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

"Did she... did she seem upset or angry about it?" Michelle all but whispered the question. I was missing something here I felt. I knew that Michelle and Maggie had some sort of dynamic between the two of them. More than just a teacher and a student... even by Penny and Maggie's odd standards in this special kind of tutoring. Penny's words about her and Maggie getting attached to students now and then echoed in my mind. I knew for a fact that Maggie was keenly attached to Michelle, as much if not more than she was with me. Probably far more than with me I thought. Could it be that Michelle was worried how Maggie would feel about the two of us... together?

"Not at all, I think she was quite pleased that we... uh... comforted one another." I reassured her. "If anything, I think she might have been a little worried about you... honestly, Penny and she both pushed me to call you tonight. I was going to call anyway but I think they were both thinking of you Chelle. They care is all..." I trailed off not knowing what else to say or at least how to say it maybe.

"They asked you to call me?" Michelle asked in a quiet neutral voice. I could hear traps setting all the way around that question. Biting my tongue, I dove back in.

"No, not really, they more pushed... suggested I guess, but I was going to call anyway... I wanted to talk to you since we didn't have much time... after... well..." I again trailed off as my thoughts fought for priority in my overworked little brain.

"Well...what... what did you want to talk about?" Michelle asked in a quiet nervous voice. I could almost hear her chewing on her bottom lip over the phone line.

"You." I stated simply as if that explained everything.

"Me?" She squeaked now confused.

"Yeah, you... you're all I've thought about all evening. I can close my eyes and I see your eyes looking back at me. Those beautiful soul trapping heart wrenching brain warping eyes. I can feel your lips on mine, my skin still tingles where you touched me... everywhere." I said with a voice full of awe and wonder. "I've never... I've never felt this way with anyone else Chelle... I... I hope I haven't scared you away or anything." I admitted lamely and fell silent. It was quiet on the other end of the line. I could hear a TV somewhere in the background and faintly, very faintly I could hear Michelle breathing. I hung my head thinking I had put my foot in it and said something stupid. She's probably trying to think of something to say to let me down easy, if I'm lucky. I guess it was all in my head, she didn't feel anything like the attraction I had for her. The butterflies in my stomach and my heart suddenly grew leaden wings and began crashing. A feeling of dread and heaviness came over me, it only got worse when I could discern the beginnings of a giggle coming from Michelle.

"Maggie actually said we 'comforted one another'?" she asked with a chirp.

"Uh... yeah... I mean..." I stuttered.

"Jim! You made my toes curl! You made me feel... so... Oh god! Why are you so freakin' shy? You make me crazy! You say your skin tingles when you close your eyes? That's sweet really, I like that, but holy crap! My kitty is STILL tingling from what you did this morning. You already know that you're going to have to do that AGAIN buddy! Even if I have to tie you down or something." Michelle devolved into a fit of giggles. In the background I heard a voice yell "Get that Kitty Boy! She hasn't shut up all night!" At that I heard Michelle cover the mouth piece and yell "SAAAAM!!" then she laughed instead of giggled. A deep belly laugh before pulling herself back together. "Ignore the roommate Jim, she's just jealous I think." After a few moments she changed tone again. "Jim... Thank you for calling me... and for this morning. I had fun. I can't wait till we can 'practice' some more."

"Me either." I told her. We talked for a few more minutes before I told her I needed to get off the phone as my manager was ready to lock up and leave for the night. I had a couple of odd jobs to attend to the next day, I was trying to get some last minute jobs done before classes started next week. She told me that she had a ton of stuff to do too, but that she would look forward to getting a call from me whenever I could ring her up. With that I reluctantly said good bye and we hung up. I must have floated to my truck in the parking lot as I don't remember even walking out of the shop. I should have known that the night wasn't over yet though... Jules had left me alone all evening... Yeah, here comes the third degree.

"Hey buddeeeee." I heard before I could open my driver's door on my pick up. I hung my head and sighed before turning around and leaning back up against my truck. I put my hands in my pockets and waited for Jules to begin. I didn't have to wait long.

"So you and Michelle got a lot done this morning. I'm glad you managed to get the furniture moved too though." She said with a poker face giving me a bit of a sidelong glance.

"I'm not sure I know what you're talking about Jules." I began with a deadpan slightly puzzled expression. Jules was not having that though.

"Oh come on! Michelle's shirt was on backwards, yours was INSIDE OUT and backwards, and both of you looked... frazzled. Jim you smelled like sex!" Jules blurted out in mock disbelief. I just kept my head down but looked up through my eyebrows and gave a half smile and shrugged. Jules Whooped! "I KNEW IT! Jimbo got busy! So how was it buddy? That little minx rock your world? Come on now spill the beans! Dish! DISH!" Jules prodded literally bouncing from foot to foot and grinning like a kid in a candy store.

"Jules... you know I'm not like that. I don't kiss and tell. You'll have to ask Michelle or maybe Sam if you want to know more." I said with a shrug. Jules stopped dead in her tracks and just stared at me with her mouth open in disbelief that I was not going to tell her all about it.

"Jiiiiiimmm!" She whined almost pleadingly. I grinned and turned and opened my door. Before I climbed in I turned back to Jules and bowed my head and said.

"Chelle did say that I made her toes curl..." I then winked and climbed in my truck to drive home to the farm. Jules stood there with her mouth hanging open with that goofy mixed emotion face. Her eyebrows suddenly shot up and her eyes got big before she reared back her head and howled WOOOHOOO!!

Most of the rest of that week had me hustling to get some of my odd jobs finished up before classes started the next week. I got gutters cleaned, a hedge trimmed, a garage cleaned out and a garden turned for the fall. Lots of manual labor, and sweat, but it was mostly mindless work while I was doing it. I know my mind was anywhere but on the job most of the time... well, maybe not just anywhere, I was on one particular subject... Michelle. My obsession or distraction anyway did not go unnoticed by my fellow employees at Dom's either. I was called out more than once asking me about the far off stare of goofy grin on my face when someone caught me daydreaming or thinking of Michelle. Of course a few of them knew a little about it by way of Jules or Jules' friend Sam, Michelle's roommate. They didn't know any particulars or details only that I seemed smitten by the subject of my every waking thought... and unbeknownst to them, almost ALL of my sleeping thoughts and dreams as well. I called Michelle almost every evening before I left to drive home to the farm. We only spoke for a few minutes maybe but I looked forward to hearing her voice every day.

I had only been scheduled to close that Monday with Jules so we only saw each other in passing a couple of times during that week, but we were busy enough that she didn't get much chance to pester me like she normally would. But when Friday rolled around and dinner rush had come and gone Jules made up for all the lost opportunities and lost time. As we were being cashed out she started in on me.

"I talked to Sam and Michelle this afternoon..." Jules said conversationally.

"Sam wanted to know if you were bringing doughnuts again tomorrow morning." She added as she leaned back against the wall beside the desk as she waited her turn to be tallied up and cashed out.

"Doughnuts? Is Sam going to be there too?" I asked turning to look at Jules to see if she was pulling my leg.

"As a matter of fact, yes Sam is going to be there. It'll be me and you, Michelle, Sam and a couple of others I had working on another project. We only have this weekend before you and Michelle start classes and I won't be able to get you two for much till first break or even spring for that matter. I'm already behind schedule on Maggie and Penny's house so I wanted to get everyone on it this Saturday and get it painted. You are still going to help right?" She finished with a question. What she said made sense to me of course especially about classes starting next week. I did a quick count in my head of how many people were going to be on this paint job in the morning.

"So there's going to be what? Eight or nine people there in the morning maybe?" I asked in a distracted voice... it wasn't just the doughnuts I was thinking about but not having any time, alone, with Michelle. Damn! I must have made a face or something as that thought crossed my mind as it did not go unnoticed by Jules.

"Oh now don't go and get all pouty on me now lover boy... it'll be okay." Jules teased me. "I'm sure you two will find time together... just not tomorrow morning... probably." She added with a conspiratorial stage whisper. "Besides... someone will have to take the drop cloths down and put all the furniture back where it when we're done and the paint has dried... like maybe next weekend..." She added in a softer voice with only a hint of facetiousness and a wink. Damn that girl! She knew how to get under my skin, make me squirm and then tease me with a little hope all in the same breath. I smiled at her and she looked over her shoulder to see if anyone was looking then gave me a quick hug. When she let go of me she grabbed my hat off of my head and ruffled my hair. "Starting at eight... don't be late!" She giggled and headed out of the shop. I had to get going too if I wanted to get any sleep that night but before I left I wanted to call Michelle like I had been doing all week. We talked for a few minutes, both commiserating about how there were going to be so many people there tomorrow morning. Of course I teased her about having to share the custard filled doughnuts, which got me a raspberry in my ear over the phone. I told her I would get extra of those just for her. She must have relayed that to Sam because I heard Sam yell in the background. "Just get a bag of mixed doughnut holes! It's cheaper and everyone likes them!" I told Michelle to tell Sam thank you, I would. I told her I had been dreaming about her both asleep and awake every day this week. I couldn't wait to see her in the morning. We said our goodbyes and I drove home to the farm.

-To be continued-