Quench Me

Parts 8-9

By Amy

I feel my body begin to shake, as I stand next to him in the hallway. His words are still ringing in my ears - �Do you need anything from me?� How am I supposed to answer that?

�No, I�m fine,� I say, as I step backwards toward the bedroom door, trying desperately to put some distance between our bodies.

�Are you sure?� he asks, as he puts his hand on my shoulder. �You�re soaking with sweat.�

�No kidding, lover boy,� I think to myself.

�It�s just the medicine,� I lie.

�That�s some medicine,� he says. �First it knock you out, then it gives you crazy dreams, and now it�s making you sweat.�

�Yeah, but it gets rid of the migraines,� I say, as I laugh and try to be funny.

�Well, since neither one of us can sleep, why don�t we see what�s on television?� he asks. �There�s a t.v. in my bedroom. Come on.�

He takes my hand and walks me across the hall and through his bedroom door. He must really have no idea what he�s doing to me.

I look around his bedroom, taking in all the unique things that define this place as �his�. His briefcase, the one I mistook for Phillip�s, is on the desk in the far right corner of the room. A black leather jacket hangs on the chair that accompanies the desk. Car keys and wallet lie on the nightstand, next to the watch I saw him lay there last night.

�What are we going to find on t.v. and 3:00 in the morning?� I ask.

�I�m sure we can find some re-runs or something,� he answers, as he sits down on the side of his bed closest to the door. He pats the other side of his bed with his hand and says, �Sit here.�

My head is screaming �NO�, but my body takes me there anyway, and sits me down on Danny�s bed, next to Danny himself, wearing pajama bottoms and nothing else. The king size bed might as well be a twin size, and the few feet between us seem like only inches. This is turning into the longest night of my life.

As he channel surfs in search of something to watch, I look up at him, trying desperately to come up with some form of small talk to break the tension I feel.

�This has been a rather strange evening,� I say.

He looks over at me and says, �Yeah, I know. I didn�t really expect you to have a migraine headache on our first date.�

Date? Did he just say date? I refuse to let myself entertain the idea. I�ll not get my hopes up again. I continue talking as if he never made that last comment.

�We met on Tuesday, and got of to a rather rocky start. Now it�s Friday night, or rather Saturday morning, and I�m spending the night at your house, despite the fact that we don�t really know each other.�

�Don�t you trust me, Michelle?� he asks, staring at me once again with that stare that sends me into orbit.

I can do nothing but answer truthfully. �Yes, Danny, I trust you. Do you trust me?�

�I do, Michelle.�

Our gaze is broken when we hear the �Andy Griffith Show� theme song blaring from the television set. Without another word, we both turn to the t.v. and commence watching.


The next thing I�m aware of is sunlight streaming across my face. I press my face further into the pillow, trying to block the morning light from my eyes, and I�m immediately met with a wonderful scent that I can only describe as �him�.

My mind not completely alert yet, I mumble, �Mmmm, Danny.�

At that, I hear a commotion from the floor at the side of the bed. I realize that I�m in Danny�s bed and that he�s on the floor beside me.

�Michelle,� he says, as he sits up and looks over the mattress at me.

�What am I doing in your bed?� I ask, brushing my hair out of my face.

�You feel asleep, and I wasn�t going to wake you up and tell you to go back across the hall.�

�Why are you in the floor?�

�Well, I didn�t figure it would be a good idea for me to stay in the bed with you. I didn�t want you to wake up and be scared or uncomfortable.�

�I wouldn�t have been scared,� I reply. �What time is it?�

He sits up further and looks at the alarm clock on the night stand. �Almost 10:00,� he answers.

�Dammit, I�ve got to call Rick,� I say.

Danny quickly points to the phone beside the alarm clock, and I immediately grab the receiver. Danny stands up and sits down beside me on the bed as I dial the number for Cedar�s Hospital.

�E.R.,� I hear from a female voice on the other end of the line.

�Is Dr. Bauer still there?� I ask, praying that he is.

�Yes, just one moment,� she answers, and I breathe a sigh of relief.

For a moment the phone is silent as the nurse pages my brother. Danny looks at me and mouths the words �How is your head?�, as he gently smoothes the back of my hair. I answer him with a thumbs up, just as Rick comes on the line.

�Dr. Bauer.�

�Rick, it me,� I quickly say.

�Good morning, Michelle,� he says. �I was just about to head home.�

�Listen, I just wanted to tell you that you might beat me home this morning, so don�t be worried if you get there and I�m not.�

�Is something wrong?�

�No, not really,� I answer. I�m suddenly aware that Danny is listening intently to my end of the conversation. �I went out of town last night, with� ummm� a friend, and on the way home I got a migraine, so I ummm� I slept at my friends house.�

�Michelle, you�re a grown up. You don�t have to make up excuses for staying out. Did you have a date last night?�

�Well, sort of,� I relent. �But really, I did have a migraine.�

�Are you all right now?� he asks.

�Yes, I�m fine this morning. I�ll be home in time to have lunch with you, O.K.?�

�How about a late breakfast?� he asks. �I�ll pick up something at Company on my home.�

�Deal,� I answer, and then I place the phone back on the night stand.


�Was he upset?� Danny asks.

�Of course not,� I answer. �I just didn�t want him to worry.�

�Do you want some juice or something?�

Heavens NO! I just want to get out of here, back to my own home, with my own things, and out of the presence of Danny Santos. I can�t believe I�ve lasted this long without turning to putty in his hands, so I really don�t want to push my luck.

�No thanks,� I say. �I just want to get home.�

A hint of disappointment flutters in his eyes, as I stand up from the bed and head down the stairs to the bathroom where I left my clothes last night.

�I�ll get dressed and be right down,� he calls after me.

I don�t answer him. I just lock myself in the bathroom and sit on the floor, trying to make sense out of what happened here. First he�s flirting with me like there�s no tomorrow; then he�s calling me his �friend�; then he�s taking care of me while I suffer through a migraine; and as if that weren�t enough, he refers to the evening as our �first date�. Could his signals be anymore mixed?

I brush my hair back into a pony tail, and quickly stuff the yellow dress that I wore last night into my gym bag. My mind returns to Danny�s words, when he first saw me in this dress - �Damn Michelle, you are a vision� - and my heart goes THUD all over again.

�Some vision I am now,� I say to myself as I look in the mirror at my make-up free face, unruly hair. I throw on a pair of tennis shoes from the bag, and emerge from the bathroom.

He�s waiting for me, and we don�t waste any time leaving. Danny insists on driving to Spaulding himself. I try to tell him I�m fine and I�m going to have to drive from Spaulding to my house anyway, but he still won�t let me. I decide not to argue.

When we get to Spaulding, the parking lot is sparsely filled. He pulls my Mitsubishi into a spot next to a black Nissan 300 Z, with tinted windows and a sunroof.

�Yours?� I ask.

�Mine,� he answers.

�Nice.�

�Thanks. Are you sure you�re going to be all right? I could follow you home.�

�I�m fine, Danny,� I say. �And thanks for dinner last night. It was really nice. I�m sorry that my headache had to ruin the evening.�

�Your welcome for dinner, and your headache didn�t ruin things. I�m just sorry that you had to be in so much pain.�

�I have to go. Rick�s probably waiting for me.�

�Call me later and let me know you�re all right?� he begs.

�Danny, you don�t have to worry about me.�

�Promise,� he implores me, as he reaches for my hand.

�O.K., I promise,� I respond, as I gently remove my hand from his and step out of my car.

I don�t even look at him as I get into the driver�s seat and drive away. I can�t bear to. As miserable as it was, staying at his house last night, for some reason, part of me is sad to leave him. I won�t let that part of me take over again, so I simply drive away without looking back.


Over breakfast with Rick, I tell him about Danny, and give him very generic details about our evening. He�s a bit stunned at first, when I say the name �Santos�, but he relaxes a little when I tell him that Danny works for Phillip, and that his family is no longer �active�. Of course, I tell him that Danny and I are just �friends�, and that relaxes him even more. All the while, I�m praying that my emotions aren�t showing on my face.

Rick heads upstairs to sleep, and I head to the shower. I close the shower doors behind me and shut my eyes, willing the hot water to wash away the memories of last night and this morning. Without my consent, my mind remembers the dream I had in the guest bedroom of Danny�s house, and I feel my body temperature begin to rise, knowing that it�s not because of the hot water. I push those images from my mind, literally forcing myself to think about something else. I decide that after my shower, I�ll head to the gym for the 12:00 noon kick-boxing class. I need some physical activity, and while I�m there, I�ll kick the daylights out of an imaginary Danny Santos.

+++

There are nine of us in the kick-boxing class, all women. I�m standing on the second row, sweating and kicking away, imagining that each kick finds a different place on Danny�s body. The large window on the left side of the sizeable room is free of any blinds or curtains, offering a lovely view of the April sunshine. Before I even know it, the music stops and the class is over.

I�m standing near the window, gathering my things, when Tanner, the instructor comes over to me.

�You were really into it today, Michelle,� he says. �I�ve never seen you quite that way.�

�I guess I was just motivated,� I reply.

Tanner is a nice guy, and he�s asked me out a couple of times since I joined the gym, but he�s just not my type. It seems that the buff, body-building sorts aren�t the guys I go for.

�Yeah, Michelle,� I think to myself. �You like those mysterious, corporate types.�

Not wanting to give him an opportunity to ask me out again, I decide that I won�t change out of my gym clothes, opting to go ahead and leave.

�Thanks Tanner,� I say. �I�ll see you next week some time.�

�Bye Michelle,� he says, as he shoots me one of his smiles. It�s sad really, because he must think that he can get to me that way, when in reality the only smile that truly melts me is Danny�s.

I�m laughing as I walk out of the gym, thinking about Tanner and his obvious ploy to get under my skin. Men can be so transparent � sometimes, that is. But not Danny. Nope, not the one man I want to be able to understand.

I�m searching through my bag for my keys when I notice someone standing in the parking lot. The closer I get, the harder my heart starts to beat. I know that it�s Danny before I can even see him clearly. The sexy way he�s leaned up against the side of his car tells me so.

�Michelle,� he says in a short tone of voice. �You said you�d call me and let me know how you�re feeling.�

�Hello to you, too,� Danny. �You just saw me less than three hours ago, and besides, I don�t have your phone number, and I know you aren�t listed in the phone book.�

�I saw you in there, kicking the shit out of something,� he says flatly.

�How did you know I was here?� I ask, wondering what�s up with his attitude.

�When you didn�t call, I decided to call you, and you are listed in the book.�

�You talked to Rick?�

�Yes, I woke him up,� he says. �He told me you were here.�

�And you just decided to come down here and spy on me?�

�No, I wanted to make sure you were all right.�

�If I�ve gone to the gym to exercise, isn�t it kind of obvious that I�m feeling all right.�

�Well, if it wasn�t, it sure is now,� he says, throwing his hands in the air.

�What is that supposed to mean?� I shoot back at him.

�I saw you flirting with that guy,� he sneers.

I�m absolutely incredulous at his audacity. �That guy, as you put it, is the instructor, and I was not flirting with him. I was just talking to him.�

�Sure Michelle,� he says sarcastically. �I saw the way he was ogling you. Shit Michelle, the guy had his eyes plastered to your body when you left the building. He watched you ALL THE WAY OUT.�

�Well, if that isn�t the pot calling the kettle black!� I retort. �I seem to remember that you watched me ALL THE WAY OUT of the Spaulding Enterprises building, TWICE!�

�That�s different,� he says, as he lowers his voice to a very irritated whisper. �You invited me to look.� His face is two inches from mine, and I smell the same scent that I smelled this morning when I woke up in his bed.

�And how do you know that I didn�t invite him to look?� I say, quite proud of myself at the remark.

�Dammit Michelle! Do you play these games with every man you meet?�

�Games?� I question. �What games? We�re friends, right? And friends don�t need to play games.�

He raises the palm of his right side and gently places it on my left cheek. He softly moves his thumb up and down my face, and even though I�m madder than hell at him right now, it still makes my knees weak.

�I just don�t want anything to happen to you,� he says in a tone that both sweet and possessive.

I take a step back from him, so that he�s not touching me anymore. �For someone who just wants to make sure I�m O.K., you�ve done nothing but unnerve me this afternoon. I told you this morning that I was fine. It was just a headache. I�ve had them before, and I know how to deal with them. And as for �that guy�, you can stop your worrying. There�s nothing going on, and there never will be. �

�Michelle, I didn�t mean to upset you, I just�� he says, and I interrupt him.

�Look Danny, this conversation has been just too weird, and I think it�s time it ended. So, if you�ll excuse me, I�m going home.�

With that, I get in my �big Mitsubishi� and drive away.


I�m halfway home, when I decide that I can�t let him off the hook that easily. He had no right to behave that way, even if it does thrill me a bit that he seemed to be jealous. He was pompous and arrogant, and I�m not going to let him treat me that way.

I turn my car around and head back toward Spaulding. Even though it�s Saturday, I know that someone will be there, and I can get Danny�s home phone number.

When I pull into the parking lot, I see his Nissan parked in the same spot it was this morning. �Well, well, well,� I think to myself. �He�s here. Even more perfect.�

I bound out of the car, still wearing a pair of spandex shorts covered by an oversized tee shirt that says, �Cedar�s Hospital�. I don�t care that I look like I�ve just finished an hour of kick-boxing. I�m going to put that man in his place.

There are a few people working on Saturday, but for the most part the place is empty. I find Danny in his office, busily typing away on his computer. His back is to the door, so I take him completely by surprise.

�You want to explain to me what just happened between us?� I say.

He turns around in his chair with a startled look on his face. �Michelle, what are you doing here?�

�I thought I made that clear, Danny,� I answer. �I want to know what that little encounter was all about.�

�I told you, Michelle,� he says as he stands up from his chair. �I just wanted to make sure you were all right.�

�I don�t think so, Danny,� I say, as I shut his office door and lock it. �I don�t think that�s all there was to it.�

�What, Michelle?� he asks in an exasperated tone. �What else do you think was going on?�

�That�s what I�m asking you,� I say, my resolve building with each breath. I walk over to where he�s standing and continue. �Why don�t you just say what�s on your mind, Danny?� I whisper the words as I lean in closer to his face. �Tell me.�

He�s obviously shaken, and I�m prouder of myself by the second.

�What do you want from me, Michelle? What do you want me to tell you?�

Still directly in his face, I say, �I want you to tell me that you don�t want to kiss me right now.�

He looks away from me and exhales loudly, indicating his annoyance with me.

�Come on, Danny,� I taunt. �Stop keeping yourself so locked up. Just say it. You want to kiss me.�

He still refuses to look at me, so I grab his face with my hands. I force his eyes to lock with mine. �Say you don�t want to,� I order him. �I dare you.�

�I can�t say that, Michelle,� he admits, his voice shaking.

�I didn�t think so,� I say as I put my mouth on his, forcing him to accept my tongue.

He tries to move his face momentarily, but in an instant he relents and his hands are on my face, as well. Our tongues collide in a frenzy of desperate motion, and we simultaneously drop to the floor beside his desk. He tries to lay me down on my back, but I won�t let him. I push him to his back instead and begin unbuttoning the blue shirt he�s wearing. I force him to look me in the eyes as I undo one button, then another. His skin is just like it was in my dream � sweaty with anticipation. I straddle his lap and begin kissing his neck, then his chest, letting my tongue drag across his skin. I can feel how much he wants me, and I bring my mouth back to his. This time he doesn�t resist me at all, but rather claims my mouth with his own, while he runs his hands under the back of my shirt. His hands slide around to the front of my body and caress my breasts through the fabric of my sports bra. As hungry as we are for each other, he still takes time to be gentle and loving.

He rolls me over so that we�re lying side by side. He gently tucks my hair behind my ear, the way he did earlier this morning, as he looks directly in my eyes. �Michelle, you�re driving me crazy, you know that?� he says with an incredibly sexy smile.

I gather every single ounce of self-control I have left, and say, �Well then, you remember that, Danny.�

He looks at me questioningly as I stand up and walk toward the door. �Michelle, what�s wrong? Did I do something?�

I turn to him, fighting the urge to run back into his arms. �Today you accused me of playing games, and if it�s true that I am, then I�m playing the game you started. You act all sweet and romantic one moment, and the next you�re distant and closed off. You call me your friend and take care of me during that awful headache, and then you confront me in the parking lot of the gym. You�ve done nothing but send me mix signals, and so I came here today to give you a big signal of my own. I�M NOT A TOY!�

And then I unlock his office door and walk out, leaving him standing there, his shirt open, wondering what the hell just hit him.




Parts 10-11