Natalie hadn’t seen Michael again before she graduated with First Class Honors three years later. He’d lived somewhere in Islington while attending university, so she’d avoided going anywhere near that part of North London like the plague.
Then just a month after she’d started at the agency, she’d gone to the Marble Arch branch of Marks & Spencer to treat herself to some new underwear with the generous salary she’d received. The bespoke suits she wore for work demanded perfectly fitting underwear and she had been trying to decide which five of six sets of lingerie to purchase when she heard a voice full of indulgence say, “I don’t know, Melissa. They both look good to me. If you like them both, just get them and I’ll pay.”
She had immediately recognized Michael’s voice, though he’d never used that tone when speaking to her, and had been frozen in place for a few seconds, afraid to breathe in case she attracted his attention. Finally she had looked up and saw him standing patiently waiting just behind a woman who was stooping near to the bottom rung of the lingerie rack, still trying to decide.
Natalie’s hands trembled as she fumbled to replace the lingerie on the display hooks, deciding that she wasn’t going to buy anything. All she’d wanted was to get out of the store and as far away as possible before Michael noticed her. The scraping sound of the metal hangers hooks on the metal display wasn’t loud, but it brought Michael’s head around to investigate its source.
He had filled out even more since Natalie had last seen him, looking ridiculously almost as broad as he was tall.
For a moment he looked as shocked as she felt, and then to her surprise, instead of looking annoyed that she’d had her brother threaten him to stay away from her or else, Michael looked nervous. In that split second she realized that she had him by the balls—he had gone to great lengths to hide her existence from Melissa. Now she could walk right over and introduce herself as the other woman.
Smiling she approached them, glad that she was wearing 2” heels so she could tower almost half a foot over him. Michael shook his head slightly, willing her not to come closer but she ignored him.
“Hi Michael, how are you?” She bent to kiss his cheek when she got close enough, almost laughing when he pulled his head sharply like a frightened virgin.
His girlfriend straightened and looked at Natalie suspiciously.
“Do you know her, Michael?” she asked him but continued to stare up at Natalie.
Michael seemed to have been struck dumb. It could have been her moment for some sweet revenge, but Natalie took pity on him. He wasn’t worth her time and it wasn’t as if she wanted him back, so why break up his relationship? But she would remind him of Nathan’s threat, just in case he’d forgotten it.
“Hi, I’m Natalie.” Michael’s eyes almost popped out of his head as she offered the woman her hand. “Michael probably doesn’t remember me, but we went to university together four years ago. He might remember my brother Nathan, though, who is 6’4”, has a black belt in karate and has even broader shoulders than he does.”
“I’m Melissa.” The woman smiled and offered her hand, though she looked puzzled at the detailed description Natalie had given Michael just to jog his memory of her brother. “Nice meeting you.”
Natalie had finally met the woman Michael was proud to be seen in public with—an average woman with average looks and height with mid-length hair pulled back in a ponytail. Not unattractive, but not the stunner she had imagined her to be.
Natalie had then waved them goodbye, walked back to the lingerie rack she’d been perusing, picked up all six sets of lingerie and headed to the counter. She had faced her biggest fear and survived; she deserved at least half a dozen pairs of new lingerie. She had wondered idly as the cashier scanned her purchases if Michael had ever managed to persuade Melissa to go down on him, or if he had some other foolish woman on the side performing that function for him.
Late that evening her phone had rung. It was an unfamiliar number, but she had answered the call, knowing instinctively that it was Michael.
He’d told her how good she’d looked and how much he had missed her. He’d said that she was the only person who’d ever understood him, the only person he’d ever been able to tell about his childhood.
But all she’d been thinking about since she’d met earlier that day was the loving way he’d acted with Melissa. It had been that same fond indulgence in his voice when he’d admitted to Natalie that Melissa didn’t go down on him that had made Natalie slap him—a tone filled with a mixture of admiration and exasperation, as though he was proud of Melissa for being a good girl, although it left him with a need that someone else had to satisfy.