers, even though he didn't want her in the same room with the guy. He had treated her like she had something valuable to contribute.

She needed to apologize, and she resented it. Her remark was at least partly the result of frustration that she wasn't getting time alone, which was his fault. That didn't make her feel any better about lashing out at him when he wasn't doing anything wrong. The truth was that she hadn't even been thinking about whether she wanted company. She had seen an opening to snipe at him and had taken it, probably because she was still upset that he dragged her out to the lake to try to make her talk about things she didn't want to talk about. She sighed and pushed the button for the third floor.

When she opened the door to Michael's wing, Henry came running down the hall to meet her. He jumped up for his hug and kiss, and Mariah held onto him a little longer than he was used to. Back on all fours, the inquisitive tilt to his head made her laugh.

She ruffled the fur on his head. "Everything's fine you big galoot. I just missed you is all."

Duncan was on his way down the hall, too, darting into doorways, peeking out, then running along the wall to the next doorway. He wasn't the sneakiest cat in the world, but he did try. When Duncan got closer, he took a run at his target -- Henry's tail. Henry wagged his tail just as Duncan was pouncing. Startled, Duncan tried to turn around in mid-air, landed with an undignified plop, and ran off at break-neck speed down the hall.

As she passed the lounge, Mariah saw Michael. He was sitting in his favorite spot on the sectional, holding a book that he wasn't reading. He looked up at her as she passed, or rather, as she tried to pass. Instead of going to her room, she found herself turning at the doorway to deliver the apology that was due.

"I'm sorry I made that snotty remark."

"It's okay. Can you come sit with me for a minute?"

When she tried to sit beside him, he snared her and pulled her into his lap.

"You said sit with you, not on you."

He kissed her cheek. "Yep, I was luring you in. I realize I need to let you have some time to yourself, sweetheart. I've been thinking about it, and I'm going to try to be more conscious of it."

Mariah was taken aback.

"Don't look so shocked, you little brat. If I were half the monster you make me out to be, you'd never leave your bedroom. Which, now that I think about it, isn't such a bad idea." He squeezed her ass and waggled his eyebrows at her.

She rolled her eyes. "Now there's the Michael I know."

"You complain an awful lot for someone who enjoys getting tied to the bed. Or have you forgotten? I'd be happy to give you a reminder."

"One day, you're going to wake up tied to the bed."

"Promise?"

"Not like that! Just tied to the bed."

"Silly me! You meant 'tied to the bed,' not 'tied to the bed.'"

"Smartass."

He grinned. "Thank you for noticing. If you really want to shut me up, though..."

Mariah raised an eyebrow. "That's an option?"

Michael swatted her. "If you really want to shut me up, you could give me another kiss."

She kissed him.

"That's not even enough to shut me up for a full second. Do it right."

Giving in to the temptation, she circled her arms around his neck and leaned into him. Her lips were soft against his, but her kiss was firm. She felt him shiver when she traced circles at the nape of his neck.

"See how quiet I was?" he asked after the kiss ended.

"Not for long you weren't."

"It wasn't a very long kiss. Try another one."

It was impossible not to smile at his shameless angling. She nibbled at his lower lip, then teased the tip of her tongue along the seam of his lips. Her tongue darted away as soon as his lips parted. She began nibbling his upper lip instead, sneaking in quick flicks of her tongue. Her fingers trailed up the back of his neck through his hair. When Michael leaned in to try to capture her tongue, she moved just out of reach. The second time she pulled back, she felt his hand on the back of her head.

He pulled her down against his mouth for a deep kiss that left her stomach flip-flopping. When he released her, he was pleased to see her heightened color and widened pupils.

"Even though you're still being a tease, I'm going to take some spanks off your tally for two good kisses. That makes thirty-three."

"Are you levying spanks just so you can buy kisses?"

He grinned. "Well, I hadn't been, but it's not a bad idea. Thanks for mentioning it."

She changed the subject. "I'd like to spend some time outside with Henry. Want to come?" She was trying to make up for being rude earlier, but realized she wouldn't really mind if he did join them.

"Sure. I need to talk to you about Quinland and the other Elites, but we can talk outside after Henry's had a good romp. It would be a shame to waste the day."

"Okay. I just need to check on Julia and take care of Mister Barnaby and Quincy first."

"How do you take care of a cricket?"

"Come see for yourself, but first I've got to get his stuff out of the fridge."

She darted off down the hallway to the kitchenette, with Henry galloping along behind her. Duncan's dignity was still wounded, so he followed at a distance. A few seconds later, she was back with a small covered bowl. Michael caught up with her at the door of her room.

Julia was curled up on the bed. After a few chin rubs, she stood, stretched out her front paws, and yawned. Mariah handed Michael the bowl so she could pick Julia up for a quick cuddle. He peeked under the bowl's lid and found a few broad blades of grass, some cornmeal, some grain, a potato peel, a couple of carrot tops, a few pieces of apple core, some pieces of breadcrust, and a very tiny piece of meat.

"Is he going to eat all this?"

"It's not all for Quincy, but he'll get a little bit of all of it. He needs a balanced diet. Besides, I don't know what he's in the mood for today."

"He has moods?"

"Cricket moods."

"What's a cricket mood?"

"I don't know. Like really having a hankering for a potato skin, or wishing it would rain, or being happy that it's dark, or wanting to chirp."

"I've never heard him chirp."

"He doesn't chirp very often. They do most of their chirping when it's warm. The air conditioning probably discourages it, but even at home, he chirped rarely. Crickets chirp by raising their outer wings so that they're almost vertical, and then sort of vibrating them sideways so they rub across each other. I think that might unbalance him because of his missing leg."

Julia decided she'd had enough cuddles and jumped back onto the bed. Mariah took Quincy's terrarium down from the shelf and set it on the coffee table in her sitting area. Michael put the bowl down beside it, and she pulled out the grass blades. She ran them under the water in the sink and brought them back, carefully placing them next to Quincy. He edged a little closer to one and started to drink from a water droplet. When he finished, she took out his old food and replaced it with a little bit of everything from the dish.

"Surely crickets don't normally eat chicken."

"Wild crickets eat carrion. It could be anything -- dead bugs, a dead bird, literally anything."

"Is he going to eat it now?" Michael asked.

"Probably not. When he was younger, he might have been all over it almost immediately, but he's old for a cricket."

"How old is he?"

"I don't know exactly, but I've had him for about a month. They only live about ten weeks. He won't be with us much longer."

He was surprised that Mariah didn't sound sad about Quincy's imminent demise. She seemed pretty attached to him. "I thought you'd had him for a long time."

"For him, it's been a long time. It's been most of his life."

She put Quincy's terrarium back on the shelf and took Mister Barnaby's cage down. Mister Barnaby poked his head out of his little wooden house and twitched his nose excitedly.

Michael laughed. "His whiskers are quivering!"

"He loves mealtime. He'll come out in a minute and you can see him better."

Mariah took the food and water dishes to the bathroom to empty them and refilled the water dish. She filled Mister Barnaby's food dish with the remaining grain, bread, and produce scraps. As soon as the new food was placed in the cage, Mister Barnaby hurried over to inspect it. One of his back legs dragged behind him, and the other hind leg was weak. He was lucky to have survived the trap.

Michael leaned forward to watch him eat. He was surprised at what an appealing little face Mr. Barnaby had, with liquid black eyes against grey-brown fur, an expressive pink nose above a white chin, and delicate ears that pricked inquisitively. Mr. Barnaby took a few bites of apple core, tasted the carrot, and then picked up the bread in his mouth and took it back to his little house. He reappeared a few seconds later and came back for a wheat kernel, which he also hauled off to his pantry.

Mariah surprised Michael -- and herself -- by brushing a quick kiss across his temple as she stood to take the covered dish back to the kitchenette.

He smiled up at her. "What was that for? Not that I'm complaining."

"I just felt like it. You were being kind of cute."

She hurried off to the kitchenette to wash the dish and lid. It wasn't a good sign that she had casually kissed him without thinking about it. It wasn't sexual, and that was what worried her. It was affectionate.

When she returned to her room, she was cool and collected, almost professional. Mister Barnaby was hiding in his house with his goodies, so she put his cage back on the shelf, avoiding eye contact with Michael as she did.

She called Henry. "Wanna go out?" Henry demonstrated how very much he did want to go out by running around the room and crashing his tail against various bits of furniture. Julia retreated to the relative safety of the center of the bed.

Henry ran up and down the hall three times in the space of time it took Michael and Mariah to reach the elevator. Duncan watched Henry's tail suspiciously from the door of the kitchenette.

Outside, they wandered toward the southwest corner of the lawn. Henry trotted around sniffing everything, but paying particular attention to the birdbath the foxes visited every night. Michael leaned back against the smooth, grey trunk of an elm and pulled Mariah over to stand with him, her back to his chest. Her shoulders were stiff with the formality she had adopted after the casual display of affection.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"Nothing's wrong. I'm just watching Henry."

"I mean, what are you upset about?"

"I'm not upset."

He sighed. There was no point adding more spanks to her total for lying. That was supposed to be fun -- mostly.

He gathered her hair away from her neck and laid it over her shoulder. Using light pressure, he rubbed the muscles on either side of her spine. The tension in her neck began to ease almost immediately, and as it did, he gradually increased the pressure he was using. He could tell by the way her muscles repeatedly eased then tensed up again that she was fighting relaxation.

"Are you upset because you kissed me?"

"No."

She shrugged off his hands, so he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Help me understand why it's a big deal."

"It's not."

"It was a big deal to me. It made me smile."

She chewed her lip, considering what he'd said. The fact that making him smile made her feel better demonstrated the extent of the problem. Making Michael smile was not her concern. It shouldn't be.

"I'll make a deal with you, sweetheart." He kissed the back of her neck. "If you let yourself relax for me, I won't try to make you talk about it. Okay?"

She nodded quickly, eager to take the deal.

He raised his hands to her neck again and resumed his efforts. He could still feel a lot of resistance, but she wasn't consciously tensing like she had been. The curve of her back lost some of its rigidity and her shoulders dropped. He rubbed small circles from her hairline to the nape of her neck before he slid his hands to her shoulders and began kneading them. As her shoulders loosened, her breathing grew slower and deeper.

She didn't realize how relaxed she had become until she was startled by Henry's bark. He was arguing with a squirrel. The squirrel, confident in its perch on the side of a tree, was sassing him. Henry had his paws up on the trunk of the tree as though he thought he could climb it. When she called him, he looked over his shoulder with his best, "But Mom!" face. He came trotting back when she called again.

Mariah sat cross-legged and patted the grass in front of her. Henry ran the rest of the way to her and flopped over on his back, angling for a chest and belly rub. Michael sat down next to them and joined in, devoting himself to Henry's chest, while Mariah took his tummy.

"You're not spoiled or anything, are you, Henry?" Michael asked.

Henry thumped his tail on the grass.

"You did an amazing job talking to Carruthers, sweetheart. You're quite the actress."

"I don't know about that. I was afraid I might have overplayed the 'dumb girl' bit once or twice. The main thing is just to get him thinking about it, though. We have the advantage in that it truly does make sense for him to keep his mouth shut."

"We've done all we can. I think it will work."

Mariah nodded. "I do, too. I'd just like to be more certain. With a guy like Carruthers, whichever voice he heard last is the most important one. Fortunately, he does seem to have an instinct for self-preservation."

Michael scoffed. "Where was self-preservation when he thought it was a good idea to kidnap you? Or wave a knife at Ezra?'

"I didn't say he was any good at it! You said earlier that you wanted to talk to me about Quinland and the others. What about?"

Michael shifted uncomfortably. "I've had very mixed feelings about taking you to The Center in Bluffdale. Now, I think the scales have tilted firmly in favor of taking you. We have to assume that Lansing will pass your identity along to Quinland, so staying away won't keep him or the others from knowing who you are. After what I saw today, I think you could be very helpful to me in my investigations, if you want to help. I was leaning in favor of taking you anyway so you can get vaccinated."

"Vaccinated? I had my shots when I was a kid."