Gypsy Kiss: Micah Part 18

I rolled my eyes. "Of course I'm not. She's f.u.c.king beautiful!"

Mari grinned and nodded. "Yes she is. I don't think she has a clue, you gotta show her. You understand?"

I nodded with more resolve and stood up too. "Yeah. You gonna stick around for a bit?"

Jewls I was b.l.o.o.d.y miserable, there's no getting away from that. I had never felt further from Micah and although I was doing it for self-preservation, I missed him, missed what we'd had going on there, missed how he had made me feel.

I was beginning to regret offering to work in the arcades, the weather was beautiful and I was missing out stuck inside watching people idly put ten pence pieces into the machines, over and over again, listening to the inane music and going steadily blind from all the flas.h.i.+ng lights.

"Jewls!"

I turned to Mason and put on the best smile I could muster. "Yeah?"

"It's home time, why are you still here?"

The truth was, I hadn't even been paying attention to the time. I simply shrugged apologetically.

He frowned disapprovingly. "Go now. Oh, and you're back on the waltzer tomorrow, good news, huh?"

Was it? I wasn't sure. "Oh...good."

He smiled knowingly. "Thought that would make you happy." He gestured to the door. "Go. Get yourself home, feet up. Enjoy that thing called suns.h.i.+ne you've been missing out on."

I nodded politely and stepped out into the beautiful afternoon sun.

I took a slow walk through the park, taking it all in. As work places went, this one was pretty cool. Lights, music and fun, everywhere.

As I rounded the corner for the waltzer I realised there was some commotion going on, and I figured Micah had to be at the centre of it. And I wasn't wrong.

Hysterical laughter filled the air, and I turned to the sound, wondering what was going on now. There was never a dull moment in that place, that's for sure.

When I discovered the source of all the fuss I couldn't help but smile. As I had suspected, Micah was on top form, riding the waltzer with his usual effortless grace and balance two things I do not possess, one foot on the thing and I was on my backside.

l.m.f.a.o's s.e.xy And I Know It blasted from the speakers, and he was doing a very enthusiastic and accurate re-enactment of the dance from the video, wiggling his backside, arms in the air, silly smile on his face. It was one of the s.e.xiest things I had ever seen.

I glanced at the gra.s.s area in front of the ride and my smiled faded beyond my control. Because there they were, his audience. Girls, loads of them, all tiny waists and perfect legs and he was doing it for them. They were whistling him and cheering him on like it was a strip club and he was loving it.

As if he read my mind, he whipped his tee-s.h.i.+rt off over his head, waving it around. His gaze s.h.i.+fted over to me, and he shot a wink and a smile just for me. But that dull sadness had settled in me again, like a stone weighing me down. That realisation, again, that he could literally pick any girl out from that crowd, any of them, and I am way, way out of my league.

Out of nowhere he leapt down onto the gra.s.s, landing on his feet right in front of me.

'I got a pa.s.sion in my pants and I aint afraid to show it,' he thrust his hips at me with every 'show it, show it, show it...' and he raised an eyebrow, not stopping until, 'I'm s.e.xy and I know it...' and then his arms were around my neck as he gyrated up against me. He was trying to show me that it was for me, he was dancing for me, and I was all he could see, but honestly I just felt humiliated and I was angry at him for doing this to me.

Everyone was watching us, enjoying the show. The s.e.xy waltzer guy poking fun at the fat girl from the concessions stand hilarious entertainment.

There was a gorgeous man draped around me, and if I were anyone else I would have been having the time of my life. But I'm not, I'm me and with all their critical, judging eyes on me, I was never more aware of how out of my depth I was. He couldn't want me, not really, not with all those girls to pick from. He had only ever kissed me when we were alone and I was suddenly acutely aware of that too, more aware than ever before. I didn't know what game he was playing; all I knew was that I no longer wanted to be a part of it. We could never work. I felt like the b.u.t.t of a joke, and felt tears threatening.

I moved to walk away and he tightened his grip on me. G.o.d I really loved his arms across my shoulders like that, I loved feeling him so close I could smell his natural scent and feel his warm always so warm breath on me. It hurt realising how much I wanted him, but how wrong for him I was. His expression was suddenly serious, as though he sensed something amiss with me. He searched my face, forcing my eyes to meet his and I saw the concern sweep over him as he spotted the tears that were surely evident in the corners of my eyes.

He tucked my hair behind my ear and smiled, a rea.s.suring smile that told me it was just us, f.u.c.k the rest of them. He wasn't there for them anymore. I think by that point he knew me well enough to understand the thoughts whirring through my mind. That although he was an outgoing extrovert, confident in his skin, I wasn't and he had shown me up. He looked apologetic, but really he had nothing to be sorry for. He was just...being him, and I was being me. The trouble with me being me was, I was boring, surly and just a total, insecure, neurotic freak.

And then he leaned in and kissed me a slow, tender kiss on my lips. It was the kind of kiss that only takes place between two people who care deeply for one another, deliberate, pa.s.sionate and heartfelt. It took me all of half a second to respond and kiss him back.

And just like that, all my doubts evaporated, the ten years or more of you're not good enough's faded away, along with all those girls watching, mouths now wide open in shock at the spectacular show we were no doubt putting on, stunned as I was by this sudden show of pa.s.sion erupting from this gorgeous man, all for me.

Holy f.u.c.k and I realised I loved him. Better yet, I was daring to believe he might love me too.

I heard one person clap, and saw Marisol out of the corner of my eye, jumping up and down excitedly and wiping her eyes, a huge smile on her face. She winked at me happily and I nodded back in acknowledgment and before I knew it, lots of people were clapping, making me blush crimson, I'm sure.

Micah pulled away first, and grinned, letting out a low and very s.e.xy growl. "Can I come to yours for a bit this evening..?"

Before I knew what I was doing, I nodded erratically. "Yeah..." I said. I didn't know if I was ready, emotionally, but my whole body reacted to him, and I couldn't deny that any more. I didn't want to either.

Ridiculously, my thoughts s.h.i.+fted to my flat, making a mental note of all the things I needed to get done before I could even let him in the door...

Better wash this morning's pots...shove all that dirty was.h.i.+ng in the cupboard...fresh bedding, have I got a clean quilt cover?...s.h.i.+t, I gotta shave my legs...

"I finish at eight but I'm meant to be out for a couple of drinks with Marco, so it could be going on for eleven. Is that too late for you?"

I smiled again. "No...no, I'll be awake. I'll uh...just leave the latch off, okay?"

He grinned and nodded. "Okay. I'll see you later. Oh, and Jewls?"

"Yeah..?" I said, still in a daze.

"Can I tell people you're my girlfriend now, or what?"

The smile that spread across my face was probably visible from the moon. I was giddy. "If you're sure you want to."

"Oh, I want to. This is official now then? Only I hadn't wanted to tell anyone in case you didn't want to..."

I could have laughed out loud, and I certainly wanted to punch myself. I thought he didn't want people to know, he thought I didn't. We were going to have to learn to communicate better.

"You can shout it from the roof top if you want to." I said with a grin.

He laughed and shook his head, "Careful, I might just do that." He leaned in and kissed my cheek. "You finished now?"

"Yeah..."

He winked. "Plenty of time to obsess over how tidy your flat is, then. Not that I will even notice."

It was my turn to laugh he knew me so well. I gestured to the queue for the waltzer. "You'd better get back to work."

He saluted me playfully, and then put his tee-s.h.i.+rt on as he walked backwards towards the ride and jumped back on, getting straight back to work.

I stood there for a few minutes, just watching him, grinning like a lovesick teenager and then walked away, a newfound spring in my step. I could still feel the eyes of those girls on me, only now they were jealous of me. I knew that.

And it felt...f.u.c.king brilliant.

Jewls Living above a chip shop in the town centre, I was used to hearing drunks outside, but there was something about that laugh that was very familiar. I was half asleep, when out of nowhere, as clear as day I heard- "Jewls, baby!"

I leapt off the sofa and pulled the blind up, opening my window wide and what I saw made me grin from ear to ear.

Micah and Marco, a little worse for wear to say the least.

Micah was all over the place, stumbling about. He took a step back, fell over a pile of rubbish and landed with a thud on his backside. Both boys were laughing hysterically, Marco making a feeble attempt to help him up. He looked up at me, grinning.

"A little help, Jewls?"

"I'll be right down, I-" I started.

Micah jumped to his feet and smiled up at me. "There's my beautiful girl! Jewls baby, I'm drunk!"

"You don't say?" I said with a smile. "I'm coming down."

When I got outside I found Micah now on his knees, Marco trying to get him to his feet again.

I couldn't help but laugh. "How did he get like this?"

Marco shrugged. "He was just really happy, said he wanted to celebrate. That you were finally, officially his girlfriend and he had never been happier. We had a couple of drinks, then a couple more...then...well, this. He always was a lightweight."

Micah, who had stumbled to his feet, shoved him playfully. "f.u.c.k you, bro!"

Marco grinned. "It's true! Look at me, and look at you! You can't even f.u.c.king stand!"

Both boys burst out laughing again.

I know that most girlfriends would probably start kicking off at this point. Your boyfriend turning up on your doorstep at gone one in the morning, shouting up at you completely blind drunk isn't supposed to be a good thing, but I just could not stop smiling. He might have been so drunk he could barely stay vertical, he might be making enough noise to wake the dead, but...he was happy, deliriously happy, and he was like this purely because I had agreed to be his girlfriend. It was weirdly satisfying.

"I think you need to go home babe, sleep it off."

Micah shook his head in a very exaggerated fas.h.i.+on. "I only need you, princess. Just you, since the minute I laid eyes on you."

I rolled my eyes, trying to hide how secretly touched I was. "Yeah. Yeah, you're drunk, Micah."

"People speak the truth when they're mad and when they're drunk, babe. I'm telling you...that already, you're my whole world, and I am not gonna stop until you're mine, Jewls. Completely mine. Until I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt that you understand the depths of what I feel for you, you understand?"

This time Marco rolled his eyes. "Christ, you're a soppy f.u.c.ker, Micah. But Jewls is right; you need to sleep this off."

"You want me to sort a taxi for you?" I asked, trying not to be distracted by Micah behind him, swaying about, winking at me and blowing kisses, that silly smile still stuck on his face.

"Actually..." Marco winced a little. "I was wondering if I could maybe leave him here...with you?"

I raised my eyebrows in surprise, feeling my heart rate increase tenfold. Micah, staying here overnight, in my flat? I'd be a liar if I said the thought had never crossed my mind, several variations of the thought had ran through my mind since day one if I was honest. Micah drunk in my flat had not been one of those variations.

It wasn't that I didn't trust him, or that I was scared in any way there was a world of difference between drunk Micah and drunk Andrew it was just that I didn't know how to handle him like this. Not on my own.

"Micah? Here? Like this?"

Marco looked at me, amused and nodded. "Uh...yeah. Taxi wouldn't take us; evidently they thought he was likely to throw up on the back seat. I can't carry him home, because he weighs a d.a.m.n ton...please, Jewls. I'll help you get him settled, and he'll sleep it off."

I hesitated for just a moment and turned my attentions back to Micah. He was swaying from foot to foot and looking around him like he had no idea where he was or how he had got there. I groaned and nodded.

"Okay, let's get him upstairs and into my bed."

Micah giggled. "Oh baby, you say the sweetest things!"

Somehow between us we managed to half walk, half drag Micah up the stairs and into the flat, dragging him through the living room and virtually dropping him on my bed. Thank G.o.d I had changed the bedding.

He just lay there looking at me, brown eyes twinkling, s.e.xy half smile stuck on his face and he let out a sigh. "I'm so b.l.o.o.d.y happy..." he muttered and then he closed his eyes and was gone, pa.s.sed out. I leaned over and ran a hand over his cheek affectionately. Bless him he was so cute drunk, and even cuter in sleep.

Marco clapped his hands together. "Help me get his jeans off."

I stopped, and stood bolt upright. "Huh?"

"Jewls, he's pa.s.sed out cold. If he's gonna be pa.s.sed out, least we should make him comfortable." Marco said, pulling one of Micah's shoes off, then the other. "You grab the right leg; I'll grab the left and just pull as hard as you can." Marco had started on Micah's belt, undoing it and then the top b.u.t.ton of his Levis. I was just frozen on the spot.

"Can't we just...?" I started and Marco smirked at me.

"Come on Jewls, anyone would think you've never seen..." I felt myself blush crimson, and I guess it showed clear as day all over my face. He narrowed his eyes. "Oh my G.o.d, you two have never...have you? Wow..."

I held my hands up defensively. "We've been going out all of five minutes! Not all of us are s.l.u.ts like you!"

He laughed at that and shook his head. "Ouch! Okay, might have deserved that." He gestured to Micah. "Can't leave him like that. Don't pretend you haven't been fantasising about what a fit body he might have under those clothes, Jewls. Come on, you grab one leg, I'll grab the other."

I groaned and reluctantly grabbed the bottom of Micah's left jeans leg, pulling hard. It didn't help that he was a dead weight but between me and his evil twin we managed to slide them down and off and I folded them neatly and set them on my dresser, secretly psyching myself up to turn around and see him lying on my bed in just his pants.

Holy f.u.c.k. If I had imagined it like Marco said and honestly of course I had, I was human I hadn't in my wildest dreams done him justice. Marco had somehow slid his tee s.h.i.+rt off over his head and what greeted me was Micah, lying face up on my bed in all his almost-naked glory Tighty whitey undies, I knew it...

And I had to actually force myself not to exhale.

I didn't realised I was just standing there staring at him until Marco cleared his throat and nodded towards the door.

I blushed, yet again, and followed him out into the living room.

"So Jewls...thanks for looking after him. He uh...he just got a little carried away so don't be too mad at him if he...I dunno, throws up in your bed. He really likes you, I can tell. We sort of share...I dunno, vibes. One of us feels something; the other gets the vibe from it. I can tell he's genuinely really happy. That's uh...that's good enough for me. I'll see ya, yeah?" he nodded, more to himself than at me and headed for the door, before stopping at the last minute. "One other thing, Jewls. Sorry...about the whole Amy thing. It was a f.u.c.k up, but I didn't know about you then, not properly, didn't know who you were or how important you were to Micah. I know you don't rate me highly but I'm not all bad. Okay?"

He smiled at me and just like with Micah he had the look perfected. Before I knew it, I was smiling back and I nodded.

"I'll look after him." I heard myself say and he laughed a little on his way out.

"Good luck."

I stood in the living room for a while, not quite sure what to do next. Micah was my boyfriend, but only just and we had only ever kissed. Now he was almost naked on my bed. This was beyond awkward. And where the h.e.l.l was I gonna sleep?