Road Trip Story
By Shamone
It was a good thing she had thick hair, Michelle thought to herself as her tense fingers instictively tugged at her long curls. She watched a long strand of blond fall from her head and disappear somewhere into the beige carpet.
"Michelle, you are not even listening to me. Have you heard a word I've said?" Rick's voice was intensifying her headache and she groaned her frustration.
"YES! Yes, I've heard every word you've said. The same words you've been saying for a week and I'm sick of hearing them. I know what you think. I'm a fool for loving Danny, I'm throwing my future away AGAIN for a loser, I would be crazy to give up this fellowship at Northwestern, bla bla bla. Well frankly I'm tired of hearing you, Rick. I'm done discussing this," Michelle pushed the packet from the Chicago university across the table towards her brother and buried her head in her hands.
Rick was at his wits end. He had had it trying to keep his baby sister on the right track. He was convinced she was screwing up her life and he was scared to death that Danny's promises were nothing but potential heartbreak for Michelle. "Honey, I love you. You know that right?"
"Uuuuuuggghhhhh! I am so sick of you starting every sermon with that line. 'Honey, I love you BUT...'" Michelle mocked Rick and his anger grew. "I told you I am done with discussion. I am not going to Northwestern and that's final!"
"No it's not." The voice was unmistakeable and his scent was already intoxicating her. "I told you, you are going to think this thing through completely."
Danny sat at the table and took Michelle's hand. "This fellowship could make your career. Michelle, this is a great honor that could change your life."
"Danny, I know it's a great honor. But I applied for this thing a year ago, before..." she stopped to choose her words carefully.
"Before you got messed up with me," he finished.
"That's not what I was going to say," her head hurt even more now. "Anyway it doesn't matter because the point is I don't want to go to school in Chicago, I want to stay right here in Springfield with my husband." She gave him a slight smile and squeezed his hand. Danny glanced over at Rick and both men challenged each other with their cold looks. "You know what? This conversation was over a long time ago. I have a migrane and am going to take a nap. You two can discuss this all you want."
Danny waited until Michelle disappeared from the kitchen before he broke the silence. "I have nothing to do with her stubborness," he said as she sifted through the pamphlets. "I want her to consider this thing as much as you do."
"Consider it? You want her to consider it. Well how nice of you Danny. You almost kill my sister, force her to marry you, turn her life upside down, cheat on her, almost get her killed again, fill her head with some romantic melodrama and hopeless promises and now you want to play guidance counselor? Well no thank you Mr. Mobster, I think you've done enough for my sister."
"You know Dr. Bauer this big brother act is getting a little bit annoying," Danny said, never looking up from the packets. "And for your information, I'm not playing guidance counselor. I'm being a good husband who happens to love his wife very much. I want the best for Michelle. I want her to have every chance in the world and I want to be the last person to get in the way of her dreams," he calmly sat the papers down and stared at his brother-in-law who replied with a saracstic laugh. Danny grabbed the road map the university sent in the packet and headed towards the stairs. "I'm going to check on my wife."
**
"Feeling better?" he whispered. Michelle lay on her bed with both pillows over her head. She didn't move when Danny sat down and began massaging her back and shoulders. "I guess that's a no, huh?" Still nothing. "Well I brought you up a glass of lemonade. And some aspirin."
Michelle tossed the pillows on the floor and sat up to face her husband. Danny had two aspirin in his palm and the lemonade in the other. "Take this and add about three shots of vodka and exchange these for some Heroin. And while you're at it, leave me alone 'cause I'm mad at you," she flopped back down on her bed and closed her eyes.
"Why are you mad at me now?"
"Because I am."
"Oh there's a new one," Danny decided he needed the aspirin and swallowed the pills.
"Because you are taking his side and I need you to be on my side, Danny. Rick has been on my case about everything, you know that."
"Baby, listen to me, it has nothing to do with sides. I want what's best for you," he stroked her face and she sighed.
"What's best for me is to be near you."
"What's best for you is to explore your options. That's all I'm saying. Look at what your choices are and then let us, me and you, decide what's the best decision to make."
"Why are you soooo adament about me taking this damned fellowship. Wouldn't you rather I stay here and let us begin our new life together, maybe make a couple of babies," she was now sitting beside him, nibbling on his ear.
"Of course I want those things but I want you to go after your dreams first..."
"That is my dream now. Don't you get it? I want a family with you..."
"Michelle, ten years from now, I don't want you to be a bitter housewife telling Drew over a Jack and Coke at Millennium how much you resent giving up everything for me and some bratty, snot-faced, curly-haired kids."
Luckily, Michelle understood his sense of humor. "Danny, that won't happen..."
"You don't know that..."
"All right! All right! I'll look into it," she couldn't resist the puppy dog eyes.
"Great! Then we can schedule a visit next week. We'll drive to Evanston, see the campus and meet this Dr. Martin guy. And then maybe we can spend the weekend in Chicago, just the two of us," he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her tenderly.
"Sounds like a road trip to me," she answered in his kiss.
"Good. Still mad at me?"
"How can I be mad at you when your doing that thing on my neck," she closed her eyes as his tongue dragged down to her shoulder and his teeth gently tugged at her skin.
"What thing?"
"Ooohh..that thing...right there.."she moved her hair to allow him full access. "That thing," she moaned softly and he chuckled in between gentle kisses and bites. His mouth slowly made its way back to her lips where he kissed her tenderly before tracing her lips with his tongue. She pulled him to her and his tongue slipped inside her mouth.
"I have to go..."
"Noooo," she was whining and she didn't care.
"I'm sorry. I have some business to take care of before our trip. I'll call you later."
Michelle flopped back on her back and sighed. "OK, now I'm mad at you again."
Danny shook his head in amusement as he adjusted his tie and stood from her bed. "Sorry. I'll have to do that thing later to make it up to you," he gave her a wink and headed towards the door. "Later sexy."
She replied with a pout that was equally sexy as it was cute and didn't bother waiting for a verbal reply. "By the way, you might want to wear a turtleneck or something when you finish your conversation with Rick," Danny ran his fingers across his neck. "He's pretty pissed at me right now and I doubt he wants to see that thing on his little sister." He winked and was gone. Michelle couldn't help but giggle and then run to the bathroom to view the marks of passion her man had left on her. She smiled an approving smile as she traced the red marks with her index finger. "Maybe this roadtrip isn't such a bad idea after all," she whispered to herself.