And now I had an hour to have a bath, shave my legs, attempt to do something with my hair and wait for Mari to save me, although I suspected whatever she had in mind was more likely to be closer to an hour of total humiliation for me than anything. She was a big girl, bigger than me, but she acted like it didn’t bother her at all, she oozed confidence and flaunted her body like she was a size ten. I doubted I would ever feel that way, no matter how much Micah claimed to love my extra fat.
The rain had stopped as quickly as it had started, the sun was back out and it was a gorgeous hot day. I opened all the windows in the flat, popped some music on and ran a bath.
Mari arrived ten minutes after I climbed out, and she was loaded with bags, which she insisted on carrying herself up the stairs.
“Is your bedroom through here?” she asked, headed towards it even as she asked and dumping everything on the bed. “You’re so lucky to have your own place. I’d love a flat. The boys would never stand for me moving out though. So…what time is Micah coming?”
“Seven.” I said, relieved to finally be getting a word in.
She looked at her watch. “Okay…forty five minutes, bags of time. First things first.” She rummaged in one of the bags and turned to me, grinning, holding up a bottle of wine. “Two glasses?”
I grinned back and nodded. “Coming up.”
~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~
Micah
For the first time in my life, even I agonised over what to wear. Jewls probably thinks I care very little about such things, but she would be wrong. What made it harder was when Mari left the house, armed with two large bags, and jumped in a taxi, telling me she was heading for Jewls’ place to help her get ready. No pressure on me then.
The trouble I had was I wanted to be really smart and knock her socks off, but she had already seen me smart at the restaurant. I showered and trimmed my beard to perfection, spending half an hour combing my hair, getting my side parting just right as always. Was I vain? Maybe just a little. I dressed in black trousers and a deep blue shirt and when I was finally happy with how I looked, I changed the sheets on my bed. I didn’t want to presume anything, but I was hoping to persuade Jewls to at least stay here with me, anything else would be a wonderful bonus.
Making sure I had my keys, my phone and my wallet, I slipped my aviator sunglasses on, grinned at myself in the mirror and headed out.
~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~
Jewls
“Okay…” Mari said, clapping her hands together, “Relax, Jewls. I’m not gonna change you, because believe it or not, you’re perfect as you are. So…all I’m gonna do, is make the most of your natural assets. Those being your curves, your hair and your eyes. Have you ever worn a dress, Jewls?”
I shook my head frantically. “Not since I was about…ten.”
She rolled her eyes. “Oh Jewls…brace yourself.”
“I can’t wear a dress…!”
“Why not?” She narrowed her eyes. “You don’t have hairy legs, do you?”
“No!” I said, stifling a giggle. Abruptness was clearly a family trait. “No, I just…have too many lumps and bumps…”
“Bullshit. There are ways and means to tame the wobbly bits we could all do without, but with curves like yours…you should be showing them off. So you’re gonna wear a dress. I’ve been kind on you though, so…it’s black.” She threw something at me and grinned. “Try that on…oh, and these…”
I caught the first thing, evidently the dress and then the second…which turned out to be the biggest, stretchiest pair of pants I had ever seen in my life.
“What the hell are these?”
“Magic pants…something us larger ladies should not be without. They hide a multitude of sins. Let’s just see what it looks like on…”
I hesitated for just a moment and then rolled my eyes, taking the dress and the granny pants into the bathroom.
When I came back out, Mari clapped her hands together excitedly. “Oh wow! So beautiful. Don’t look in the mirror yet, not til I’m done. Shoes. You need some pretty heels, you got some?”
“I have some pretty flats. Seriously I cannot stand in heels, never mind walk in them.”
She hesitated, obviously thinking of protesting and then sighed. “Okay, I’ll concede on that. Now your hair. Sit on the bed.”
I did, letting out a sigh. “Are you sure about this, Mari? You’re not gonna go overboard, are you?”
“No, course not…I know this trick, see. Takes less than two minutes, but makes a massive difference. You’re wearing it down, okay?”
“It gets in my face and drives me crazy…” I whined.
She laughed and carried on anyway. “Your hair is…amazing. Such a bright colour, almost doesn’t seem natural…”
“Yeah, well…I’m a natural ginger.”
“It’s not even ginger, it’s like…strawberry blonde, it’s gorgeous. And now…it’s curly. Suits you. Now…make up. Please tell me that when you’re not working you wear make-up.”
Oh God. This was a nightmare.
“I never have, in my life…”
“Oh wow…still, you don’t really need to. You have naturally flawless skin. Okay, so like I said I don’t wanna change you, or make you too uncomfortable. You want to have fun, be relaxed. So…how do you feel about just a little mascara?”
I groaned and then sighed. In for a penny and all that. “Fine…”
“Great. You know…Micah told me you have a bit of a downer on yourself. I don’t understand why, you’re so pretty. Isn’t that how you see yourself?”
I sighed, trying to think how to answer that. “I’m not saying I’m ugly. I know I’m not ugly. But I am just…ordinary. Normal. Average. And Micah, he’s…off the chart gorgeous. Insanely perfect. Don’t tell him I said that, his head is big enough already.”
Marisol giggled and shook her head. “I won’t. But Jewls…seriously, can you really not see it?”
“See what?” I said with a frown.
“That you’re extraordinarily beautiful. And that that’s how he sees you. The way you look at him – we all see it – well he looks at you the same way, you just don’t notice. But I know my brother. I know them all inside out but me and Micah…we’re extra specially close, I don’t know why. He’s completely besotted. You’re my friend Jewls, and my brother’s girlfriend but that doesn’t mean I’m gonna humour you, that’s not my style. I’m not saying all this for the sake of it. You’re a gorgeous girl, inside and out. And all I’ve done here is enhance that, not create it. It’s already there; I’ve just brought it to the surface. So wherever Micah takes you…you hold your head high, you hear?”
“Hmm…” I replied half-heartedly. I’m pretty sure she was about to continue her lecture, but then the doorbell rang. My heart shot into my mouth, not helped by Mari leaping up and down and shouting,
“Oh my God, he’s here! I’ll go let him in, you stand in the living room, you’re gonna knock his socks off!”
She dragged me through to the living room, deposited me in the middle and skipped out and down the stairs. My heart was thumping in my chest as I heard them both coming back up the stairs. Micah was about to see me all dressed up for the first time and I hadn’t even seen myself yet.
Our eyes met the minute he walked in and my heart rate increased a little at the sheer sight of him. He looked beyond gorgeous. Blue was most definitely his colour.
All the fussing and preening and all the rest was, I had to admit, worth it for the look on his face when he saw me. His eyes widened and his mouth fell open as he eyed me up and down, licking his lips appreciatively.
“Holy fuck…” he muttered, and circled me, stalked me, taking me in. “You look…stunning! Jesus…I think I’m having a heart attack.” He swallowed and kissed my cheek. “I can’t wait to show you off. You’re beautiful. I’m gonna…go pee, and then we’ll…we’ll go, yeah?”
I nodded nervously, forcing a smile. “Yeah…”
“Don’t look
so terrified. We’re gonna have fun…” he looked to Mari and grinned. “Get my girl another glass of wine. Maybe two.”
He winked and I grinned back. He sure knew how to make a girl feel special. I took a moment to appreciate the sight before me. God did he look good in that shirt and tight black trousers.
I turned to Mari and half smiled. “I’m just gonna go take a look in my mirror…”
Mari nodded, smiling. “Okay. I’ll head off now, but I want a full report tomorrow, yeah?” she surprised me then by hugging me. “Have a great night.”
Before I had a chance to even say thank you, she was gone.
I went into my room and looked at myself in the floor standing mirror. I barely recognised the girl looking back at me. I had to admit, Mari had done an amazing job, the dress was black with spaghetti straps, more fitted than I’d ever have thought of wearing and those pants were pretty effective. I actually seemed to have a waistline for once, and my eyes stood out bright blue with the mascara. I don’t know how she did it, but I actually looked reasonably pretty for once.
Micah appeared behind me, and he slid his hands on my hips and then wrapped his arms around me, trailing kisses along my neck.
Is there anything more fulfilling, more invigorating or heart-warming than a hug from behind? Feeling a man just wrap his arms around you from behind, pulling you back against his chest, squeezing gently enveloping you in warmth and love, the entire length of your body just…protected, safe and cherished.
There is one thing I can vouch for that beats that, and that’s a hug from behind from Micah. His hugs are out of this world. They always manage to make me feel incredibly vulnerable but also breathtakingly empowered at the same time and it’s a heady emotion that feels a little like being drunk. He makes me feel like I am the centre of the universe, of his universe.
I love those hugs, and when he lets go – because eventually he has to, it’s not like we can stay wrapped together forever, as much as we might want to – it always feels like a great loss, every time. Like someone just came along and pulled an arm off. Like we are actually meant to be the same body and fate decided to make us two people and then try to draw us back together again. Micah is not just a person in my life who I love; he is an extension of me, a part of me as sure as my toes are attached to my feet.
“Your curves are so fucking sexy, Jewls…” he murmured and before I could stop myself I scoffed.
“Not curves…fat…”
“Curves,” he snapped, “stop Jewls, I fucking warned you about that.”
I let out a sigh. “Do you always have to swear like a sailor on leave?” I said, I don’t know why. It’s not like it was anything new.
I noticed him smirk briefly between his rhythmic kisses of my neck, “Only around you…you drive me crazy, you fucking mad woman…”
“There’s hundreds of girls out there…” I murmured, thinking aloud. I was totally distracted by his lips trailing butterfly kisses across my shoulder, “tiny waists, legs that go all the way up…no emotional baggage…”
“Mmm…uh huh…” he whispered back, still planting those soft kisses on my skin, leaving a trail of heat in the wake of each one, the friction from his stubble awakening every one of my senses, “is that so…?”
“Oh yeah…” I said. I felt like I was under a spell. I didn’t know what the hell I was talking about, or why I was even still talking at all. I just still couldn’t believe this was real, that this man had chosen me when he could have anyone. “Beautiful girls with perfect hair…perfect figures…perfect tiny waists, no rolls of fat, no…no stretch marks…girls who…” my voice trailed off as his lips found my neck and then my ear, nibbling on my lobe, the sensation resonating instantly further south. I was quickly losing all ability to think straight. “How can you look past them…and see me…want me…? Those girls are-”
He put his hands on my shoulders and spun me round, meeting my eyes with his, his hands firmly on my cheeks forcing me to look at him. “Are girls, Jewls. Just girls. Let the boys have the girls…” he smiled then, and his whole face lit up with it, his eyes alive with mischief and oh my good God, something I could have sworn was lust. “I want a woman, a proper woman with a proper body. I want you Jewls. What do I have to do to prove that to you? I’m a very patient man but you got no idea what you do to me Jewls, and pretty soon I’m gonna run out of patience and show you want you do to me. I want you, and I know you want me. Stop trying to fight it, Jewls. Stop looking for problems, there aren’t any.” He stroked my cheek tenderly, and kissed my lips. “I won’t hurt you, I promise. You have to believe me and let me in, all the way in. I think you’re perfect, just as you are. And I don’t care how long it takes to convince you, I will convince you.”
A tear rolled down my cheek, but I was happy. I managed to nod. It was all the permission he needed, and he slammed his mouth into mine, kissing me with such intense passion it literally took my breath away. His hands were all over me and in a second my hands were on him, exploring every inch of his body, hungry for him as he was for me.
He pulled away first and let out a sigh. “Fuck Jewls…I just want to ravish you all night. But first I want to take you out and show the world my beautiful girlfriend. So are you ready to go?”
I let out a shaky sigh and shrugged. “I guess so…”
He kissed my cheek and took my hand in his, giving it a squeeze. “Relax, Jewls. I got you.”
We walked together down the stairs and outside, where there, waiting on the curb – on it, not beside it – stood Eli, leaned against the side of his car grinning at us. He was dressed very differently to how he had been before, but in clothes I was familiar with seeing the Machvaya brothers in – black trousers, white shirt, bowtie.
He looked me up and down and I swear, he licked his lips. The action was both weirdly flattering and slightly unnerving on Eli.
“Bro, Jewls…your chariot awaits. Climb aboard.”
He opened the back door and nodded politely at me as I climbed in, followed by everyone else – Micah beside me in the back and Mari beside Eli in the front. As Eli started the engine, I instinctively grabbed Micah’s hand and braced myself. He grinned and winked at me, as though reading my mind and sure enough, Eli sped off as though we were being chased by the devil.
I was both surprised and delighted when we pulled up outside Carousel. I turned to Micah who was looking at me with an expression of mild worry.
“I know this looks lame…being the family restaurant and all, but I thought we could have a nice meal and then go on to a club after? And this time you can order whatever you want from the menu, huh? Good idea, or…?”
I smiled brightly and nodded. “The best idea…”
He let out a sigh of relief. “Wait there.” He climbed out of the car, following Mari and Eli who headed inside, ran round to my side and opened my door for me, offering me his hand.
“Madam, right this way please.”
I beamed from ear to ear. Never in my life had I felt so special, so spoiled. I accepted his hand, letting him help me from the car, and we walked in together. Unlike last time, this time I didn’t feel underdressed – this time I actually felt like I belonged here, and I never could have imagined feeling like that.
Inside we were met by Nic, who shook Micah’s hand and kissed the back of mine. “Sir, Madam, allow me to show you to your table.”
I nodded politely and he took us to a table in the corner, away from the rest of the diners. When I saw it, I knew Micah had put a lot of effort into this evening, and wondered if it had been as impromptu as he had made it out to be.
The table was decorated with rose petals, a large candle burning in the middle of the crockery all neatly set out, and above and around our little alcove a string of fairy lights hung, illuminating what would otherwise be quite a dark space. The whole effect was…stunning.
“You uh…you did all this for me?”
He nodded slowly, and there was that look again – nerves. It wa
s surprising and endearing an expression on Micah, Mr Cool, Calm and Collected. “I had a little help, but yeah…it’s for you.”
“It’s stunning…” I said quietly. He pulled out a chair for me and gestured to it.
“Have a seat Jewls.”
I did and he sat opposite me, immediately taking my hands in his again. Nic appeared from nowhere as usual, offering us both a menu.
“Let me know as soon as you are ready to order. Can I get you any drinks?”
I half expected Micah to just say, we’ll have a bottle of the house wine, that’s what Andrew would have done on the rare nights out we ever had. And I would open my mouth and close it again, realising my input was, as usual, not required.
I snapped out of my daydream to find both Micah and Nic looking at me, waiting expectantly.
“Babe? What would you like to drink?”
Wow, I was being given a choice. Such a small thing to a normal person, but to me…it meant a lot. “Um…actually could I please just have water?”
“Course, babe. Water for the lady, whiskey for me please bro.”
“Certainly, sir.” Nic said and he was gone from our side.
Micah gestured to the menu in my hands. “Anything you want, babe. Indulge yourself, yeah? No limits tonight.”
I opened up the menu and immediately wanted everything on it. I hadn’t thought I was especially hungry but now I was ravenous. “Wow…” I muttered.
“Yeah, and Eli is cooking now, he’s on till close with Mari his wingman – err, wingwoman. His chicken is especially nice, but like I say have whatever you want. I know he seems a bit…manic sometimes, but he really is a very talented chef. He finds his peace in that kitchen I reckon.”
Gypsy Kiss: Book 1: Micah (The Gypsy Kiss Series) Page 26
