by C. J. Corbin
“I first met Michael Hoffman when he was a young man studying marine biology at UC Santa Cruz. I should have known something was unusual about him at that time because every time I saw him he had a camera around his neck. After we opened the aquarium, we offered a position to the newly graduated marine biologist. Little did we know that we were receiving a two for one package. Michael started honing his photographic abilities in his spare time and I started seeing photographs pop up on staff’s walls. When Michael finally got up the nerve to show me a photograph,” she paused and up on the large screen next to her appeared one of Michael’s otter photographs. Jennifer waited for the applause to die down and she continued. “And, I was completely blown away. At that moment, I knew we had found our photographer. Michael became our go to person for all of our photography. We called him the eyes of the aquarium. We were not the only people to notice his photography either and he began to make a name for himself in animal conservancy photography. Now he is the man to contact if you want to call attention to your project from polar bears to penguins, and currently Michael is working on a whale migration project. Please join me in congratulating Michael on being this year’s recipient of the John F. Page Monterey Bay Aquarium Excellence in Conservancy award.”
The applause was deafening with a standing ovation and I realized how little I knew about Michael. These were his friends. It was evident that Michael was the reason they had all attended. As he made his way to the podium the pride that I felt almost made my heart burst open. I couldn’t believe that he was here with me. I felt like the most special woman in the room.
Michael gave a hug to Jennifer as he stepped up to the podium. The crowd settled back in their seats as he began speaking. “I want to thank you all for coming tonight. I can’t tell you how much this award means to me. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is doing such important work in marine conservancy and as I travel, I am always hearing about the aquarium breakthroughs. ‘Saving the planet and the animals’ is not just a catch phrase for me. It is about respecting all life whether it walks on two legs, or four, flies in the air, or swims in our seas. We were made the stewards of all life on this world and it our responsibility to ensure the well being of this planet not only for us but for future generations as well. My only desire through my photography is that it provides the catalyst to making a change in our thinking. Okay,” he laughed, “I know I’m preaching to the choir. So, I’ll just end with a big thank you for this incredible honor.”
Michael received another standing ovation and I waited for him to give him a big hug when he reached the table. Sure enough, he lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it. He looked at me and I raised my eyebrows, which is when I felt the tip of his tongue lightly touch my knuckles. At that point my knees almost buckled as a flame of desire shot through my body. Michael chuckled and I vowed under my breath to get him back later tonight.
“Promise?” He asked.
We were beginning to attract attention, “Sit down, and behave yourself.” I whispered.
We sat down and he took on a devilish grin showing his deep dimples, “I am not going to behave. Not tonight, I feel too good.”
Our dinner arrived and as we ate, our dinner companions kept Michael’s attention in conversation. I did not participate much in the conversations since it was mainly surrounding Michael’s days at the aquarium. I was also a little intimidated, and I felt out of my league with a table of mostly scientists. When Michael was not eating, his hand kept drifting to the back of my neck and he gently caressed my shoulders. He was able to concentrate quite well on the conversation and I was just becoming a little puddle in my chair with his ministrations. His eyes kept glancing over to me and his smile was soft and warm.
The small band started playing dance music and couples began to rise from the tables to dance by the large windows overlooking the bay.
Michael looked over at me, “Would you like to dance?”
I nodded and he took my hand to lead me to the dance floor. Before we started dancing, he kissed my palm and again I felt his tongue against my hand. I blushed.
He put his arms around me and I whispered, “Stop that.”
He smiled the same devilish grin, “Stop what?” Michael held me closely as we slowly danced to “Put Your Head On My Shoulder.” If there was a heaven then this was what it was like. He moved me effortlessly around the floor. If nothing ever happened between the two of us again, I would be content forever with this memory. Our dance was as if we were the only two people in the world. The outside world had completely vanished. When the song ended, we stood perfectly still holding each other. His kiss on my lips was tender.
The marimba “Sway” started next. Michael started dancing with me again.
I shook my head, “I don’t know how to do this.”
“It’s a cha-cha, just follow my lead, and shake your hips in time to the music. You’ll be fine.” He said as he twirled me around and then pulled me close. We moved together in time to the music. Michael was very powerful and he was easy to follow. As he spun me around, I noticed not many other couples were dancing, and it was then I realized that we were probably making a spectacle of ourselves.
I thought what the heck? I’m having fun, I’m with the man of the hour, and if I were lucky, he’d be making love to me later tonight. I started to move to the music and Michael let me loose. I danced around him with my arms in the air and shaking my hips. The wonderful dress with its half skirt was perfect for the dance. I felt beautiful in the dress and in Michael’s arms. He caught me again and we both laughed. We continued dancing together until the end of the song when he dipped me down deeply. His strong arms held me steady; he kissed me and then brought me back up.
The crowd had been watching us and applauded when we finished. I turned to everyone, instead of blushing I curtsied, and then we both laughed. Michael pointed to the door and we slipped outside to the back patio overlooking the ocean. The ocean air felt good, it was cool and smelled of salt.
“Is it too cold out here for you?” He asked.
I shook my head, “Not at the moment. Maybe later but I need to cool down.”
We stood at the railing looking at the water. I leaned back into him as he wrapped his arms around me from behind.
Michael rubbed my forearms. “Let me know if you get cold.”
I sighed, “Right now, I’m very toasty.”
He kissed my neck and whispered, “I’m very glad you were here to share this with me tonight.”
“I have a new understanding of you.”
“You do?”
I nodded and turned into his arms. Looking up at him, I could see the moon’s reflection in his eyes.
“I understood that you were a passionate photographer, but I never realized where the passion came from. I didn’t understand how important your work was to you and how valuable you are to the whole movement.”
Michael chuckled and he pulled his jacket off wrapping it around my shoulders, “Elizabeth, while my ego would like to believe that I’m worthy, if I dropped off the face of the earth, someone else would fill my shoes quickly.”
I motioned to his jacket. “What about you?”
Michael grinned the same smile he had all night long, “I’m plenty hot.”
I shook my head and giggled. “I’m trying to be serious. I really don’t know that much about you.”
“We’re getting to know each other by spending time together aren’t we?” He lifted my chin up, “Elizabeth, I’m nothing special. I’m just a man.”
My arms wrapped around his waist and I pressed my head to his chest, “You are special and you are very yummy.”
We stood there quietly in each other’s embrace listening to the waves hitting the shore.
Even with Michael’s jacket on it became too cold to stand outside on the patio. We danced more but did not repeat the exhibition we had earlier. Several men wanted to cut in to dance with me and Michael reluctantly let me go. It became my turn to share Michael and he
danced with many of the older ladies. Michael had a way with the ladies as they batted their eyelashes at him and he flirted with them. His behavior didn’t bother me though as it would have with Kevin. There was nothing sleazy about Michael’s actions, and he was simply being very gracious and good-natured.
Later that night after we finally made it back to the hotel room, we made love at a slow and languorous pace. We took our time exploring the other’s body, as we tasted, tested, teased, tempted, and yes we even tortured each other. At the end when we reached the culmination together, it caught us in a moment of time when our hearts beat as one, and our bodies fused together as a single entity with only one mind and one thought.
Neither of us spoke afterwards as we lay together, our bodies’ slick with the perspiration of our efforts and the ocean air cooling us down and clearing our thoughts. Eventually, Michael reached up and traced my face with his fingers while I lazily drew circles on his back with my hands feeling the hard muscles in his back.
His look was hopeful as he broke the silence with the first words, “I’m in love with you Elizabeth.”
My hands stopped their motions. My eyes grew wide and I stopped breathing. He had said words that I had only dreamt of hearing. He loves me. It was a statement not a question. My mind was spinning and I wasn’t breathing.
Michael chuckled warmly and kissed me, “Breathe Elizabeth. I don’t want you to pass out.”
“You said you love me?” I said and the tears started to form in the corner of my eyes. I tried to blink them back, but they insisted on coming out.
“Yes, Babe, I love you.” He whispered, kissing me again tenderly. “Why are you crying, is my telling you that I love you a bad thing?”
“No,” I shook my head, “not a bad thing. Oh, Michael I’m just so happy.”
These were feelings I had not dared to admit to myself. My tears started to come faster and I covered his face in wet tear-stained kisses.
I softly declared aloud what had been brewing inside of me for weeks, “I’ve fallen in love with you too, Michael.”
When my voice spoke the words my heart burst open, and there was no one else in the world except my Michael.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
I awoke happy and with a smile on my face. Neither of us had moved much during the night. I was in one of my normal positions, which meant I was sprawled all over Michael. My head on his chest and our legs intertwined like a pretzel. He was still sound asleep, well most of him was because when I lifted up the sheet, and looked down at him; there was part of him eager to go. He did not get to sleep long.
We enjoyed our day together. The Chapman’s home was on the famed Seventeen-Mile Drive outside of Carmel. Dr. Chapman wanted to hear all about Michael’s current whale migration project and as it turned out, he had recommended Michael for the job as well as donating most of the research funds. Both of the Chapman’s were intrigued with my romance novels and she copied down the titles of the books promising to read them immediately. I could only imagine what she would think when she read page 75 in the latest book.
The staff at the aquarium treated us like VIPs. Michael’s status with the aquarium gave us entrance into areas not accessible to regular visitors. During our visit to the otter area, we stuffed food into their toys and hid the toys around their enclosure. I watched with glee when they scampered around discovering their treat-filled toys. The idea behind this was to give the otters stimulating opportunities that mimic a part of their life in the wild. The time at the aquarium had been such fun, that at the end of the day I did not want to leave. The experience gave me another glimpse into Michael’s past.
Michael’s cell phone woke us up early the next morning. He looked at the phone’s screen, “Why is Tammy calling? Tapping the front of the phone he said, “Tammy, honey what’s wrong.” His voice immediately took on one of concern and he sounded like my father. “Honey, slow down, I can’t understand you. What do you mean your mother has come for a visit?”
He rose from the bed, “No do not put her on the phone.” He walked into the other room but I could still hear the muffled conversation. “How long are you staying?” There was a pause and Michael raised his voice slightly, “No, you are not staying in my bedroom.” Another pause and it was obvious he was speaking with his ex-wife who apparently was visiting Tammy.
“Put Tammy back on the phone. Tammy, your mother is not to stay in my bedroom. She can stay in the guest room. Who is Paul? … Oh him. No, he is not sleeping in Katy’s room. You and Katy will have to bunk together. No, I am not being mean. I do not want your mother in my bedroom. Is that clear? ... No, it is none of your mother’s business where I am or what I am doing.” His tone became exasperated, “I will be home in a few hours. Do not do anything until I get home.” Michael tapped his cell phone off as he walked back in the bedroom. He sat on the edge of the bed and sighed heavily.
I sat up next to him. “Crisis at home?” I asked
He put his arm around me, “Nothing I can’t handle. But I do need to get home.”
“I understand.” I leaned over and kissed him lightly on the corner of his mouth.
Michael turned and gently pushed me back on the bed. “But, I do need my morning fix though.” He leaned over me kissing my lips and running his hand from my waist down to my hips, onto my thigh, and other places that made me squirm with delight and press against him.
He reached for a condom packet on the nightstand and before he tore it open, I stopped his hand.
“Michael, I don’t think we need to...” I paused. “We both know I’m not able to get pregnant and I think we’re both safe as far as other stuff…” I trailed off again.
He looked at me with a bemused smirk on his face. “If you’re sure.” He tossed the small package to the side, his kisses covering my face before the condom hit the floor.
I smiled broadly, as I met his kisses with my own passion. “Alrighty then.” I murmured and we gave in once again with reckless abandon.
When we checked out of the hotel, the weather was overcast and looked ominous. It was almost as if the weather began to reflect the mood we faced at home. I didn’t want to lose the happiness we experienced here. The time spent with Michael and our visit to the aquarium had been delightful. I wanted to visit the aquarium again and watch the otters and penguins for hours. The smell of fish lasted on my hands and I was sure cats were beginning to follow me, but Michael disagreed and said I just smelled like the salt air. I suggested taking another mini vacation to Monterey and volunteering at the aquarium. Michael laughed and told me he had seen the excitement in my eyes yesterday and could tell the conservation bug had bitten me.
We were both quiet on the long ride home. The rain started just outside of San Francisco. Large drops hit the windshield. As we drove, Michael appeared to be deep in thought and I didn’t want to disturb him. Occasionally he would pick up and kiss the back of my hand. After his kiss, my hand always lingered on his face. Michael had not bothered shaving this morning and his stubble became more pronounced as the morning moved into afternoon.
It rained off and on all the way home. The Mustang was drafty and the heater did not work well. I should have worn warmer clothes, but we had been so out of touch for the weekend and it had suddenly turned into autumn.
The first thing I noticed when we drove up behind our houses was the small champagne color Mercedes parked by his back door. This had to be the dreaded ex-wife’s car and I thought no wonder she needed money. I shook my head to vanquish the petty thoughts from my mind. I wanted to give the woman the benefit of the doubt. Tammy called us three times on our way home. She was almost reminiscent of the child in the back seat asking, “Are we there yet?”
Michael parked the Mustang behind my cabin but left the engine running. This was not a good sign. He helped me carry my things inside, and then stood on my back porch running his hands through his hair. He blew out a big breath and said, “Let me survey the situation and I’ll give you a call.”
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I nodded. He leaned down and gave me a dry kiss on my cheek. Oh, not a good sign at all.
While I stood on the porch, I watched Michael pull the Mustang into his garage. Tammy opened up the back door and my dogs came running out. They looked at me from the distance and bounded down the porch, running toward me. Tammy waved at me with a bright smile. I waved back at her. She looked very happy as she hugged her dad. Michael did not look back at me but instead went inside the house with Tammy. A very bad sign indeed.
At least the dogs were excited to see me as I wiped their feet of with a towel that I kept by the back door. I gave them both treats and put fresh water in their bowls. I wanted to kill some time. I hoped that Michael would call me at any moment, but knew it would be awhile. I took a shower and put on my jeans and the aquarium sweatshirt Michael had given to me. I settled into the couch to watch a movie.
Topper woke me for dinner. A glance at the clock told me I had slept for two hours. I fed the dogs. The waiting was driving me crazy. Boldness took me over, and I decided to go over to Michael’s house.
Knocking lightly on the back door and then testing the doorknob, I opened the door and called out “Hello?”
Michael, Tammy, and his ex-wife were in the kitchen making dinner. Well, Michael was making dinner and the two women were standing watching.
Michael called to me, “Elizabeth, there you are.” He looked genuinely glad to see me. He put his arms around me and kissed me, “I tried reaching you, but you didn’t answer. I figured you probably took a nap.”
“Oh,” I looked surprised and stared at the black screen on my cell phone. “I must have let it run out of power.” I felt foolish after waiting for his call and taking a nap on top of it.
“No matter, you’re here.” He took a drink from the glass of red wine he held, and slipped his free arm around my waist. “Let me introduce you. Elizabeth, this is Margaret, she is Tammy and Katy’s mother.” Michael did not bother telling Margaret who I was as if it was implied.
