Bell , Book and Candle

By DocPaul

Chapter Nine:  Enabling…

“You look tired.”

“I am.” Tess threw herself down in a chair in the living room. “I see Stan’s working downstairs in the shop. What’s up?”

“He said he needed a little more money for rent, so I told him he could run the stop in the afternoons when he doesn’t have classes. That gives me three days a week, and all day on Saturday to pour candles and work on glass. I started a series of stained glass.”

“You taking the afternoon off?” Tess looked at the clock. It was lunchtime.

“I worked for four hours this morning. The annealing was shooting the temperature up in the workroom, so I thought I would cool it off this afternoon, open the doors this evening and do some more work.” Maria put down the book she was reading. “We’ve got a Coalition meeting tomorrow night. Can you get away?”

Tess nodded. “I’ll be there.” Tess grabbed Maria’s glass and finished off the soft drink. Getting up, she went to refill it and get herself one. “So we’re almost to the end of the fight.”

“Pretty much. Time to make some concessions. We know that the area needs to be updated, but I think the Coalition has blocked all avenues to prevent larger stores coming in and destroy the community. Mrs. Purdy’s worried about the empty building next to her.”

“We don’t own it?”

Maria shook her head. “No. It was bought out two weeks ago in a private deal. I don’t know the identity of the buyer.”

Tess exhaled. “That’s a huge building, Maria. We should’ve gotten it under the historical umbrella. All the ancient stone, figurines, and plastering are so beautiful. I love the huge arched windows. It would’ve made an incredible design company or artist lofts with all that open space. How did this person find the owner? We’ve been researching for months!”

Maria shrugged. It was a mystery. They knew the original owner was originally a Chinese immigrant, whose family had come to California during the gold rush. Over the last decade, he had returned to Mainland China . The Coalition had tried to locate him so they could make a private offer for the building. Someone beat them to it.

“Purdy’s afraid that the unknown owner will bring in a large book exchange and drown out her small new and used bookstore.” Maria took the drink from Tess, who sat next to her. They both stretched out their legs. “I guess it’s something else we’ll need to talk about tomorrow. The legal issues are coming to an end. There’s very little else that can be done. Blocking the rezone was our greatest victory.”

Tess hooked her arm through Maria’s, and hugged her close. “Now we’ll have to renovate and attract new businesses to all those empty spaces. It’s going to be costly.”

“True. But think of the long term rewards, not the immediate ones. In a world set on instant gratification, it’s nice to see something grow slowly.” Maria smiled. “Mr. Lynch was talking about expanding his open market into the south warehouse building into a joint indoor outdoor market. A produce warehouse would be a good thing with all the small communities around us.”

Tess smiled clicking her glass to Maria’s. “We did a good thing.” Maria nodded and drank her soda. “Speaking of instant gratification, where’s the screamer?”

Maria giggled. “Michael? He showed up early this morning. He hadn’t slept all night. I didn’t get to feed him before he fell asleep on my bed.” Maria looked at the clock. “I need to wake him up soon, and get him to eat.”

Tess frowned. “This has been going on for a few weeks now, Maria. Have the two of you even talked about where this affair is going?”

Maria sipped her drink avoiding her friend’s eyes. Relationship talks weren’t high on her priority list. They came with a lot of problems. Most of those problems being talking about her past, who she was, and what she was. “Can’t we just live in the moment? What’s wrong with that? People do it all the time.”

Tess joined her hand with Maria’s. “Sure they do. I’ve seen you hold up an affair or two that lasted for months.” Tess looked at Maria. “This is a hell of a lot different, Maria. You know it. He knows it.”

“Tess…”

“Stop running away from the truth. You see him and he’s all you see. I don’t even think the man knows how to smile, but he sees you, and he smiles. He practically lives here when he’s not working or chasing after his brother.” Tess sighed unhappily. “I can’t see this changing. Not ever. As much as I hate to admit it, this looks pretty permanent.”

“I can’t talk about this.” Maria picked up Tess’s hand. “I can’t take a chance with him.”

“Don’t you trust him?”

Maria laughed bitterly. “Of course I do! One thing I think I know is that he’s loyal to a fault. It’s not him, Tessie.” Maria looked at her hand joined to Tess’s. “It’s me. I don’t trust myself.”

Tess rested her head against Maria shoulder. “You’re not your father, Maria. Talk to Jake. Tell him what’s going on. He’ll tell you. You can’t keep hiding from something that might never happen.”

“I can’t. He’s not here at night. I dream.” Maria stood up and paced the room. “I see it over and over in my dreams. It’s different now. Instead of them…this time, in all the blood is Michael’s. I’m standing there silently screaming, but that’s the thing, Tess. I can’t scream, because I killed myself.”

“Maria,” said Tess, her voice almost a sob. Maria came back to the sofa and laid down with her head in Tess’s lap. Both of them were crying quietly. “What are you going to do? You can’t let this ruin your whole life. You can’t let it make you afraid to love.”

“I don’t know. I don’t know.”

~~~

Maria stood in her darkened bedroom. He was sprawled on the bed, wearing nothing but his jeans with the top button undone. His face was intense in a frown of concentration, like he needed to work at sleep.

She gently sat down on the bed next to him, her hand sweeping the hair from his face. He needed a shave. Leaning down, she gently kissed his mouth, then looking down at his relaxed body, she moved down to kiss his stomach.

“Don’t stop,” Michael murmured softly. Maria laid down and left her head resting on his stomach.

“Hi.”

“Fell asleep on you, huh?”

Maria smiled softly at him. “Yeah. I didn’t even get you out of your jeans.” Michael made a grimace at his own tiredness. “What’s keeping you up so late, Michael?”

Michael started to shake his head and shrug it off, but looking at her, he couldn’t. He wanted her to know. He wanted to tell her about his day, his work, and his worries. Running his hand over her bright hair, he ran his hands through her hair. “Marry me.”

He could feel her stiffen. Sighing, he almost bit out his tongue. After over two weeks, he had avoided being impulsive.

“Michael…”

“Don’t say no.” Michael ran his fingers through her hair, and tipped her face up to look at him. “Think about it. Think about it a lot. I want to wake up with you. I want to stop all this running around.”

“Get all your eggs in one basket?” Maria asked, not so casually as she felt the faltering cadence of her breathing. She was going to panic. Not yet. It was the automatic ‘yes’ she almost gave him, that made her afraid. She was doing it again. Giving way to him, not because he asked her to, but because she was bordering on being obsessed with him.

“You’re not an egg, Maria. You argue with me too much. Even I think I’m insane to want to be married to you.” Michael pulled her up his body so they were both lying on their sides facing each other. “But I do, Maria. I want to marry you.”

“Because of your ten year plan?”

Michael swore softly. Damn the plan. It was going to cause a problem between them. “No. I gave up the plan long ago. It was faulty.” Michael moved his mouth against her neck, and nipped it gently to follow it with a sucking kiss.

“How was it faulty?” asked Maria, a little breathless.

“It didn’t factor in being in love.” Michael answered, brushing the hair from her face. Maria’s scared eyes met his deep, solemn, honest ones. Oh damn. She sat up and quickly placed her hand on his heart. She could feel his heart beating hard against her palm

Leaning down, she kissed his mouth, outlined his lips with her tongue. He was the last man she would ever marry. He was something she couldn’t risk, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t want it.

“Yes.” Michael held his breath. “I’ll think about it.” Michael released his breath, a little disappointed, but still he was pleased that at least she hadn’t said no immediately.

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

Michael groaned and pulled her down beside him again. “We lost the Jenkins contract yesterday.”

Maria frowned. “I thought you said it was in the bag? Your bid was the lower one.”

“I thought so, but Davis came in at the last minute and submitted one that undercut mine by a few hundred.” Michael rubbed his face in her. “I don’t get it. This is the second contract he beat me out of in the last two weeks. It’s almost like he knows my bid before I submit it.”

“Maybe he’s getting lucky.” Maria suggested.

“No. Normally, that would be a possibility, but not in this case. Both were large contracts. I tend to underwrite my larger contracts at incredibly low profit margins. It’s good business. It gives me exposure. I do quality work. If people see the work, it leads to jobs that aren’t bidding jobs, but people wanting my firm. I make my money off the private jobs.”

Maria sat up a little. “Is this hurting your company?”

Michael shrugged. Taking her hand, he sucked a finger into his mouth. “A little. Not that much. It is hurting my workers more. I can’t retain such large crews if I have no work for them, so a handful are put on hold or laid-off until I have jobs for them. The subcontractors are taking a bigger bite than me. Valenti’s is very diversified. It can float above.”

“You’re worried about your workers’ families.” Maria kissed him closing her eyes as the kiss deepened. Her face was pressed against his chest, hot and hard beneath her cheek. Though he was shirtless, she could smell the spice of cologne, and she could smell him. It was so powerful, so uniquely male, she responded in a purely instinctual and biological fashion.

“Where’s Tess?” asked Michael hoarsely.

“Napping.” Maria looked up at Michael with a delicately curved arching eyebrow.

“She hates me anyway. Let’s wake her up.” Michael kissed her as Maria chuckled softly at the happy war Michael and Tess were waging with each other.

His skin. She could smell it, taste it, and feel it against her own. Every ragged breath she took only intensified the effect, and closing her eyes nearly put her into sensory overload.  If Michael knew that men were stimulated visually, he must have also known that women could be equally stimulated by their other senses.

She found herself drowning in those senses when he brought her mouth up to his. It was the feel of his soft lips on hers, the taste of his mouth, the feel of his hard erection pressing into her body, and the sound of his groaning in addition to the olfactory input. Thoughts scattered away from her rational mind like confetti in the wind against the onslaught he provided.

“God, I need to go to work. Check on Kyle...” Maria made a sound of pleasure at the movement of his mouth.

“Kyle? I thought he was working for you.”

“He is...” Michael was too busy to let that fact bother him. Kyle started working on a crew two weeks ago. Michael couldn’t figure it out. It was like Kyle was trying to make restitution for something. He was actually being good. Well, almost. He had given a party at Michael’s place last week that was…loud and destructive, but other than that, Kyle was quiet and less like himself than usual.

Maria made a noise in her throat as her slim arms went up Michael’s body stroking the skin of his chest. Michael rolled over on his back, pulling her on top of him. One of her hands found its way into his unfastened jeans. Giggling at his groan, Maria bit the skin of his chest.

The kiss went on and on; changing her, opening her, deepening with every second. When her arms stole around his neck, his hands found their way under her blouse to cup her breasts. She broke the kiss to breathe heavily, and concentrate on the feel of his hands on her. Somehow he was now sitting up in the bed with her in his lap; legs wrapped around his body to bring her closer. The breeze coming in the window blew the drapes noisily in the silence of the room.

She felt him remove her blouse and bra and toss them to the floor like her discarded inhibitions. Calloused fingers caressed the skin of her neck, arms, and finally her breasts.  She whimpered at the contact, experiencing it all with eyes tightly shut. He had great hands. Rough. They were working hands, not just the soft hands of a paper pushing owner of a company. Michael liked to work with his crews outside. Two weeks, and she was amazed at how much more there was to him than what appeared at first look.

When she felt the warm wetness of his mouth on her nipple, she arched her back both as a response, and to give him better access. Time stood still while he touched her, caressed her, and tasted her for himself.

Suddenly impatient, she attacked his jeans. She added them to the growing pile of clothing at the side of the bed. It was her turn to touch him, run her hands over the satiny skin covering his muscles. His rougher skin scratched at her breasts when he pulled her back against him impatiently.

She found herself unconsciously undulating against him in a slow and sensual rhythm.  With a growl he turned her around and placed her gently on her back.  She could feel the coolness of the sheets against her bare skin, and the heat of him on her skin, the weight of his body.

Her last sight was of him looming over her while he covered her with his body.  Heat and scent were reestablished quickly making sight unnecessary. She thought she would melt away when he entered her.  Her startled 'Oh!' caused him to pause briefly, but she urged him to continue by wrapping her legs around his waist.

Turning her a little, rolling them more so he was on bottom, he ran one hand down her spine, and then he made his own startled sound and she gripped him hard with her thighs. His warm palm came to rest at the base of her spine, hovering over her tattoo.

Maria leaned down to kiss him. “High road or low?”

“High,” Michael growled, rolling over on her back again, sliding into her heavily, with long hard thrusts.

Arching like a cat, she closed her eyes again. She felt him reach around to where their bodies were joined to stimulate the sensitive bud of tissue there. Almost immediately, she was coming, screaming out her pleasure with abandonment. She couldn’t hear much, caught up in her own reaction as she was, but even from a distance, she heard him say he loved her.

~~~

“Oh my God!” Kathleen said dramatically. “Look what the cat dragged in!”

Michael made a sour face at her. “Any messages?”

“Three. The most important one being from Howard on the Blight Street project. He said to tell you that he has problems with three of the specs. They look off, and he wanted the architects to crunch the numbers again before they lay steel.”

“I’ll call him.” Michael said distractedly. Reading through a few notes and files, including one from the lawyers. Michael smiled and put a paper into its envelope. “Can you file this?”

“Sure.” Kathleen looked at Michael discreetly. “Nice hickey.”

Michael’s hand immediate flew to his neck, frowning. He didn’t remember any… Seeing Kathleen’s smile his eyes narrowed. “Cute!”

Kathleen laughed. “I’ve got your tickets to the Gala. It’s two thousand a plate.” Kathleen handed over the envelope with two tickets in it. “Did you ask Maria yet?”

Michael shook his head no, and seeing that look in Kathleen’s eyes he sighed.

“Just ask!” Oh, he really didn’t think his tone of voice was going to put her off.

“So, how is Maria?”

“Fine.” Michael headed for his office. He had work to do.

“Ask her to marry you yet?” Michael stopped. Kathleen's mouth dropped open at the look on his face. “You did! Oh! You didn’t!”

Michael nodded. “Earlier today.”

Kathleen started flipping through her address book. “I’ll try Cartier’s first. They had a nice display, and Maria…” She picked up the phone and started dialing.

“What are you doing?”

Kathleen stopped her fingers in mid-dial. “Getting you an engagement ring.” Michael walked over and disconnected the phone.

Shaking his head, he hung up the receiver. “That’s not necessary.”

“Don’t tell me she said no!” Kathleen wouldn’t believe it. Michael and Maria were practically inseparable. Michael had never been like this with anyone.

“She didn’t say no. She’s thinking about it.” Michael sat on the edge on the desk. “There’s something I’m missing, and Maria isn’t talking.” Michael scratched his eyebrow almost shyly. “I already bought the ring.”

Kathleen couldn't speak. She could barely breathe. “May I see it?” Michael shrugged and searched his jacket pocket. He had carried it there for almost two weeks. Kathleen stared at the large stone, an emerald, square cut surrounded by diamonds. It was beautiful. The emerald reminded her of Maria’s eyes. “How...?” Kathleen cleared her throat. “How long?”

“After the first night I slept with her.” Michael put it away. “You tell her, I’ll fire you.”

“Sure, boss.” Kathleen watched him go into his office, and she sat there for a few moments reordering her existence. He bought the ring himself. Well, she’d be damned. Peter Pan had just fallen in love with Tinkerbell.

~~~

“Kyle, you coming out for a drink with the boys?”

“Thanks, Harv, but you know I can’t drink.” Kyle was cleaning up his tools and putting them away.

“That’s okay, we’ll spot you soda.”

Kyle looked over at the other guys on the crew. Nodding, he went to join them for an after work drink. After working with them for two weeks, he was getting to know them all. He had started playing in their bowling league. Surprisingly, they all treated him pretty well, despite his name. At first, they ribbed him for being a Valenti, and the boss’s brother. But over the last few weeks, it became almost fun.

“I heard that Terry’s team was put off earlier this week. He said Michael looked pretty upset, but said he would get them back on again as soon as possible.” Fly passed Monk another beer.

“Man, I hope we aren’t put down. I heard that we lost the Jenkins account.” Monk nodded to Steve that entered the bar. “There’s Steve. Maybe he’ll have some news.”

Steve joined them grabbing an empty glass from the bar on his way. “Guys.” Pouring from the pitcher, he waved the empty pitcher at the waitress for a refill.

“So?” Harv and the other sat on the edge of their seats.

Steve sipped his beer. “It’s official. Michael called. We’re the next on stepdown until he picks us up another large contract.” The group moaned.

Kyle looked from one to another. “I don’t understand. What does Michael losing a contract have to do with us, or any of you?”

Steve winced at the bitter taste of the beer. “We subcontract to Valenti’s. On real large contracts, Michael will subcontract out different parts of the jobs. We put our bid in with Michael, and he adds it to the full contract cost. We lost the contract, so we lost our jobs.” The group was strangely solemn. “I’ve got to tell the wife to watch the spending or we’re going to have problems making the mortgage.”

Harv stared into his beer. “I’ve got three kids in private school.”

Kyle could feel the sweat trickling down his neck. “There are other contracts, right?”

The group nodded, but none of them were too enthusiastic. In over three years, this was the first time Valenti’s had failed to get a contract for them. Things were looking tough.

Kyle drove home. His mind wasn’t on his driving, it was on his construction team. He hadn’t realized that what Michael did affected so many other people. It had never been real to him. But this was real. He knew these men. He had met their wives. They invited him to their homes. He had done this to them.

Michael was home. Kyle sat in his car. It was getting harder and harder to face Michael. While sitting there, Kyle’s cell phone rang. “Yeah?”

“Valenti. I need more information.” Kyle swore.

“Forget it! I was only supposed to do this once! Once. You went back on our deal. I’ve already betrayed my brother twice.”

“Stop your bawling. I still have your marker, and….”

Kyle interrupted Brody. “I don’t care. Break my legs. Call it in. I’ll make sure everyone knows that you blackmailed me, and then didn’t honor the deal. I’ll turn evidence to the planning commission. I’ll talk to the DA’s office.”

Brody was silent. “I need only one more job.”

“No. I don’t trust you. Why should I? You lied to me twice!”

“This is really the last job. The bidding for the Maps project is coming up next week once the finally hearings are complete early next week. I need that project. Valenti’s is my only competitor.”

“That’s too bad! I won’t do it. I’m through with you, Brody.”

There was a quietness on the other end. Kyle held his breath, but Brody’s reaction wasn’t what he was expecting.

“I need this contract, Valenti. I’ll have it one way or another. If you won’t get me the bid, then I’ll have to take out the competitor another way.”

Kyle felt a stab of icy fear down his spine. “What do you mean, another way? Brody? What do you mean?”

“Guerin will cease to be a problem for me one way or other. You decide.”

Kyle swore. “I told you! I will not get you his bid! I won’t.”

“Then you just signed your brother’s death certificate.” The phone disconnected.

“Wait! Brody!” Kyle looked at the phone in horror. Staring at his brother’s house, he couldn’t let this happen. He couldn’t be responsible. Sitting there, Kyle tried to think of a plan. He had no proof. He was a drug user. A drunk. A royal screw up. Who would believe him? His word against Brody’s. Kyle rested his head on the stirring wheel.

It was the tapping on his window that made him look up. Michael was standing there. Kyle reluctantly rolled down the window.

“What’s up, Kyle?”

“Nothing. Long day. Too tired to move.” Kyle looked Michael over. He looked rested, but there was a hint of worry to his face. He did that. He put that worry there. He was systematically helping to destroy Valenti’s.

“Well, get enough energy to get going. I’m taking you somewhere tonight.”

Kyle slowly dragged himself out of the car. “Taking me somewhere? Where?” Kyle’s eyes narrowed. “Not Dad’s?”

“No, they’re still up north. Something about some wine tour.” Michael slapped Kyle on the shoulder. “Maria invited us to dinner. She said you should come since Tess was home tonight. She wants you to meet her.”

Kyle stopped in his tracks. “Your girlfriend is setting me up with her roommate? A blind date?” Kyle turned around to head towards his car.

“Where are you going?”

“Back to Los Angeles !” Michael laughed and grabbed Kyle’s shirt by the collar, and turned him back towards the house.

“Nope. No way, young pup! You've got a date with destiny, or better yet, my destiny, so don't blow this for me. Maria wants you to come. So guess what?” Michael smiled with a touch of meanness. “You’re going on a blind date with a little bit of piss and vinegar. Her name is Tess. First time I met her, she smashed my balls into my throat. I almost had to have surgery to have them retracted.”

“Oh joy! First she’d have to find my damn balls! I haven’t had any lately.” Kyle waited while Michael was in the shower to make a phone call.

“Liz? Hi, it’s Kyle. Are you working late tonight?” Kyle listened to Liz Parker on the other end. “No. That’s not too late for me. I have to go out for dinner, but I can meet you afterwards.” Kyle frowned at the phone as Liz made arrangements to meet him at an all night diner. “What’s it about? I need some help. You’re the only person who can help me.”