Being Jim Ch. 06: Lessons of Life Pt. 04

"Come in Jim, everyone else is in the kitchen." She said as she led the way up the stairs.

"Okay..." I managed as I followed her up the stairs. I wondered if that wiggle was new or was Maggie doing that for my benefit as I watched her skirt sway provocatively as she climbed the short stairs to the living room. Following Maggie into the kitchen I found Penny in her usual chair on one side of the table and Jules at the far end to her right and Michelle across the table from Penny. All three had a cup of coffee in their hands. Maggie's cup was at her empty seat at the near end of the table where she had been sitting before I rang the bell. More likely they had heard me pull up out front and Maggie had practically met me at the door as I rang the bell I thought. Penny noticed the box in my hands and those bright blue eyes sparkled as she pursed her lips and turned her head slightly in a silent question. Obviously she recognized the doughnut shop logo on the box, it was after all a local favorite. I smiled and offered her the box.

"Yeah, I stopped and got some doughnuts, I didn't know what everyone liked so I got a mixed variety. I figured it was an early start and I wasn't sure who might have had breakfast and who might not have..." I explained. Jules gave me her typical smirk but I saw a smile in her eyes all the same. Michelle squealed and set her coffee cup down and clapped her hands excitedly. Maggie slipped her right hand around my waist as she still stood behind her chair rather than sitting down.

"That was very thoughtful of you darling... Yes it was going to be a coffee only kind of morning as both Penny and I have appointments to attend to this morning. We are going to leave you younger ones to your work I'm afraid. We will be back sometime this evening though." Maggie spoke as much to the group as to me. It was then that I noticed that Penny too was dressed to go out. She wore floral print dress with a short split on the side from just below the knee to just above it. There was a wide red belt that gathered it about her waist. She had some nude colored stockings or panty hose I'm not sure which and her feet were in some boxy looking low square heeled shoes. Her luscious full lips were a pinkish blushed color from lipstick or gloss, some faint light blue eye shadow highlighted her eyes and her strawberry blond curls were actually tamed into a fashionable wave... well... almost tamed. Nothing could ever completely subdue her locks.

"Before you go could you take another look at the apartment and let us know if there's anything in particular that we need to move or cover up as we get started today?" Jules asked the ladies as she stood with a Danish in hand. Penny patted her lips with a napkin and stood as well, gathering her cup and saucer to put in the sink. Michelle took her cue from the other two and stood collecting her own cup. Maggie noticed that it was not empty and spoke up.

"Michelle darling, if you're not finished with your coffee, you can take it downstairs with you, there's still half a pot left so you all can finish it if you like." Maggie said as she picked up her empty cup and handed it to Penny. Jules carried her empty cup to the sink and handed it to Penny as well. "Jim? Would you like some coffee?" Maggie asked. I declined as I don't particularly care for coffee other than the wonderful smell. We all headed to the doorway to go downstairs, Michelle stepped back and grabbed another jelly doughnut to take with her cup of coffee downstairs. I grinned and followed her and the other ladies. Through the beaded curtain and doorway to the apartment, I listened to Jules asking about moving furniture away from the walls, like the wet bar, TV, the couch and lamps. She asked about removing the pictures from the walls. Originally Jules was thinking about moving the furniture out of the room entirely, maybe into the hallway but I suggested that it would be easier to move it all to the center of the room that way a single drop cloth could be draped over it all to protect it. Paint rollers on long handles would make it easy to paint the ceiling over the furniture. Jules nodded her head in appreciation as she thought about it and agreed.

"Good idea Jimbo... smart thinking." She said and grinned at me. As they went through the galley kitchen on their way to the bedroom Penny took me by my elbow and held me back. Once everyone else was out of earshot she leaned over to me to whisper in my ear.

"Darling, Jules is going to be leaving you and Michelle to yourselves shortly as she told Maggie and I that she had to check up on a couple of other jobs she's got going today as well..." Penny pulled back and smiled at me with a sly knowing look in her eye. My puzzled expression must have tickled her as she giggled a bit before I felt her slipping something into my hand and closing my fingers over it. "I'm not saying you will need this, but just in case, it's better to be prepared than not... Trust you feelings." She said as she patted the top of my closed hand then walked ahead to join the others in the bedroom. Looking down and opening my hand I saw that she had slipped me a condom still in its little square foil wrapper. "What the?" My mind asked. I hurriedly tucked it into my back pocket and followed Penny to join the others.

"Yes, just pull the bed a couple of feet away from the wall and the night stands as well. This dresser will be a little hard to move maybe, but we can pull all the drawers out to move it then put the drawers back." I heard Jules talking with Michelle and Maggie. "I've got a shop-vac I'll bring by tomorrow or Wednesday to use to vacuum the corners and the walls and ceilings before we paint anything." Jules went on.

"So we're just moving furniture today, and taking pictures and things off the walls?" I asked.

"Yeah, I've got the paint ordered, it should be all mixed and ready in a day or so, we've still got to get the prep work done first though. I told Maggie and Penny earlier that I've got to go check on a couple of other jobs I've got going this morning so I'm going to leave this to you and Michelle, you two think you can handle this?" Jules asked me and looked at Michelle. Michelle looked and me and shrugged with a curious grin on her face.

"Sure, no problems I think. Do you have some drop cloths or tarps with you?" I said to Jules and saw Maggie standing beside her with a thoughtful expression on her face as she studied Michelle and glanced at me.

"Yeah, I got a couple out in my car, I was going to ask you to come get them before I left." She confirmed.

"Speaking of leaving, it's time Penny and I took our leave as well. Penny I think the job is well in hand, if you're ready?" Maggie spoke as she patted Jules on her shoulder. "Call us if you need anything Jules darling." She added as she and Penny turned to go. Michelle said she was going to get some more coffee and asked if we wanted any or maybe a doughnut. I declined but told her to just bring the rest of the box downstairs, we could leave it in the galley kitchen as we worked.

"Good idea Jim." She smiled as she followed Maggie and Penny out of the room. Jules held out her hand to stop me as I started to follow them. She gave me a curious look. What was it with all these women this morning and their curious looks?

"What's up Jules?" I asked. She glanced over her shoulder to see that everyone else had gone or were out of earshot.

"I told you I was going to leave you and Michelle alone to work here this morning..." She spoke softly and studied my eyes.

"Yeah... I heard you. And?" I asked.

"Are you two going to be... okay... with that?" Jules inquired hesitantly, a sly grin slowly forming on her lips. Classic Jules... poking and prodding and trying to get a rise out of me.

"Jules... I'm a gentleman first and foremost. I can behave you know." I said somberly with a straight face and a stern look in my eyes. Seeing this Jules stifled a giggle.

"Ohhh buddy... I'm not worried about your behavior!" She chuckled. "But if you think you'll be okay I'll take your word for it." She giggled again and motioned for me to follow her out to her car to get the drop cloths. We met Penny and Maggie on the landing at the front door. I held the door for the women as they exited the house. Michelle came down the stairs carrying the box of doughnuts and a cup of coffee, she paused on the landing and locked eyes with me for a moment, a slow grin turning up the corners of her mouth before she pulled in her bottom lip to bite it gently, and she winked and then went on down the stairs. Hmmm... curious.

I collected the two twenty by twenty foot drop cloths from Jules' car. She also handed me a piece of paper with three different phone numbers on it telling me that if I needed anything that she could be reached at one or another of those numbers. We waved at first Maggie then Penny as they two drove off in separate directions.

"Jim, at least get the front room pulled in and ready before you let that little fox distract you... okay?" Jules said with a mock seriousness, then gave me a big unabashed knowing smile. Somehow I felt like everyone else knew what was going on but me. Jules punched my shoulder and climbed in her car and left. I took the drop cloths back inside and down to the apartment door. I left them in the hallway and entered the front room of the apartment. Michelle was sitting on the sofa licking the fingers of her right hand and holding her coffee cup in her left.

"Everyone gone?" She asked.

"Yeah, I guess it's just you and me now." I said distractedly as I looked around the room noting pictures hung on the walls and an old fashioned clock. Michelle set her now empty coffee cup down on the little side table then stretched both of her arms up over her head. She reminded me of a cat, her curly auburn hair pulled back into a loose ponytail secured with a scrunchy. She wore an old faded pair of jeans and an old faded tee shirt. When she stretched the bottom of the shirt rose up exposing her bare midriff flashing me her belly button. Her belly was flat and tight and slightly tanned I could tell even in the almost dim light of the apartment. I couldn't see her gorgeous eyes while she stretched however as she had her eyes closed but there was a serene contented smile on her face that made my heart skip a beat. It skipped another beat when she opened her eyes and caught me studying her intently. Her eyes narrowed and her smile turned in to something akin to a feral grin. She went from an apparent angel to something decidedly predatory in the flash of a heartbeat.

"Yeah... just you and... me" She said as she seemed to unfold from her sitting position on the couch to standing and practically stalking towards me in two slow steps. Her arms crossing across her modest chest as her face tipped slightly to one side and she began swaying or twisting really from side to side. "Where do you want to start?" She asked coyly. Oh my god! What a question, I blind man would not miss that double meaning. But I tried to keep calm and... well... play dumb I guess.

Well, how bout we pull these pictures off the walls and that clock, we can put them in the galley kitchen on the counter. Then we can pull the sofa and side table in to the center of the room. And work our way around the walls until everything that needs to be moved has been moved." I suggested. That got me a sidelong glance and a somewhat disappointed smirk. But Michelle nodded and we began.

It only took a few minutes to pull the pictures and clock from the walls and the sofa was no problem at all to move. We moved the small side table, a tall thin book case and the floor lamp next to the wet bar. The bar itself took a little while as we needed to remove all the glasses and bottles from the cabinet case with the glass doors first then walk it slowly away from the wall. We left the contents in the kitchen along with the pictures and clock. The TV was not a problem and soon the room was finished. Aside from the one spider that freaked Michelle out and sent her squealing like a frightened little girl much to my amusement, the front room was ready to be covered up with a drop cloth. I stepped out into the hallway to retrieve one and Michelle followed me telling me she had to use the bathroom across the hall first. I brought the cloth into the front room and started unfolding it from its packaging. It wasn't a cloth really but a thick plastic sheet, as I unfolded it I realized that it was a little stiffer than the actual canvas drop cloths that I was familiar with. Michelle rejoined me and we pulled and draped and struggled with the sheet pulling it this way and that trying to get it to cover everything. It must have looked like a comedy routine for a few minutes as I would pull one side and the sheet would pull up on Michelle's side exposing what she had just covered. When she would pull back again to cover up what was exposed, my side would be uncovered. It went back and forth until we figured it out and turned the sheet and managed to get everything covered properly. Whew! Finally! Michelle said we needed to celebrate with another doughnut.

We each got ourselves a doughnut and walked on into the bedroom through the galley kitchen. I noticed that Michelle had selected a custard filled, I had a raspberry jelly. We both ate in silence as we looked about the room. I guess we were both lost in thoughts of things that had happened in this room. I was of course thinking of just recently myself and Maggie... which led me to think of the events that led up to that, between Michelle and Maggie before I had arrived. Leaning my backside against the dresser as I finished off my jelly doughnut I studied Michelle as she idly ran her left hand along the surface of the bed as she popped the last bite of her custard filled doughnut in her mouth and made an appreciative mmmm sound. Turning to me she smiled and I had to stifle a short laugh. I snorted instead amused at Michelle.

"What's so funny?" She asked looking at me curiously, which only made it worse and my chest heaved with silent laughter. "What?" She demanded stepping closer to me. I grinned and reached up with my right hand and using my index finger I wiped a small dab of custard that had found its way onto her delicate little chin. I held it up to show her and grinned. Those blue green eyes nearly crossed as she focused on my finger and frowned first then grinned. She shot her right hand out and grabbed me by my wrist and pulled my hand to her face again. She took my finger in her left hand and brought it to her lips and licked the custard off of my finger. Then she put my finger to her lips and sucked it into her mouth slowly, I could feel her tongue twirling around it bathing it clean. She then slowly withdrew my finger and licked her lips, all the while never breaking eye contact with me. Oh My God! I felt weak in the knees. I also felt my face warming as no doubt the blood was rushing to my skin making me blush a bright neon red. After licking her lips they turned up into a devilish grin as she released my hand. "Mmmm" was all she said. All I could do was first swallow then clear my throat. Taking a deep breath I nearly broke my neck forcing myself to look around the room to decide what to move first.

That may have been the last straw for Michelle, either she thought I was just being coy or maybe I was teasing her. Maybe she was just a whole lot bolder than I would ever be, in any case Michelle decided that if I was not going to make the first move or ignore her not so subtle hints then she was going to take the lead. Stepping up to me and taking my chin in her right hand she turned my face back to hers. Those gorgeous blue green, gold flecked deep as an ocean stormy as any hurricane eyes were glaring into mine. Her brows knitted and those oh so luscious lips were pinched tight in a perturbed grimace. Her left hand was perched on her hip in that classic defiant feminine pose as her cute little head leaned to her left and she glared at me in a sidelong glance.

"Jim... Are you really that shy or are you just dense?" She practically growled in a soft questioning voice. "Boy! You've already kissed me twice and I thought we had a connection of some kind after yesterday... Why are you playing so coy?" She demanded petulantly. I just stood there staring with my mouth open and jaw hanging slack. I heard the words and they were still bouncing around in my brain like a crazed rubber super ball or something. Those eyes... So deep... so pretty... "Well?" Michelle demanded, snapping my attention back to the present again.

"Um..." I swallowed, after closing my slack jaw and trying to regain some semblance of composure. "I, uh... I thought we had to get this job done, and well..." Another swallow. "I would never presume or... uh... expect to..." I stammered like an idiot. Michelle's stern look softened, her brows suddenly relaxing, those lips... oh my god those lips... softened and turned up slowly turning into a smile. She stepped in even closer and slipped both of her hands around my waist, her belly and her small but oh so soft breasts pressing into my chest through our combined tee shirts. She craned her neck up just a bit tilting her head as she leaned in and pressed her lips softly onto mine. Those big beautiful eyes never leaving mine until our lips made contact, then hers closed and I felt her shudder ever so slightly as I wrapped my own arms about her shoulders.

It was one of those soft sweet last all day long sensual lip massages, a kiss that could melt the heart of anyone. Michelle slid her hands up my back and was pulling me into her or pulling herself into me I'm not sure that it mattered really it just felt... right. After what seemed like a second or two... or maybe an hour or longer Michelle pulled back her face and opened her eyes... still holding me tight, she smiled as she searched my face.

"Wow!" I said. I'm just so eloquent sometimes, I should write a book or something.

"Now that... was more like it!" Michelle purred. "I was beginning to think you were avoiding me." She teased.

"Michelle, I'm sorry... I really am... shy. I've been told I'm too polite for my own good sometimes too. It's kind of why I'm working with Maggie and Penny..." I started but Michelle shushed me then leaned in again for another kiss. This one began much like the first but it quickly escalated or graduated into something... more. That soft sensual lip to lip contact took on a hungrier cadence, lips drawing each other out, then suddenly her tongue was tickling my lips. Not one to ignore a wanton invitation, my own tongue soon joined the dance and we explored one another's lips and mouths our breathing getting faster and shorter. I surprised Michelle by drawing her bottom lip in and gently trapping it in my teeth and pulling it before releasing it. She gasped then drew back her face again to look me in the eye.

"My... Who's the hungry one now?" She said with a feral grin and a twinkle in those deep deep blue green jewels that were her eyes.

"I guess it's contagious or something." I smiled in return. "I've been told I'm encourageable at times. Maybe you're just a bad influence on me." I added. Michelle raised one eyebrow questioningly.

"Have you been talking with Penny or Maggie about me?" She asked in a suspicious tone of voice.

"If I had they would not have told me anything, you know that... But I was tempted to ask, yes." I admitted finally with a sheepish grin on my face.

"Oh really? And what exactly would you ask about me?" Michelle asked as she bit her bottom lip and began to rock gently from side to side. I could feel my face warm as I began to blush again. I averted my eyes for a moment and bit my lip as I debated on saying the first thoughts that came to my mind. "Whaaaat?" Michelle prodded and grinned.