Spicing or Icing

Spicing or Icing

Part Three (of Four)

Chapter Six

Post Interruptus Pillow Talk

Rob felt much better after Julie's visit. He puttered around his condo for quite some time thinking over everything she told him. It was wonderful someone could bring him that much solace, a dynamic that had been entirely missing from his life since his wife attacked him with culinary-based faux spore. Rob plopped himself back on the couch feeling calm advancing upon his troubled mind. He could dream of his wife again. Mica would no longer bring him pain. Maybe he could finally just drift ... off ... to ... sleep.

The condo door flew open bashing into the wall with the clap of a thunderbolt! Rob launched from his seat on the couch, finding himself airborne before his feet replanted. The barrage that immediately followed did nothing to ease his nerves. It seemed the Valkyrie had arrived in a torrent of noise. He found himself waiting for another thunderclap.

A woman was throwing words at him as if fired from a machine gun, "Baby, I'm sorry! I didn't have an affair! I wanted you to believe I had, but only for a moment so that you could see what life without me would be like, but I know you'd probably already have a really hot blonde, or maybe a redhead, lined up if you did kick me out, and so maybe you wouldn't think of me, not for a while, but eventually you would, and you'd miss my love ... unless that new whore wasn't just a whore but really loved you too, which means she probably is not a whore, but just really over aggressive with her love, except if she stalks husbands she can't expect to have many female friends going forward, but why would she need anyone else's husband if she had mine? I don't have many female, or even male, friends, and I'm okay because I have you, and my sis, isn't she great? I'm scared Rob, maybe you'd miss me, but I saw what it was going to be like without you, and I freaked, then I had a plan to keep it from happening, but instead it made it happen, and so I lived what it was like without you, even though I was home with you, it was awful and it wasn't going to get better, so I had to tell my sis. Do you mind? And is she still here?"

Rob realized he was clutching a side pillow from the sofa he'd brought with him when he jumped at the arrival of the whirlwind. His eyes were wild, and he was breathing very heavily. His head vibrated trying to absorb and process the barrage of words he'd suddenly found himself immersed in. He decided Mica's outburst was the other thunderclap he'd been waiting for. Why had she stopped, had she passed out from lack of air?

Rob was processing sentences about a minute after they were said. Who was Mica asking about? Rob thought she meant her sister. Had Julie changed her mind and told Mica she was here?

Half shocked into a stupor and half shocked into submission Rob mumbled out in response to Mica's question, "Who? Is who here?"

Mica answered in a lather, "That smoking hot redhead with the giant jiggly tits that's moved in. Baby, when it came to tatas, I always thought you were a shape man, not a size man, don't make that mistake!"

Rob wasn't sure where his answer came from, emotionally he was ready to dive under a table, "Mica! No one has moved in here. You've only been out a few hours!" He remembered Julie's description of Mica: "she's crazed".

Mica took a huge gulp of air. Her shoulders sagged with relief. "Can, can I hug you?"

Rob realized he was standing on the couch. Sheepishly he stepped down to the floor, disguising his embarrassment by handing Mica the pillow and opening his arms. He asked, "Can you do it quietly, please?"

Pow! He felt the air go out of his lungs. She'd knocked them back onto the couch. How had she moved that fast? He noticed the condo door was still open. 'No big deal,' he thought, 'Boy, it had flown open. My, but she was motivated!' Rob tried to rearrange Mica's hold on him to facilitate breathing. This was more than a full-on body hug, this was a glue hug, and not the normal glue, this was crazy glue. Hell, this was straight from the barnacle glue!

"Baby, let me make you a drink?" Rob offered, thinking it may help sooth Mica's obviously frayed nerves.

"S-Sure," Mica looked up at Rob from where she'd buried her face in his chest. After an awkward pause she stated, "I'm not going to stop hugging you though."

The tone of her statement suggested it was a question; however, the strength of her bear hug made it a declarative. Rob thought the best way to handle his situation was to take the embrace as a given and start trying to take two humans pointed along different axis and align them both vertically.

Mica's head was attached to his chest like part of his sternum and her arms wrapped around his lower chest like a misplaced belt. It was a feat of engineering just to get them off the couch. Then they had to shuffle to the kitchen area where they kept the booze. As they shuffled Rob had a flash of insight into the lives of conjoined twins.

As Rob poured the drink Mica saw the condominium door was still open. She couldn't help herself; she felt a pang of panic. There before her was an open avenue of escape for her husband. It was horrifying!

Still clutching Rob's chest, Mica tried to angle him so he wouldn't see the open door. He would shift to look at her and she would push to rotate his body and hopefully his eyes further away from the door. Mica was convinced if Rob saw the open door he would bolt. She had another horrifying thought: 'Are any of the windows open? He might try to use them. We're only on the 12th floor!'

She looked up again to find the damn door was still standing open, why wouldn't that freaking door close? Her husband was now in position to see it. Her eyes went wide as she shot a glance checking how he'd have to pass her to reach it. When she looked up at him once more, he was staring down at her! Rob looked past her and laughed. Miraculously he'd clued into what she was thinking!

"Mica, I want to stay here with you. Your Lucille Ball imitation is too good to leave."

She lessened her death grip just a bit, giving Rob a more reassuring hug. She smiled nervously saying, "Damn it, I knew you went for red heads!"

It was the first semi normal thing she'd said in days. Rob laughed heartily, but most importantly for Mica he made no move to reduce his grip on her waist.

Rob said, "We still have some talking to do. We aren't fixed yet. I've got some major anger and disappointment issues to work out with you. And Mica, I think you have some problems we need to work through too. We have quite the fix-it list. But I want to fix it."

Rob paused drawing her eyes to their hug with his expression, then added, "I didn't actually want to have you this close to me."

With each word her eyes grew larger.

He continued, "But you being this contrite and this scared about me, and clinging to me this desperately, has made me let go of a lot of the anger. I'm enjoying your touch."

Mica actually moaned.

They stared into each other's eyes as much as possible while Rob finished concocting Mica's libation. "Here's your Cosmo. It's potent without being a flamethrower. Sip it! I don't want you drunk. I want to talk. Here, hold it with both hands. You're spilling it." Rob looked disapprovingly at the glassware, "Damn, it's like Cosmo glasses are designed to spill the alcohol." He quipped, "I guess mostly into your date, eh?"

Mica took the glass with both hands, cringing as she was still sloshing the drink; her hands were shaking! Rob reached around her from both sides as he stood behind her. He put his hands on hers to steady the drink. She pulled the drink to her lips, which also wrapped Rob's arms around her. She glowed. She sipped. He moved away a bit while Mica concentrated on not spilling her Cosmo. She was proud she hadn't spilled any more when she realized Rob was no longer behind her.

Her head craned around fast enough to induce a sonic boom. Rob was by the door; he'd found the open door! Her mind screamed, 'He's leaving me!' She didn't think, she sprang.

"Noooo!" Mica screamed letting go of the Cosmo glass which shattered on the kitchen floor. However, she'd made it to Rob before the glass hit the ground. She wrapped her arms around him wailing piteously as her blow knocked him past the open door. She implored, "Don't leave me! Don't go. I didn't do it. I'm yours, only yours!"

Rob was dumbstruck and possibly concussed. He wrapped Mica in his arms. If nothing else, to keep her from landing another blow. He got them both oriented vertically again, and crab walked them back to the door. He completed the motion he was performing when Mica had accosted him: closing the door. He motioned with a tilt of his head for her to watch what he was doing as he locked it. Mica went limp against him. Rob picked her up and carried her to the couch while she noozeled her face into the nape of his neck.

Mica kept clinging to him, her face in his neck as they settled back on the couch. He hadn't left her. He'd closed the door and brought her here. He was speaking to her. She was able to touch him now, he hadn't wanted her touch earlier. He was hugging her back now. What other walls could she break through? Mica decided to find out. Keeping her face in his neck she mewled asking seductively, "You have me, do you want to use me?"

Rob, who was becoming accustomed to statements that had nothing to do with what they'd been discussing, weighed matters. An hour ago, he didn't know if he'd ever touch her again, now he was thinking about screwing her brains out before they had their talk. He decided he was too pent up. If he took her now, she'd be worthless for talking to afterwards. And there was the little matter of his being unsure if was physically capable of it. He sighed, "No, business first. You're still highly strung. I'm going to make you another Cosmo." He silently appraised her for a few seconds. "But this time I'm putting it in an Old-Fashioned glass," he added hoping the liquid would end up in his wife and not on the floor this time, as well as the glass making it through consumption without dying for the cause.

Mica pouted as he disentangled from her, she didn't make it easy. His path to the counter with the drink mixings took him past the damn door, giving Mica a moment of anxiety. She didn't relax until he passed it. A smile etched itself upon her lips when Rob didn't even hesitate walking past his avenue of escape. Mica was extremely happy to have a husband that didn't jet out the door to leave her, which set the bar higher than it had been for a while.

Rob came back, smiling as he handed her the drink, he also had one of his own. Mica checked with a glance: the door was still closed. She allowed herself another smile.

Mica knew she was indeed still highly strung. She took stock as she took a gulp. Rob wasn't going to run away from her. If he wanted her gone, he would just say so. She basically threw herself out the other night, Rob had just allowed her back. That was good, but they hadn't talked about it yet. Mica slept on her sister's couch the first night there before realizing she could have slept in her sister's guest bedroom. She was nuts and she knew it. She had to calm down.

Mica thought it best she began their conversation, "I ... I'm sorry Rob, about a lot of things. I'm a nervous wreck. I think my neck is already in the guillotine and I keep hearing the blade begin to slide. I'm sorry I'm making everything so complicated."

While Rob was sympathetically thankful, Mica noted he was also extremely wary.

Rob spoke softly like there was a container of nitroglycerine in the room that loud noises could detonate. "That's alright, Mica. Do you think you could explain some things to me, using simple terms and leaving out extraneous detail? My questions will be simple. I'm not trying to catch you up on anything, I just want to understand. So just be honest and don't worry. If I don't understand, I'll just ask another question. Would you be comfortable with that format?"

Mica nodded quickly. She was thankful Rob was taking the lead, that was the fastest path to his gaining the answers he needed. Mica was scared she'd mess it up if she tried to lead in her state.

"Mica, why did you come home in such a rush?"

Mica nodded happily; she could answer this one! "Julie called me. She said she called you and you said I should go home because you were ready to talk to me."

Rob's eyebrows raised, "Wow, you made great time! I doubt she could have made it back to her house before you got here."

Puzzled Mica asked, "What? I don't understand."

Rob realized he may have compromised Julie by thinking out loud. He doubted in this case Mica would mind. He decided just to forge ahead. He said, "Good. Mica, why are you so nervous?"

Mica blinked a couple of times trying to connect Rob's last two statements, finally deciding to just address the last one. "I fear you're leaving me, divorcing me."

"Why do you think that?" Rob almost reverted to flightless bird impressions.

"Y-You think I cheated."

"Because you told me you'd just been with another guy and showed me apparent proof."

"It was a fake!" She screamed.

"If I wasn't pretty sure of that you wouldn't be here. Mica, why did you cook up a story like that?"

"I was thinking about you having an affair. I figured I had to up my game to keep you interested in me. I was trying to spice it up. Wait, you don't have to ask. I know I really, really, blew it!" Suddenly her eyes shot wide open. "Oh wait! No! That's not what I mean!" She started to rise out of sheer panic.

Rob pulled her back down soothing her, "SHHHH." He held her for a moment before he began again, "Calm down. It's okay, just explain. Use whatever words you want. If I have a question, I'll ask. There's nothing to get upset about." Rob found himself wanting to say "Don't get your panties in a wad" just to see how far she would jump.

"Y-Yes Rob, I will. Why? I wanted to keep you interested." Her eyes shone with deep sincerity.

"Alright, I get that, but why did you think I was going to have an affair?"

Mica swallowed hard, obviously reviewing hard memories. "Y-You were coming home late. You were tired and irritable, and I couldn't fix it. I used to be able to. I figured you'd gotten tired of me." She hesitated and checked his eyes before saying more.

"I came unannounced to your work for lunch a couple times to surprise you. You can fool them but not me; you were miserable. I'd stand out of the way watching until you could finish what you were doing. Before I could reach you, you'd flow right into your next task."

Mica swallowed miserable, "I saw what was going on around you too. Some of the ladies were really into you; a young exec on the rise." Her head dropped and she swallowed hard again. "They were watching you as intensely as I was." Mica shuddered.

"Your promotion was great for a while, but then the work grind set in with all the worry. I-I almost wish you hadn't taken it. I'm sorry I checked up on you, it was only because I cared for you. When I saw how the ladies looked at you ... I got worried." Mica was still worried. She held her hands together, she started patting them together absent mindedly.

Rob's face blanked, "Oh wow! I knew I saw you through the glass standing in the corridor! Several times I tried to get out to see you, but you weren't there anymore. Mica after it happened a few times I began to fear you were seeing someone you met at a company party. I thought you were being targeted for seduction by one of the higher ups. You were gone so quickly I thought you were being whisked away by them. I apologize for thinking that way. I thought you were doing it to be polite and possibly to further my career, naïve to their intentions. I never thought you'd respond to something like that until you pulled your little, er, skit on me. That fed my paranoia."

Mica jumped from sitting beside Rob, suddenly hugging him on her knees, "Oh no, baby! I wasn't cheating, I was spying. I was nervous. A couple of times some of the office girls offered my having lunch with them. I went. I got some of the office gossip while it gave them some idea of their competition if they wanted to get you away from me. I'm willing to fight for my man! I'm sorry to spy baby, but things were so tough for you and things were going sideways for us.

"Rob, I know both fooling around on me and denying a promotion are against your nature. You weren't likely to do either. I feared that someone there might have set their sights on you. Frankly, I'm convinced of it. You are so snowed under with work you don't notice their advances. I knew I had to up my game because the game was on, whether you knew it or not.

"Rob, you're ambitious and I used to be vain enough to think that I fit in with that whole milieu, not that I wanted to be a social climber. You're right, I'm naive. I was proud of your success. I know I'm good looking, maybe not a hottie, but I dress up nicely. I thought I was the perfect eye candy to be on the arm of a rising exec. Because of you we were entering a new world. When I got to see some of how the other half lives at the office and the parties, I was more convinced than ever. I was already proud of you, getting to sample some of the spoils made me proud all over again. My man did this! We moved and had the nicer digs and more money. I could buy things." Mica trailed off.

"I felt I needed to learn how to play the corporate wife. I needed to know how to act, to be seen in better circles, that sort of thing. As far as ending up on one of your bosses' desks ... if you wanted that sort of career help maybe I could have done that for you because I'm completely into you. I'd do just about anything for you, but I'd hate being with anyone else and it would leave some significant scars on me. I don't want any of that, I'd be prouder of you if you quit a company instead of making that deal to excel. I think you want to keep me as a refuge for yourself. I can assure you that making a huge sacrifice of myself for you and falling for a man who would give you a raise for loaning out your wife, are two entirely different things. I could never fall for a man like that.

"But Rob, I've heard tales at your work parties that confirm that sort of thing happens. Not whoring out your wife, but women and men becoming the playthings of execs to further their careers. Hooking up with people at your work is surprisingly commonplace, if not common. It completely intimidated me. I became obsessed with the after-hours behavior of your new corporate world. As there are women there happy to obtain a boost up the ladder like that, I was wondering if you'd be expected to knock a few off yourself, as proof to the corporate types that you were "all in". Mica flustered at her choice of words, swallowing hard again, "You know what I mean." She rubbed her hands together a little harder.

"I know for a fact some women there would be happy to hitch their wagon to you by hiking their skirt. Thank God I don't see any of that in you." Mica sighed mightily, "I thought I was part of your ambition. That I was so special to you that you went out of your way to get me and then again to keep me. I thought I was sort of a trophy for you. I know you love me. Except I began to think I was an accident, the one you accidentally fell for. Now, however, you can have any of a gaggle of more desirable women. For the moment you still ranked me with them, and I won in contrast to them. You stayed with me because you wanted to, not because you made a promise or vow and had to. I don't want you settling for me, I want to beat those other women in fair competition. I wasn't sure I could, the other girls all seemed trained in sexual combat. Sex is love to me and I swoon when you take me. But an energetic girl who could keep her head seemed like she'd be a lot more fun for you. Potentially I was at a severe disadvantage."