Not Accustomed
by Gail (gem225@hotmail.com)
from Michael's pov, part 1
Rating: adult
Please do not archive this story without asking me first. The copyright belongs to me.
Thanks to Tinnean and Elizabeth for their helpful betas.
*****
I shut the outer door behind me and glanced around the office. The same faces in the process of looking back to their work, as usual, except for one, a woman, and an attractive one, who was still looking at me. I smiled at her, but instead of the smile I expected in return, I got a cool look, then nothing.
I wasn't accustomed to having women treat me as though they didn't want me.
Tom, the owner of the bookstore, called to me, and I dismissed the problem of the woman without any taste and headed for his office.
He signed the documents after a question and a brief discussion. It was a pleasure doing his legal work - he didn't make unreasonable demands, and he knew what he wanted.
"Good of you to bring them over." He handed the signed papers back to me.
"Wait until you see the bill," I needled. I didn't charge him extra for my visits to his store, and he knew that.
He laughed. "I'll worry about that when it gets here. How about a drink before you go?"
Here was an opening. "How about an introduction to your new employee?" I could introduce myself, but that would be rude to Tom, who was a good person and a valued client.
"Kate is not an easy person to know."
So that was her name. "I'm good at getting to people."
"I know, but she's - " He frowned and looked at the ceiling.
"All I'm asking is an introduction. If she tells me to go to hell, no harm done." I'd do my best to see that she didn't, of course, but anything was possible.
It took him a moment to answer me. "All right. I guess it won't do any harm."
"I'll ask her out for a drink. She'll say yes or no."
"You don't take no for an answer, Michael. It's not in your nature."
"And that's a bad thing?"
He smiled. "It depends, I suppose. Come on." He rolled his wheelchair out of his office and to this Kate's desk, and I followed him.
"Kate." She stopped typing and looked up from her monitor. "I'd like you to meet Michael Barry, my lawyer and my friend. Michael, this is Kate Pierce."
"Hello, Mr. Barry." She gave me a brief smile with no warmth in it.
"Hello, Miss Pierce." I hoped that she wasn't one of those women who got all huffy about being addressed as 'Miss'.
"I'll leave you two to talk." Tom flashed me a smile that told me that I was on my own now, then rolled over to another desk and started talking to the person working there.
She was still looking at me, and with no more warmth than before. "Yes?"
"I was wondering if you'd have a drink with me tonight." I didn't think this woman would appreciate anything but directness.
"No."
What the fuck? Nothing but that?
"I'm curious about your reason for turning me down."
"I don't want to."
She didn't want to. I had women lining up to go out with me, and this one didn't want to. I thought about trying to change her mind, but this was a place of business, and Tom might get pissed if I took too much of one of his employees' time. "All right. Thank you for your time."
She nodded and looked away. I gave Tom a nod, then headed for the door. I'd have a drink on my own and think about who I might call to have dinner with. There were women who'd be more than happy to hear from me. I didn't need some woman who didn't have the brains to see that I was someone to want. Maybe another time she'd be more responsive.
*****
The next time I took papers to Tom was three weeks later, and she wasn't there. Considering it was after the usual closing time, I hadn't expected her to be.
He shook his head and smiled as soon as he locked the outer door, and I knew he was going to bring up the matter of Kate Pierce. I didn't blame him; I'd have done the same. "You thought she'd drop at your feet, and instead she told you to - "
"Fuck off and die as soon as it was convenient for me," I said dryly. "Not using those words, but the meaning was clear." I shrugged and smiled. It really didn't matter. She was cute, and I wouldn't have minded getting her into bed and showing her how very wrong about me she was, but that was life.
"I told you she was difficult to get to know."
"Indeed. I doubt any man could get near her." Maybe if I got a few more chances, but I didn't intend to try.
Tom's smile widened. "Some man did."
"Oh?"
"She's out with him tonight. She introduced him to me. He seemed nice."
So she'd decided that some other man was worth her time. I made myself take a slow breath and smile. Tom knew this had gotten to me, but there was no need to show anything more than I had already. "Ah. I hope they have a delightful evening." And that she was as cold to him as she'd been to me.
"It can't feel good to know someone else succeeded with her, Michael." Tom was trying to get me to open up to him, but that was out of the question.
"You're making a big deal out of nothing. I got nowhere with her. It's not the first time." It wasn't, but I didn't like thinking about my failures. I hated failing. "How about we have dinner together? It's been a while."
"I'd like that."
I got him his overcoat and waited while he closed up. Miss Kate, the ice queen, was out with some man. He was welcome to her.
How the hell had he gotten through to her?
I gave my head a shake. It made no sense to to waste my time on this.
*****
A few nights later I walked into Dali, a tapas restaurant that I frequented when I wanted to relax, and saw her sitting at a table, laughing and talking with a man. Was this the one Tom had told me about? I'd find out.
I made my way around the tables until I was standing at theirs.
"Hello, Kate."
"Mr. Barry."
Her formality annoyed me, and I gave her a cool smile to show her that.
"I hoped you'd remember me." Of course she had.
I caught her date shifting in his chair out of the corner of my eye. Time to show him that he was out of his league. I bowed from the waist to Kate and enjoyed her look of surprise, then glanced at her date. Did she go for ordinary? It would seem so.
"My apologies for intruding on your evening." Polite, with an edge of cool that should tell him that I meant nothing of the sort.
He nodded but said nothing. Maybe he was cowed by me showing up. I liked that thought.
"Good." I acknowledged his mute acceptance of my apology and turned my attention back to Kate to see a look of what I was sure was interest in her eyes. "I hope you'll give me another chance to show you that I'm worth your time." She would. I could tell.
"I'm with Brian, and even if I weren't, I'm not interested in you."
Of course she'd say that, with the man sitting right there.
"I don't give up easily." Which she should know by now, but something that this Brian would have no idea. "You will be seeing me again." I glanced at him again. "What is your name, anyway?"
"Brian Cameron."
I smiled at his flush. Maybe he'd be smart enough to clear out, although maybe not.
"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Cameron."
A chair scraped across the floor - Kate's. She was standing, eyes no longer betraying interest, but anger. Was she playing this for her date, or was she really mad?
"I expect you to be gone by the time I'm back from the ladies' room."
She whirled around and was halfway across the room before I could do more than blink.
Really mad then. She'd get over it.
I decided to take a few moments and taunt her date. It would be fun.
"It's too bad she doesn't mean you, Mr. Cameron, but if you'd care to go, I'll make sure Kate gets home safely."
I pulled out the chair next to his and sat, but still nothing from him. If he thought that ignoring me would get me to leave, he was wrong. I'd leave, but it would be my decision.
There was a bottle of white wine within reach, so I reached for it. That got to him. He lunged at it and grabbed it away from me.
"Please leave."
There was nothing interesting here. I'd get nowhere with Kate tonight, and I was hungry and ready to relax. I'd go somewhere else and have a quiet dinner. But first I'd make sure that Mr. Cameron knew my position.
"I want her. I'm going to have her. Don't make the mistake of getting in my way." I hoped that he'd be smart enough - or easily frightened enough - to give up. I pushed back the chair and stood. "Have a pleasant evening."
I laughed to myself as I left. With Kate angry, I doubted that he would.
*****
The encounter hadn't gone that well, I admitted to myself over my after-dinner coffee. She'd told me to leave, and he'd acted as though I'd intruded. Fine, I *had* intruded, but I didn't appreciate his dismissal of me. Who did he think he was? He was nobody.
I didn't know what was with me. I didn't care about her or need her. Was it the fact of the guy? Probably. I couldn't see why she'd picked him over me. He was attractive, but nothing special, and to see her laughing and talking with him as though he were both, got to me.
Weakness. I'd have to get over that. But first, I'd see about getting Miss Kate to go out with me.
*****
I sent her flowers the next day, and again the day after that. I got her phone number from Tom, since she wasn't listed, and called, and called again when she hung up, and left a message on her machine. I showed up at the bookstore, waited for her to leave, and this time, charmed her into going out with me.
She was stubborn - I could take her out, hold her hand, and kiss her goodnight, but nothing more.
I didn't like people to be more stubborn than me, and I worked harder on her. I could tell, by the second week, that she was more interested than she let on, but for some reason she kept herself aloof.
I had never gone this long taking out a woman without bedding her as well.
Was Brian the reason she wasn't warming to me? Possibly. It might be a good idea to find out more about him.
I sipped the last of my scotch. She was still seeing him, I knew that and didn't like it, but I had gotten nowhere asking her anything about him.
Stubborn woman indeed. Maybe she wasn't worth any more of my time, but I didn't like giving up. I got what I wanted.
Well then, I'd have to work harder to get her.
*****
Posted 10/15/03
Part 2 of Michael's pov, The Appeal of Desperation
