Being Jim Ch. 06: Lessons of Life Pt. 05

"Ewwwwwww GROSS!" said with a scrunched up face the epitome of disgust. Michelle screamed and devolved into another round of laughter setting off Sam and Jules yet again and I just stood there and got redder and redder hanging my head and shaking it sadly.

Eventually everyone finally recovered from their fits of laughter and with a few remaining chuckles here and there we got back to work and finished putting the room back in order. Jules made it a point to have everyone look around for anymore empty packages or used condoms that might have been overlooked. Yeah... she just had to go there and rub it in my face a little more. Bitch! I loved her though. Nobody ever did explain it to Sandy, or at least not that day or in my presence. By noon we were done and we carried the used plastic sheeting out to Jules' car as she locked up the house. Neither Maggie nor Penny had made it home before we finished up. Jules wrote a note and left it on the kitchen table for them to find when they returned. I asked Michelle if she wanted to go get some lunch or something. She stepped in close to me and ran her hands up my arms and whispered that she'd much rather have the "something" but she had told her parents that she would come over this afternoon for a visit. This reminded me that it was indeed Sunday afternoon and I was going to spend the day with my own family as well. Sam and Jules were standing by Jules' car talking with Sandy but all three were doing a poor job of trying not to make it look like they were all three watching Michelle and I. Michelle seemed to be oblivious to the scrutiny, that or she just didn't care.

"Yeah, I'd kind of rather go for 'something' too, but I guess I'll just have to wait for another time." I said with a sigh and bumped Michelle's forehead with my own. I was rewarded with a grin.

"Last night was amazing Jim." She said softly with a gleam in those precious gold flecked eyes. "I hope we can do that again sometime." She added and bit her bottom lip indicating to me that she was uncertain as to how I felt about it. Oh my god! Really? It was probably one of if not the most amazing night in my life... and she was wondering if I liked it?

"Chelle... I would never presume that I would be... that I could... I..." I paused searching for the right words that might come close to describing how I felt. "I would probably sell my soul to spend another night like what you shared with me last night... I can never thank you enough for such an amazing time. I will try though." I said smiling, watching her fear and trepidation vanish from her eyes as each word sank in and she understood how incredible it was for me.

"I'll hold you to that mister."Michelle said with a smile.

"And I'll hold you, as much as you will let me." I said wrapping my arms around her and pulling her in for an unabashed public display of affection. The chorus of "Awwwws" from Jules, Sam and Sandy made Michelle giggle.

"I'd better get going... family awaits." She said and kissed me again, while squeezing my butt. I groaned and hugged her while picking her up off her feet and twirling her once around before setting her back on her feet. "Call me tomorrow." She said as she walked backwards to her car shimming side to side and biting her bottom lip and grinning at me. I told her I would then took a long deep breath, a sigh really.

"Jim, you closing tomorrow night?" asked Jules.

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow." I said as I turned to open the door to my pick up.

"Bye Jim..." Sam yelled with mock sweetness as she waved goodbye, and then broke up with giggles. I waved out my window as I pulled away from the curb and headed across town to the interstate and to home.

I spent the late afternoon and evening with my family, catching up on the comings and goings of my siblings and how my dad's shop was coming along. So many little things to share, some things that I only hinted at, like where I spent last night of course, mom was very interested in that. Dad just gave me that knowing look and smiled, when mom wasn't looking he gave me a wink. Yeah, dad was young once too, he knew it was a girl. I'm pretty sure mom knew as well but, well, she was mom and it was her baby boy that she was worrying about after all. It didn't matter if I was nineteen years old.

We talked about many things that evening, other than where I'd spent the night before, one topic was fall classes at the University. They started Monday, tomorrow. I explained how I had two classes on Mondays, one on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, with Friday free for studying any and all the classes as needed. Both parents liked that idea. Most of my classes were late morning so my working late at Dom's wouldn't be too much of a problem most nights but I had planned on cutting back my closing nights to the weekends rather than through the week. This too met with mom and dad's approval. "Smart" was the word they used. Sometime after dinner, after helping mom and my sisters clean up the kitchen I grabbed the phone off the wall and dialed Michelle's number. By now I had her number memorized. I stepped out the back door onto the porch trailing the long curly phone cord behind me. Having a seat in one of the chairs, I put my feet up on the rail and waited for someone to answer the other end.

"Hi Jimmmmm..." Sam answered the phone teasingly, she must have been standing by the phone. I heard a "Gimme that!" followed by a giggle then rasping sounds as the phone receiver changed hands. Finally Michelle's voice came through the line. "Hi..."

I closed my eyes and pictured her leaning against the wall in her kitchen with the phone pressed to her ear, her sweet sweet lips brushing the mouth piece as she spoke with me.

"Hi babe." I said back to her, being ever the great orator that I am.

"Did you survive the inquisition?" Michelle giggled.

"Yeah, kind of tough getting past mom though, she wanted far more details than I was comfortable giving to her. Dad was cool about it though, but then he's a guy so..." I offered. "How did your day go with the folks?" I asked.

"Well they mostly wanted to know if I was ready for classes, they wanted my schedule and when I might be coming and going that kind of thing." She told me. "Of course they asked about Sam and if we had had any boys over." She added with a chuckle.

"And did you tell them?" I asked.

"Oh sure... I told them all about the wild sex I had last night with this guy I met in typing class many years ago..." Michelle scoffed sarcastically.

"Well it was pretty wild, at least I thought so anyway." I admitted with a smile.

"We WILL do that again sometime." Michelle declared much the joy of my racing heart. "What's your class schedule look like?" She asked leading me to think that she was already planning ahead... and that made me smile that much brighter.

I went on to tell her my class schedule and my study load this semester, she was particularly interested in the way I kept Friday free for study with no classes scheduled that day. I could almost hear the gears turning in her mind by this point. I know my own thoughts had included many a lunch if not a dinner now and then on those Fridays with this girl. At some point I happened to look up and I saw my mom standing in the kitchen doorway behind the screen door watching me. She simply smiled at me and tapped her wrist watch by way of telling me it was getting late. I smiled and nodded my head showing her I got the message. My call to Michelle would have to be winding up in a moment. Before I could figure out a tactful way to start ending the phone call, the issue was settled for us by Michelle's roommate Sam. She came into their kitchen and told Michelle that she needed to use the phone and to hurry up. That said she grabbed a soda from the fridge and left the room.

"You heard?" Michelle asked with a sigh.

"Yeah, I was kind of getting the same message from my mom a minute ago, I guess it is getting late huh?" I asked.

"Well we both DO have classes in the morning..." Michelle lamented.

"Uh huh." I grunted, really not wanted to end the call but knowing that it had to happen.

"Good luck tomorrow Jim." Michelle said

"You too Chelle... Chelle?" I said.

"Yeah?" she responded.

"Last night... it was..." I trailed off not knowing the right words to convey how much it meant to me. Michelle must have been thinking along the same lines as well.

"Yeah... I know... I wish you were here now..." She whispered into the phone. I pictured here biting her bottom lip and smiling that smile at me. I groaned inside.

"I wish I was too. You know I'm going to dream about that tonight." I told her.

"You had better!" She teased and giggled. "Goodnight Jim." She said softly.

"Goodnight Chelle... I'll call you tomorrow evening from work." I told her

"Okay..." she acknowledged and waited for more.

"Okay..." I confirmed and waited for her to hang up. The tired old classic bit from movies and TV shows... neither of us wanting to be the first to hang up. Finally I had to end the call when my dad stopped by the door and looked out to check on me. He shook his head and walked back in the other room. "I gotta go Chelle... Goodnight." I said sadly.

"'kay." She said and I hit the hook button on the phone.

I did, in fact, dream about Michelle that night.

-To be continued-