MCA #3, Thursday evening [4/10]
Mike was kicking back, watching the Cubs take on the Pirates while he sipped a beer. He'd missed most of yesterday's latest batch of Fandom weirdness because he had spent all day working on his latest invention. But it had been worth it. Now his homemade Monster Vac was not only self-propelled, but it had its own dirt sensors and could decide on its own where it should vaccuum. Sure, buying a Roomba would have been easier, but building his own was so much more fun and this model was more powerful than any Roomba.
That's when Mary knocked on his door. "Hey," she said, looking troubled. "Got a moment to talk to a friend?"
Mike ushered her in the door. "What's wrong? You look upset," he said, getting her settled on the couch.
"I'm having second thoughts about getting married," said Mary.
"Oh no, Mary. You're not doing this to me," groaned Mike. "Yes, you're my friend, but George Michael is my buddy. He wants me to be his best man. I don't want to get stuck in the middle."
"Why does this all sound so familiar?" asked Mary with a small smile. "We've done this before and it didn't turn out so badly."
"You mean when you gave Danny his ring back?" asked Mike. "Yeah, I remember. You guys managed to stay friends, and we didn't have to break up the whole group because you guys broke up. But that was... no, it wasn't really that different. Nevermind."
Mary giggled. "I miss talking to Sam about these things. Do you miss Sam?"
"I miss all of them," said Mike. "Sam, Delinda, Danny, Piper, Nessa, Ed, Jillian... Hell, I even miss Cooper." He looked at Mary. "Are you going to tell me what happened with George Michael?"
Mary sighed. "It was Fandom. I woke up as a guy yesterday and he totally freaked out. He wouldn't even come near me! And then he cooked up this story about how I could pretend to be his cousin so we could go to the gallery opening together, and he kept his distance the entire time. Mike, I spent two weeks as a cat last summer. How can I be certain that he'd be there for me if it ever happens again? He'd probably shove me out the door next time and let me fend for myself!"
"You spent two weeks as a cat?" asked Mike, a little confused. "How is that... never mind. This place is weird. And really, any straight man will freak out to find himself in bed with another man. I'm sure that given a little bit more time, he would have been okay. And it's not like he called off the wedding because of yesterday, right?"
"But I didn't react like that when I woke up in bed with Sam!" cried Mary.
Mike had a dazed look on his face. "You slept with Sam Marquez?" he asked. "Wow. I mean, I always wondered if you girls ever... I mean, you two were always so touchy-feely with each other..."
"It was an accident." The first time, at least. "We were really drunk. And yes, I freaked out, but it didn't ruin our friendship," said Mary.
"Listen," said Mike. "Having a relationship means that you discuss these things. Have you told George Michael how you felt? He loves you, Mary. I think he'd really listen."
"I guess I really should give him a chance," said Mary. "I didn't even talk to him this morning, and I came here instead of going back to my suite. I mean, our suite. I'm still getting used to the idea of living with someone else. Sometimes that hotel room just feels a bit too crowded for me."
"Well, maybe you should talk to him about that too," said Mike. "It's not like you guys have to stay there. You could always get a bigger place once you get married."
"I'll talk to him about it," promised Mary.
"Good," said Mike. "Now, what can I get you to drink? Iced tea? Lemonade?"
"I'll take an iced tea," said Mary, smiling.
"Ah, but would you like flavored iced tea? I have sugar-free peach syrup," said Mike.
"Wow, you're going all out?" said Mary, giggling. "Peach iced tea it is, then."
"I'll be right back with your drink," he said. He went over to the kitchen and poured her a glass of iced tea mixed with a shot of peach-flavored syrup, then returned to the living room with her drink and another beer for himself. "You know, I think this is the first time you've come over since I got this place put together. I like having a guest..." he trailed off as he found Mary fast asleep on the couch. He guessed that she hadn't slept very well last night, given how upset she was. Mike didn't have the heart to wake her, so he shut off the television, covered her with a blanket, and made a quick phone call to let George Michael know where she was.
[This could have been a table, but my travel plans for this weekend blew up in my face and I've been dealing with American and Expedia all day. Definitely okay for broadcast, NFI, OOC = <3]
That's when Mary knocked on his door. "Hey," she said, looking troubled. "Got a moment to talk to a friend?"
Mike ushered her in the door. "What's wrong? You look upset," he said, getting her settled on the couch.
"I'm having second thoughts about getting married," said Mary.
"Oh no, Mary. You're not doing this to me," groaned Mike. "Yes, you're my friend, but George Michael is my buddy. He wants me to be his best man. I don't want to get stuck in the middle."
"Why does this all sound so familiar?" asked Mary with a small smile. "We've done this before and it didn't turn out so badly."
"You mean when you gave Danny his ring back?" asked Mike. "Yeah, I remember. You guys managed to stay friends, and we didn't have to break up the whole group because you guys broke up. But that was... no, it wasn't really that different. Nevermind."
Mary giggled. "I miss talking to Sam about these things. Do you miss Sam?"
"I miss all of them," said Mike. "Sam, Delinda, Danny, Piper, Nessa, Ed, Jillian... Hell, I even miss Cooper." He looked at Mary. "Are you going to tell me what happened with George Michael?"
Mary sighed. "It was Fandom. I woke up as a guy yesterday and he totally freaked out. He wouldn't even come near me! And then he cooked up this story about how I could pretend to be his cousin so we could go to the gallery opening together, and he kept his distance the entire time. Mike, I spent two weeks as a cat last summer. How can I be certain that he'd be there for me if it ever happens again? He'd probably shove me out the door next time and let me fend for myself!"
"You spent two weeks as a cat?" asked Mike, a little confused. "How is that... never mind. This place is weird. And really, any straight man will freak out to find himself in bed with another man. I'm sure that given a little bit more time, he would have been okay. And it's not like he called off the wedding because of yesterday, right?"
"But I didn't react like that when I woke up in bed with Sam!" cried Mary.
Mike had a dazed look on his face. "You slept with Sam Marquez?" he asked. "Wow. I mean, I always wondered if you girls ever... I mean, you two were always so touchy-feely with each other..."
"It was an accident." The first time, at least. "We were really drunk. And yes, I freaked out, but it didn't ruin our friendship," said Mary.
"Listen," said Mike. "Having a relationship means that you discuss these things. Have you told George Michael how you felt? He loves you, Mary. I think he'd really listen."
"I guess I really should give him a chance," said Mary. "I didn't even talk to him this morning, and I came here instead of going back to my suite. I mean, our suite. I'm still getting used to the idea of living with someone else. Sometimes that hotel room just feels a bit too crowded for me."
"Well, maybe you should talk to him about that too," said Mike. "It's not like you guys have to stay there. You could always get a bigger place once you get married."
"I'll talk to him about it," promised Mary.
"Good," said Mike. "Now, what can I get you to drink? Iced tea? Lemonade?"
"I'll take an iced tea," said Mary, smiling.
"Ah, but would you like flavored iced tea? I have sugar-free peach syrup," said Mike.
"Wow, you're going all out?" said Mary, giggling. "Peach iced tea it is, then."
"I'll be right back with your drink," he said. He went over to the kitchen and poured her a glass of iced tea mixed with a shot of peach-flavored syrup, then returned to the living room with her drink and another beer for himself. "You know, I think this is the first time you've come over since I got this place put together. I like having a guest..." he trailed off as he found Mary fast asleep on the couch. He guessed that she hadn't slept very well last night, given how upset she was. Mike didn't have the heart to wake her, so he shut off the television, covered her with a blanket, and made a quick phone call to let George Michael know where she was.
[This could have been a table, but my travel plans for this weekend blew up in my face and I've been dealing with American and Expedia all day. Definitely okay for broadcast, NFI, OOC = <3]