Michael - His life

I knew that my time with the Army would have to end soon, there is only so much stress the human brain can suffer from being threatened by an enemy that looks and acts just like the people that you are there to protect. It was time to make a change. So, I did and didn't look back. I was nicely into my new job at the three-letter agency for a few months, and then something completely surprising happened.

**********

Amanda

I met a soldier-boy at Columbia, in the summer, three years ago. He's tall, handsome, built, smart, an Army officer, and I think that he might be the one. We've kept in touch since I spent a month in his bed that summer. My mother and father might not be impressed so much by him; there aren't any military men in the family. My father likes lawyers, almost too much. He wanted me to be a lawyer ever since I was a little kid, and there was no living with him if I didn't follow in his footsteps in the family profession.

I would rather poke my own eyes out with a sharp stick than do family law or wills and estates. Criminal law might be interesting but every hot-shot coming out of law school has stars in their eyes thinking that they are the next courtroom rockstar. So, I looked at environmental law as the way of the future. The Paris Accord is just the start to reduce pollution that is choking the world. If governments and individuals don't start taking action to reverse the catastrophe that is overtaking the planet, well...it isn't going to go well for the future of our existence. So, I decided to specialize in environmental law.

There are several of the bigger firms in NYC that are now spending time and money on environmental law. It was one of those that I am working for. My older brother already works there. The first year was to get through the bar exam, then work with more senior lawyers on cases for clients. Problem was that the clients were mostly interested in ways to avoid environmental regulations. The upside of the job was two-fold: first I got to travel a lot to Europe and South America, second was that it paid extremely well.

There was another benefit of working for WJG, I got to meet lots of men that clearly wanted me. My sex life was active, but I was selective about who I allowed between my legs. Lawyers had way too much ego for their own good. Doctors worked incredibly long hours and were 'on-call' for the sick and injured too often. Academics were generally boring. No, the gene pool that I wanted to fish in was limited. There was one very good candidate, but he was living and working at the other end of the country.

Some time ago I called Michael on a spur of the moment idea when I found out that the firm wanted to me to go with my boss to Seattle to visit some clients. I had no idea what Michael had been doing since our month-long hookup at Columbia. I knew that he was an Army officer and I knew that he was single and gorgeous. He was also a very skillful lover. He knew how to please me without having to be given detailed instructions and diagrams. He knew that the way to my heart was through my pussy. He also knew that the biggest sex organ was the brain.

I had a bit of good luck and we made a date for him to come up to Seattle from the base he worked at. He arrived on a motorcycle. I think it was a BMW of some sort. Big and with a windshield. I found out later when I searched the internet that it's called an adventure bike. Michael parked the big beast, dismounted and took off his helmet. My god, this man was sexy. I know what you're thinking; it's like a scene out of the movie Topgun, but no, it wasn't like that. Well, maybe a bit like that.

Michael has muscles and is very fit. He exudes sexuality that is very hard to ignore. He's handsome, has a great smile and the time that I spent with him NYC told me that if he were the one, that I would have to spend a fair bit of time beating back other women that might want him. But that wasn't an issue now, we were just friends. Besides I had a boyfriend back in NYC. That and I was seeing a lawyer from the firm; a guy who was seven years older than me, worked in the corporate law part of the practice and had a wife and two children. He was great in bed and knew how to use his tongue. But it was just recreational sex. I know, I got issues. And one of them is that I need to have a skilled mouth and cock between my legs. This soldier was going to be my main man if I have my way.

My current boyfriend was a banker, came from a well-connected family, and that ticked off a bunch of boxes with my father and mother. I didn't plan on anything long-term with him, but that was my business. Thomas wasn't much in the bed department, but he looked good and acted in all the ways that I needed him to act to be socially presentable. We looked good together, but that was about the start and end of it. He didn't have a sense of adventure and while he was probably thinking about popping the marriage question to me, I didn't have any intent of marrying him, and I said as much to him. Well, maybe I said it in a way that made him think that he might have a chance to get me to the church altar, but I know that deep down he realized that our relationship was only temporary. Thomas wanted a faithful wife at home, and children. That faithful part was an issue for me at this point.

A few months later, when I found out that Michael was transferred to Washington DC, I called him and welcomed him to the east coast. I called his cell phone and left a message. "Michael, it's Amanda. I heard that you were moving to DC so wanted to call and welcome you to the East. If you're available please give me a call, I would really like to see you, if you haven't got a wife and kids already. If you do, just ignore this and have a great life. If not, please call me and we can talk. Bye." My attempt at humour was feeble with that crack about 'if you have a wife and kids'. What the hell was I thinking? We last saw each other several months ago. I knew that his job kept him on the move almost constantly and with my schedule I wasn't much better. His birthday card was postmarked Washington DC, so I took a gamble and figured that he might have been transferred. My gamble paid off.

The next day Michael called me back. When I saw his name appear on my phone, I was ecstatic. We talked for almost an hour and he said that he was going to come up to NYC the next weekend. Shit. I had to get rid of a boyfriend. Thomas had run his course and it was time for him to move on. I would let him down gently and even fix him up with a friend to take his mind off being dumped. I knew a couple of women at my office who were perpetually on the hunt for new men. I made a point to talk him up to the hunters, as well, I spread his phone number around. He would be busy enough that he wouldn't miss me at all. Besides that, he would likely get taken to the bed of one of them. Win-Win for all.

Friday night came around and I had cleaned up the apartment and stocked up wine, beer and red meat. Michael was not a vegan or even vegetarian. He liked steak and some sort of potato with it. Usually French fries. I was observant enough to know that about him. My effort to unload a boyfriend was successful. I managed to get him a date with another lawyer at my firm. She has a reputation for spreading her legs after one or two drinks and has made the rounds of several of the male junior lawyers and paralegals. She is somewhat discrete, but the rumours of her sexual exploits are common coffee-room gossip.

Michael was the focus of my efforts right now and my plan was to make sure that he wanted to keep coming back to me and my bed. I wanted this man and wanted to make sure that he wanted me. Notwithstanding any hesitation on the part of my family, I knew that this man, this warrior, was the one that I wanted. I wanted to be his wife and I wanted him to be my husband. He was a big catch and my job now was to reel him in.

************

Michael

I decided to take the train to NYC on the Friday. I left my office and took a cab to the train station and hopped on the train. I had reserved a business class seat on the non-stop route that would take me right to Penn Station. It was cheaper than flying and less of a hassle in that I didn't have to contend with the traffic from the airport or take the shuttle into the city. The train is more comfortable than an airplane and my ticket even came with complimentary food and I bought a beer to wash down the sandwich.

The train rolled in to Penn Station on time and because I packed light I was off quickly and up to the main station. Amanda was, to my surprise, there to meet me. I hadn't expected that. I got a huge hug and a much more passionate kiss than I expected.

"Michael, I'm so glad you could come up to the city this weekend. Let's go drop your things off and I have dinner reservation for us."

I nodded my head, "Great, which subway line do we get?"

"No subway, I have a car outside. The firm gives me a car service to use whenever I want now."

I was impressed. My new government job gave me the opportunity to get my own ass to work in the most expeditious manner that I could afford and utilize. We went outside Penn Station onto 8^th Avenue, and a black Lincoln Town Car was waiting at the curb. The driver took my bag and put it in the trunk and then we were off to the upper West side of the city to Amanda's apartment. It took about 20 minutes to get there in the evening traffic. Nothing moves fast in Manhattan on a Friday night. When we pulled up, I learned that Amanda lived in a very nice high rise. Her apartment was tiny one-bedroom, but nicely decorated, and the good part was that the building had a full-time doorman and underground parking, if you owned a car. But nobody in Manhattan owns a car if they didn't need one. Cars are a pain in the ass in Manhattan.

My weekend in NYC was a memorable one. We spent most of the weekend in Amanda's apartment, but did manage to get out Saturday night to a Broadway show. It was an off-Broadway show, and not something that I would pay money to see again; oh well, they can't all be winners. For me, the main thing was the food after the show and then back to Amanda's apartment for after-dinner sex. We talked a lot about her work in environmental law and little about my work. I didn't really want to go into details about what I did. I was just getting my feet under me and feeling my way around the new job. I turned my Blackberry off.

Amanda is one of those women that keeps you coming back for more. I wanted her, but at the same time I knew that come Monday morning I was out the door early and, on the train, back to Washington and back to work. I was hoping that by some magic that the weekend would last longer; kind of like that movie Groundhog Day. Alas, it was not to be. The sex was terrific. I couldn't get enough of the feel of this woman next to me. But it had to end.

Monday morning, I was up and dressed in my suit for the trip back to Washington. We kissed goodbye at the lobby of her building, and I jumped in a taxi back to Penn Station; I was on an early train. I promised to call her soon, but I also told her that I was going to be out of the country for a week and it might not be until I got back that I would call. I didn't tell her where I was going. I didn't know where I was going but would find out when I got to the office.

When I did call Amanda, she was anxious for us to get together again and she even mentioned that maybe if we had time, I could meet her family. That was moving things along quickly. We go from hot sex to meeting the folks, all within a few weeks. Would I pass the family smell-test? We'll see.

**********

The past week at work had been stressful. I had to go to Shanghai to meet with some of the foreign intelligence agencies that operate in South East Asia. I was in the Transnational Affairs section of the three-letter agency and my section staff were particularly concerned with counter-terrorism efforts. Counter terrorism was a growing industry, especially with the rise in the number of terrorist groups, along with the global influence that many now held. Suffice to say, my work was constant and challenging and never complete. It meant that I always had a travel bag packed and my passport ready to go.

One of my colleagues had what they referred to as a 'go-bag' stored in a locker at the office. I decided to do the same. I also had a bag in the trunk of my car, ready to be used whenever I needed to grab it. It was a change of clothing and some cash; mostly small bills. It has some other small tools for me to use like a cellphone and couple of other toys that can come in handy.

Work intervened and it was two more weeks before I would have the chance to see Amanda. I called her once to tell her that I was going to be away, again. She texted me several times and I was able to answer her so we did keep in contact. When I got back to my apartment, after this last trip to Japan, I decided that I had better get my hind-end up to NYC and visit her. I had pretty much ignored her for the last month. I knew better than to surprise her by just turning up, so I sent her a text: 'I'm back in DC. Have missed you a lot. I can come up this weekend if convenient. Let me know.' A couple of hours later I got back: 'Will call you tonight.' I'm good at reading between the lines and had a sense where this was heading. After being away for a month I was going to get the 'I've met a new guy' routine. Well, I suppose that was to be expected. With her being the hottie that she is I don't expect that she would lack for attention and a lineup of guys wanting to get in her panties. I'll take it like a man and move on.

That evening I was in my apartment sorting out the domestic duties that had piled up, like laundry and the dishwasher, and paying the utilities. I had been for a run, to work off some stress, and while I wasn't looking forward to the 'Dear John' phone call, I was working to manage my own expectations and realize that I needed to get on with life. I opened a beer.

Then my cellphone rang.

************

Amanda

What the fuck. Michael can't even make the effort to call me occasionally. I thought we were doing good, especially after the last weekend when he was here in NYC. We spent most of the weekend in bed, and I took extra effort to show that man a good time. Hell, I even dusted off my last boyfriend to clear the deck just for him. It's been more than three weeks and now he sends me a fucking text message 'I'm back,' Jesus! I need to show him who's in charge here. I'll call him in a while, after I calm down.

I stewed over what to do all the way home. I really like Michael and in fact I suppose it would be easy to fall in love with him. I don't fall in love though. I separate my feelings into carefully designed compartments that give me the ability to manage things in my own careful way. Just like I manage my work.

If this relationship with Michael is going to go much further, I need to figure out just how I can manage him. Yeah, that will be the thing. I'll call him after I get home and get a glass of wine in my hand.

***********

Michael

My cellphone lit up on the kitchen counter. I could see that it was Amanda. I took a big drink from the beer bottle and put the earbuds in and touched on the answer button.

"Amanda, I'm really glad you called. I got back this morning. Sorry that I haven't been able to call you. I've been on too many airplanes and between my work schedule and the jetlag, it's killing me. More importantly, how are you?"

"Michael, it's good to hear your voice. I'm fine. We really should talk."

Here it comes...

"Yes, I thought that you might have something on your mind, that you need to share with me. So, what do you want to tell me?

Amanda continued, "Well...I'm not sure how to say this but..." She paused and there was dead silence for a few seconds.

I decided to interrupt, "Amanda, I'm a pretty blunt sort of guy and I think that you're much the same, so if you want to get rid of me, you can just say it, as opposed to beating around the bush. I'm a big boy."

More silence on the phone.

"What the hell made you think that I wanted to get rid of you?"

"Well, that was the feeling I got when I saw your text reply earlier. So is that what you want to tell me?"

Amanda was a bit flustered by my directness. But she recovered quickly.

"No, Jesus, that's not what I wanted to tell you. What I wanted was to ask you when you were coming up to NYC next."

That surprised the crap out of me.

"Well, I have a few days off before my next trip. Have you been to DC much? Since I came to NYC last time, I was going to invite you to come here."

Silence, again, for a few seconds. Not sure what that meant. This relationship was turning into a cat-and-mouse game. I was trying not to be the mouse.

"I suppose that would be nice, uh..."

"Hey, it's okay if you don't want to come down here, I understand. Maybe some other time."

I had her on the defensive now and I could almost sense her trying to scramble to regain control of the situation. Amanda is a control-freak. I knew that from the limited time I had spent with her. But so was I.

"No, I do want to come to DC, is this weekend too soon?"

"This weekend is just fine. My place is not as nicely decorated as yours, but I'll try to get the dirty laundry picked up and the beer bottles collected. I'll look for the broom might even get the floor swept."

"What?'

"Just send me your travel details and I'll pick you up. I'm really looking forward to seeing you again." We talked a bit longer and then hung up. That call went much different than I thought it was going to go.

My apartment was small, but it was well equipped. I live in a former factory building that was converted to trendy overpriced apartments several years ago. When the place was renovated, the apartments were very much open concept, but they did put in nice bathrooms with big tiled showers and modern kitchens. I purchased a couple of sets of dividers to put up to separate the bedroom area from the living/dining area. It all works for me. The nice thing is that I have underground parking with room enough for my car and motorcycle. Sadly, the Jeep is gone. Replaced with a Mercedes GLA. I don't need the capability of the Jeep here in the city but the Mercedes works great since it is small enough to manage the traffic and tight parking spots and has a shit-ton of technology that I find convenient to have for use when I want it.

Friday afternoon I made sure that the apartment was ready for a guest, found my spare towels, and stocked up on wine and foods that I thought she liked. Thursday, I had hired a cleaning service to come in and give the place the once-over and make sure that the bathroom and kitchen met basic human cleanliness standards. I mean, what is clean to me is not necessarily clean to a woman, especially when it comes to a bathroom toilet. Anyway, everything was spotless for Amanda's visit. I'd only lived there a few months and even then, spent the best part of that away, so it didn't really have much chance to get that dirty.

I had everything pretty much ready for my first guest since moving to DC. I even gassed up the bike in anticipation of us riding out to the countryside. If the weather was nice that was my plan for Saturday. Tonight, was going to be dinner out with a bottle of wine and good food. Saturday on the motorcycle around the countryside, and then back here for a meal that I would actually try to cook. I do know how to cook a couple of things beyond MREs. Sunday would be flexible depending on the time she had to leave to get back to NYC. Lawyers are at their very heart workaholics. I knew that deep down Amanda was no different.