Michael unlocked the back door to her house and held the door open until Clare had entered. Then she closed and locked the door. Clare turned around and looked, slyly, up at Michael.
“Are you locking the world out or locking me in?” Clare asked as she wrapped her arms around Michael’s neck. She had to stand on her toes to reach Michael’s five foot eleven frame.
“I don’t need to do either, do I?” Michael asked as she took Clare’s arms from around her shoulders. “Just hold on a minute. Let me get something to drink.”
Clare smiled at her. “I can do that for you, Mistress,” she chirped as she turned toward the kitchen.
Michael reached out and grabbed her wrist. “If I wanted you to get me something, I would have told you to do it. Go into the bedroom and take your clothes off.”
“You seem a little agitated,” Clare moaned.
“Just stop clinging to me,” Michael groused. “I can’t stand clingy women.”
“And your States-side friend never clings to you?” Clare wondered.
“No, she doesn’t. She’s a very strong woman. She’d never cling to anyone. Now go, before I take you back home again.”
Clare stared at Michael for a moment. She couldn’t comprehend anyone not wanting to hold on to Michael. With a shrug, she went into Michael’s bedroom and started to take her clothes off.
Michael took a deep sigh. Why was she doing this? Was she lonely? Was she jealous that Cam was on assignment?
She picked up the phone and dialed the number that she’d memorized as soon as Cam had given it to her. Maybe she just needed to hear Cam’s voice.
The phone rang many times before Michael placed the receiver back onto its cradle. With a sigh of resignation, she poured two glasses of Canadian Club and went into her bedroom.
I hope Clare’s ready for this, she thought. I’m not in the best mood but at least this might take my mind off things.
She opened the bedroom door. Clare was totally naked, sprawled across the big king-sized bed.
“Is this what you wish, Mistress?” she grinned at Michael.
“Very nice,” Michael complimented her. Then she set the two glasses on the dresser and crawled onto the bed. Yes, this would definitely take her mind off things.
* * * *
Clare woke first on Sunday morning. How had she gotten this lucky? She couldn’t remember anyone saying that they’d spent more than just one night with Michael. She’d spent Friday night, all day Saturday and Saturday night here. Of course, most of yesterday morning she’d been tied to this big bed until Michael had decided to release her. But, surprises of surprises, Michael hadn’t taken her home then. In fact, they’d had a peaceful dinner at a local restaurant and Michael had then brought her back here for another night of hot sex. Even if there wasn’t another time together with Michael for a while, she’d have these nights to talk to her friends about. How jealous they’d be. In fact, if she played her cards right, this might even grow into a longer-term thing. She didn’t want to think of it as long-term because Michael had never had a long-term thing, as far as anyone knew. But longer was just as good.
Michael was curled up beside her, facing away from her. She slid, carefully, out of the bed and put on the shirt that Michael had worn the day before. She smelled Michael’s scent from the shirt and smiled contentedly. Then she went into the kitchen to see what there was to make breakfast with.
One thing she liked about this house was that Michael had a lot of food. She wished she could get her roommate to keep food in the house, but there never was very much. Perhaps if her roommate didn’t overeat there’d be something left in the refrigerator.
She took some vegetables out of the refrigerator drawer and started to chop them to make an omelet. Maybe if she showed Michael how good she was in the kitchen, Michael would invite her more often. She made a pot of coffee, then turned the stove on and let the eggs start to cook. Pretty soon the smell of the coffee and the omelets was wafting through the house.
“What are you doing?” came a voice from the bedroom door.
“Just making you a nice breakfast,” Clare replied. “I figured you’d be hungry.”
“Thanks,” Michael acknowledged. “It smells good.” She checked to see what was in the pan. Content that breakfast looked as good as it smelled, she went back into the bedroom.
When Clare entered the bedroom a few moments later with the plates of omelets, Michael was packing a suitcase.
“Where are you going?” Clare asked.
“I have to go to Vancouver for a few days,” Michael answered.
“What’s in Vancouver?” Clare asked as she set the plates on the bed, then went back into the kitchen for the coffee.
“Business,” Michael answered, being noncommittal as usual.
“Will you be gone long?” Clare asked as she set the mugs and coffeepot on the bed table.
“I don’t know,” Michael answered as she added a few more pieces of clothing to the case. “A week or two.”
“When do you leave?” Clare asked as she slid onto the bed and picked up the coffeepot to pour two mugs of steaming black coffee. She usually liked hers light with lots of sugar, but she knew Michael drank it black so she was determined that she’d take hers that way, too.
“Tomorrow afternoon,” Michael answered. “I have to remember to stop my mail and newspaper tomorrow morning. I’m sure there’s a lot I’ve forgotten.”
Clare suddenly had an idea. “I could housesit for you,” she offered. “Then you wouldn’t have to worry about anything. My roommate Rebecca won’t miss me. I could stay here and get your kitchen cleaned up for you and weed your garden, and…”
“Wait a minute,” Michael said as she picked up a bite of eggs. “I don’t need anyone to look after my house.”
“Of course not,” Clare hedged, “but I could do a lot of chores around here so you’d come home to a clean house and a beautiful garden.”
Michael ran it through her mind as she chewed her mouthful of food.
“I wouldn’t let you do it for free,” she finally said. “I’ll pay you something to do that. Don’t you have to go to work?”
“Sure,” Clare said brightly, “but I can come back here after work and get some stuff done. It would keep me out of trouble, too.” She grinned a smile at Michael she hoped was endearing.
Michael thought about it as she sipped her coffee.
“No guests,” she said. “I don’t want anyone else in this house. You’re responsible for your own food. What’s left in the refrigerator tonight you can eat, but pick up after yourself.”
“I’ll do a wonderful job. You won’t be disappointed.”
“You bet your ass.” Michael replied as she settled onto the bed with her breakfast.
“I could take you to the airport and pick you up when you get home,” Clare offered. “Then you won’t have to pay for long-term parking. That will save you a ton of money.”
“Sounds good.” Michael nodded. “I need to leave here by noon tomorrow.”
“I could stay the night tonight, then you won’t have to worry tomorrow. We can leave whenever you’re ready.”
Michael eyed her warily.
“I’ll just need to go home this afternoon and get some clothes. I can call in to work tomorrow. I have enough sick leave and vacation time coming. They won’t miss me for one day.” Clare offered hopefully.
“You’re sure?” Michael asked.
“Absolutely.” Clare smiled. “And I won’t break a thing. I’ll be as careful as possible.”
Michael just nodded.
“Should I tell people where you are if someone calls?” Clare asked.
Michael thought for a moment, then tossed Clare a small pad of note paper that had been on the dresser.
“If Cameron or my bother Jean-Rene or his wife Teresa calls, tell them I’m at the Royal Crown hotel in Vancouver. Anyone else, just tell them I’m away for a few days and take a message. Don’t tell anyone else where I am.”
Clare jotted the three names down, along with the name of the hotel.
“Is Cameron your friend in the States?” she asked.
“Just tell her I’ll call when I can,” Michael said, not answering Clare’s question.
Clare was silent for a moment. “Are you in love with her?” she finally asked, softly.
Michael looked at her. “That’s between her and me,” she said. “It’s no one else’s business.”
“I was just wondering,” Clare finally said. “You haven’t been at any of the bars lately. I just figured that there was someone else taking up your time.”
“As I said, it’s no one else’s business.” Michael drank the rest of her coffee and ate what was left on her plate without saying anything else. Clare watched her for a moment, then went out to the kitchen to clean up the dishes.