I Said Yes

Michael was up early and already out in the production room when I woke up. This would be one of the busiest shipping days for them as lots and lots of folks got gift cards from the winery for Christmas. The day would be spent with the employees working hard to fill orders to ship in addition to a very busy day in the tasting room where folks came to pick up/purchase wine. I volunteered to help in the tasting room so I got up and got dressed…took the pups out real quick and then headed to the tasting room.

Even though there was a flurry of activity throughout the course of the day I found myself really distracted with thoughts about Michael’s proposal and what lied ahead for us. I couldn’t get past the thought that this was all too, too soon and I still was not sure how I really felt about it all. I knew how I felt about Michael, but I still had lingering doubts about the timing…about his parent’s reaction…about how it all would work. I mean…were we to continue our own individual career paths? Was he prepared to move out of Walla Walla and, if that was what he was thinking…how could he do that considering the current circumstances with his dad’s illness and what was, likely, to come? Could I leave Seattle and move up over the mountain to be with him? I had not, in the 3 years I had been in Seattle, ever thought seriously about leaving other than to possibly move closer to my aging parents…and Walla Walla was not in the correct direction for that. Damn…I just had no idea and, for me, the chaos and disorganization of all of this was driving me a little crazy.

I snapped back into reality when the tasting room got busy. I was of no service to anyone moping around trying to figure out the future all in one day. I put my head down and just went to work…I thought, at the time, it would all work out.

The day was long but productive. I saw little of Michael as he was every bit as busy as we were. I did like that he was just over in the next building as opposed to being 200 miles away. I tried to sneak a peek at him when I went up to let the pups out but he was in the back of the production room somewhere. I knew that it wouldn’t be long before we started shutting down the operation for the day and, then, I would get some time with him. I took a quick call from Corey who wanted to know if I wanted to ride back with him in the morning and I told him it was likely but I would let him know for sure a bit later.

Michael came into the tasting room just as we were putting away the last of the boxes, glasses and paper products. He looked beat, was all sweaty and grimy and didn’t seem to talkative. He asked if I was close to being done and I told him I was…he then said he was gonna go chat with Diane for a minute (in the office) and that he would meet me at the apartment. I finished up and went and grabbed the pups to take them for a walk. We padded down the stairs and I let them off their leashes and they both took off running around and playing in the snow of the lawn. I sat on a snow covered picnic table and laughed as I watched them be goofy in the snow. I realized the sun was starting to set and it had started to snow again. Michael walked by and laughed at the pups and headed up the stairs to the apartment. Both dogs took off in a flash following him up the stairs so, I guessed with him around, there was no need for leashes.

When I got up to the apartment Michael was standing in the living room, still dressed in his grubby overalls, with two towels over his shoulder as he was passing out treats to the pups.

“What’s up buddy”

“I am so over this day…I thought we could take a walk up to the hot springs…I am so ready for a soak”

“You realize its freezing and it just started to snow again”

“That’s the best time…besides…I really want some alone time with you”

I couldn’t really argue with that so I kicked off my shoes and went over and slipped some boots on.

“Does that mean Yes?”

“When have I ever told you no”

“Ha…let me count the times”

“Oh fuck off you!”

Michael chuckled and grabbed me by the neck and pushed me towards the door. We went down the stairs and trodded up the path towards the ridge. I had grabbed the towels from him as he was carrying a bottle of wine, two plastic cups and a zip lock bag with some cheese and crackers in it. I asked him if that was dinner and he just grinned.

Having arrived up over the ridge and at the springs Michael unzipped the full length zipper on the overhauls. I realized he was wearing a sweatshirt but also going commando.

“Have you been like that all day”

“Well yeah…I never knew when me might be able to fit in a quickie today”

“You are just wrong…I think you were just trying to tease the guys in the warehouse!”

“They wish…now get naked”

“Uh…ya know it’s snowing…and freezing up here…I don’t want to embarrass myself with the inevitable shrinkage”

“Like I haven’t seen that before”

“Ass”

I pulled off my coat and shoes…then my shirt and started to unbuckle my belt when Michael approached, grabbed both sides of my face with his hands and kissed me…long and hard…so hard I felt a serious stirring in my pants. He ran one hand down from my face and did the tweak thing he does on my right nipple…than ran the palm of his hand down my chest…stomach and to my belt which he undid. I started to help with the button on my jeans and he pushed my hand away and got down on a knee. It would be hard for you to picture the scene but there he was, on a knee, with his coveralls around his boots (ankles)…a sweat shirt on and nothing else. His but just hanging out there for all the world…and deer to see. He slipped my jeans down around my thighs and ran his hands up and down my legs. I leaned my head back…with one of my hands resting on the top of his head…and I just closed my eyes. He was now running his tongue over the front of my boxer briefs and had grabbed my butt with his hands behind. I reached down and disengaged his hands for a second and pulled his sweatshirt up, from the bottom seam, over his head.

“Damn your hands are cold”

“Have you not been paying attention to what I have been saying?”

“Alright, alright…get in the spring” and with that he slipped out of the boots, socks and coveralls and stood on the edge completely naked. I could not get enough of this look…hot naked guy standing on the edge of a natural hot spring surrounded by a snow covered landscape…totally out of a magazine shoot…but it was all mine to look at…my own personal subscription to this page. I got out of my boots, finished taking my pants off…slipped my boxer briefs down and off and pulled my shirt up and off. It was too freakin cold for me to stand and pose on the edge so I waded right in and sat down on the natural rocks that formed a seat. Michael made his way in…oh so slowly…again like a scene right out of a porn video. The water was a little above his waist and he waded around the edge for a few minutes. It was eerily quiet all around and the sun had gone completely down by then. I had immersed myself, to the neck line, in the warm/hot spring water. I had to admit that this was awesome with the landscape and the steam rising out of the pool. Michael made his way over to me and gave me another toe-curling kiss. He then grabbed the wine…poured some into each of the plastic cups and we clinked glasses.

“Here, finally, is to us!”

“To us…I can’t tell you how awesome this is. I will never get tired of this spot”

“I hope not…it really is where I can get me head clear…so many times I have snuck up here and just spent hours soaking and thinking about things”

“I have noticed you seem to be a little more perky when you are done here…I mean perky in all senses of the word”

“Ha…I’m perky for you”

“Dork…I can tell”

“Seriously…can you ever see yourself being up here full time…taking advantage of this whenever you want to?

“I am glad you brought that up actually. I have been having a hard time with not knowing when to raise the issue”

“What do you mean?”

“Well…you sprung the whole ring thing on me…on everybody…and we haven’t had any kind of conversation about long term stuff…I mean…so many things to think about…your career…my career…your dad’s health?

“I know, I know…I am sorry about that. If you haven’t figured out yet…I am kind of an impulsive guy”

“I know…that’s why I feel like we should have talked about some of this ahead of time…I mean we didn’t…so I guess now is sort of the time?...What are you thinking…I mean in terms of where things go from here?”

“I guess, in my perfect world, you would move here and we would run the winery together. I have no idea how much my dad is going to be able to do and I am pretty sure that when things get bad Diane is going to back away and focus on him…I am kind of surprised she hasn’t already. When I popped into the office a while ago I told her we should chat soon and she suggested tomorrow so I think she has been thinking about this already”

“I figure she can’t really think about anything else…but I am more interested in what you are thinking at this point…I mean lets assume the worst…and I am sorry for being so forward and I am trying to be sensitive about it…but with your dad’s health continuing to decline…and you needing and wanting to spend more time around the family…I am not sure where I fit into all of that…assuming she is going to back away that puts more and more responsibility on you for the day to day…how do you see that working with us in the current set up?”

“Well, like I said, in a perfect world you just pack up and come here…but I know that is not real. There was a time, not too long ago, that I thought I could base out of Seattle and Chris could handle the day to day here. But, now with dad, I am not sure.”

“Maybe we just take a step back and see what happens with your dad. I mean, I would come up here as often as I can and it makes sense…and I know you will come to the city pretty regular…So,, status quo?”

“I guess that makes sense if you still wanna be with me?”

“If? Ok…you are not going to lay this all on me…”

“I know, I was just messing with ya. I guess the smart thing is to just take it a day at a time”

“I suppose…hey…I love you”

“I love you too”

We sat and soaked…and played…and drank some wine and nibbled on the cheese…and played some more and soaked and rinsed off. After a few hours somewhat exposed to the cold…and completely exposed in all other things…We decided to get dressed and head back to the apartment. Michael suggested we go grab some food and maybe a drink or two so I was good with that. We ran over to a small diner in down and got comfort food…meatloaf for him and a French dip for me and then on over to the bar for a little bit. I told Michael I should probably ride back with Corey in the morning and he agreed that was probably the easiest thing to do. He then told me how surprised he was that Corey was up here and more so that Chris had not mentioned it. I told him I figured they were still trying to keep it quiet and Corey does have other friends up here. He thought it still odd that they didn’t want to get together with us over the past few days.