Be the Teddy Bear

“So, how was the tennis lesson?” Michael asked, a smirk on his face. He raised the glass of iced tea to his lips and watched Gina narrow her eyes over the rim. Oh, how he loved getting her all riled up. Now, if he could do that in her boudoir he’d be all set.

“I should smack you upside the head for setting me up with that fruitcake,” she shouted.

“Didn’t he fix your backhand?”

She glowered and put down her empty glass making the ice clink within it. “Be the ball, he told me. Be the ball! Who says that except for new age gurus?” she said, exasperated.  “I wanted to be the racket just to beat him with it.”

Michael spit out his iced tea in a fit of laughter. “I was hoping you would. I thought you’d have fun doing it,” he said. “You need some fun, Babe.”

“Don’t do me any favors, Michael, or I might just kill you and save myself trouble.”

“You know I’m worth all the trouble in the world,” he replied as he pulled her up from the chair and hugged her. “Don’t be mad at me, okay?”

How could she when he held her like that? He made all the tension of the harrowing day melt away. She rested her aching head on his shoulder and breathed easy for the first time in weeks.

“You take everything so seriously, Gina. I wanted you to relax and you know… be the ball,” Michael said. She smacked him and made to push away from him, but he held on. “I love my funny Gina,” he whispered.

Her heart jumped nervously in her chest. “Michael, I wish you wouldn’t say that,” she said pulling away firmly. “We’re friends. That’s it.”

“Well, guess what? I’m sick of living the life of a hermit; a chaste hermit at that. I’m taking you out tonight and we’re going to pretend this is a blind date. I don’t know you, you don’t know me and we’ll see what happens.”

“Michael, we can’t do that. We’ll ruin our friendship. I promise we will,” she insisted.

He raised an eyebrow and grinned devilishly. “That’s what I’m counting on. The complete demolishing of our friendship so we can get on the right grove. You get all dolled up in something too sexy, too short, too tight, too low-cut and perhaps if I can stop drooling long enough maybe we can....you know....”

“What? Be the ball?” she said, annoyed. “Michael, please. I’ve got a splitting headache.”

He sighed. She did look tired. Dark circles under her eyes didn’t lie. “You work too hard, Gina. Fine, I’ll get some Chinese, rent a silent movie and put you to sleep with my dulcet tones. How’s that?”

“No, Michael you should go out and find yourself some hot babe; one willing to do the nasty with you. Someone who isn’t so uptight like me.”

“There are nuns that aren’t as uptight as you, Sweetie. I’ll be back by six. Do not do anymore work. I’ll give your computer a virus if you even look at it while I’m gone,” he said, staring at her weary stance and sad expression. “On second thought…”

Suddenly, he whisked her off her feet and carried her through her apartment passed her bedroom door and into the spacious bathroom.

“Michael, what are you doing?” she shrieked.

“Something to soothe your soul. It’s a total chick thing, so I know you’ll like it,” he replied setting her down on the cold tiles. He turned on the taps checking for the right temperature and poured some of the highly fragrant bubble bath he gave her for her birthday.

“Ah, that smells nice,” he said grinning as he pulled off her cardigan and tossed it into the hall.

“Michael, stop it,” she said.

He ignored her and about time, too. It had been nearly a year since they met. It took almost that whole time to get her defenses down…well, down enough to be friends. He’d been too compliant, too standoffish with her, but no more. He wanted her something fierce and it was about time she gave in to him. He needed practice on his seduction anyway and what better way than to bathe her in love, attention and warm, bubbly, sweet-smelling water. He pushed her to sit on the edge of the tub, kneeled down and removed her socks. He tickled her toes a tiny bit smiling up at her then massaged them.

“Michael, don’t,” she said anxiously.

“Shh, you’ll like this. I know I do,” he said. He moved his hands up her bare legs.

“Michael, please. Why are you doing this?” she said.

“Can’t you tell?” he said and he kissed her passionately.

Before she knew what was happening, he had unbuttoned her blouse and pulled down her gym shorts.

“No,” she muttered turning her lips away from his mouth.

“Gina, don’t fight me,” he whispered in her ear.

“No!” she screamed pushing against him.

“You’ll like it. I know you will,” he said.

“Stop it, Jimmy, Stop!”

He froze. “Who the hell’s Jimmy?” he asked, his grip on her instantly loosened.

She pushed hard and stumbled blindly out of the bathroom almost tripping on the shorts around her ankles. She ran to her room and made to bolt the door, but Michael pushed it open.

“Not again, Jimmy!” she screamed.

“Gina, it’s me, Michael. I’m not Jimmy and I’m not going to hurt you,” he said looking utterly perplexed.

She backed away from him like a frightened animal. She wedged herself between the desk and the wall and crumbled in a heap.

“My God, what’s wrong?”

“Go away!” she screamed.

“Gina, I was just playing. I wasn’t going to hurt you. I just wanted to... seduce you maybe,” he whispered.

Even with her fighting like a wild cat, he pulled her out of the corner and held her tightly against his body until she lost all strength, she stopped struggling and then cried a torrent of tears.

“Shh...Gina....shh. It’s okay. It’s all okay....” he crooned softly. He cradled her like a baby on his lap and she desperately clung to him soaking his shirt through to the skin well before she was done. How long they stayed like this, neither could tell.

When she eventually stopped crying and sat limp in his arms, he carried her to her small bed, pulled the covers back and gently laid her down covering her back up. He knelt down beside her still stroking her hair. He gently kissing her forehead.

“Can I get something for you?” he asked quietly.

“Michael...I’m sorry,” she said, tears leaking out of the corner of her eyes.

“It’s my fault. I...I shouldn’t have... Forgive me, Gina. I didn’t know,” he said. “Wish you had told me.”

“I never told anyone,” Gina mumbled.

“Will you tell me now?” he asked quietly.

She violently shook her head.

“It’s okay,” he said, kissing her cheek. “I don’t have to know.”

“It’s just…”

He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter…not to me. I still love you. I’ve just got to be patient.”

“Michael…”

 “Hungry?” he quickly asked, standing up. “I’ll get some comfort food for you. You can take a bath. I’ll leave it in the kitchen and you can …” 

She grabbed his hand. “Stay, Michael. Please, don’t leave me,” she pleaded.

“You sure?” he asked. “I don’t want you thinking I’m anything like Jimmy.”

“You’re not. You could have kept going, but you stopped. You didn’t have to but you did. That’s all I need to know. I trust you, Michael. I’m just scared.”

“Of me?” he asked miserably.

“Yes...no...maybe... I don’t know. You have to take it easy with me, Michael…just go slow. Okay?” she asked tentatively. “I …I do love you.”

He took her hand and kissed it. “Anything you want, Gina,” he said in a strangled voice.

“Come be my teddy bear,” she said, patting the bed beside her.

“Be the teddy bear?” he retorted smiling. He then hopped in and wrapped his arms around her. “Sure beats being the ball.”