My lost military man

Chapter 6

On the way home, the car was filled with laughter and stories. Michael told me about the countless number of pranks he pulled on the other men. They were the stupid ones too like putting plastic wrap on the toilets, changing out the men's shoes so their different sizes, just complete idiotic pranks. Anthony kept quite except for some of comments here and there but we were all laughing.
"So Lynn, how's your store going?" Michael asked.
"It's going great!" I gushed. "We are getting a new shipment of guinea pigs this week and those kittens I told you about are almost completely adopted now." I said as I drove into my neighborhood. I pulled up to my one story house and looked over to Michael.
"Wow it looks great Lynn! The lawn looks amazing and so do the flowers. I'm very proud of you." He said while patting my shoulder, I looked back at Anthony to see him starring at my house.
"This is your house?" He asked looking at me, I could feel my cheeks get warm as he looked at me.
"Yes this is mine." I said avoiding his sharp gaze.
"How do you afford it? Doesn't it cost a lot?" He seemed confused but astonish at the same time.
"Well, I lived in a small apartment after Michael left for the military, I was going to school and earning a degree in business management I had a few jobs saving up money and spending as little as I could and from my mothers retirement savings and my fathers savings that the military gave him, I was able to buy the pet store and business boomed and here I am now." I smiled back at him and got out of the car and met Michael with the luggage. As we walked into the house they both took in the aroma of ham and cheesy potatoes.
"You did not make ham, cheesy potatoes and green beans." He said ready to break out in a happy dance.
"No I didn't make ham, cheesy potatoes and green beans." I said in sarcastic tone. He then mocked disappointment.
"I actually made Coke Ham with cheesy potatoes and green beans." He laughed and came up to me and put me in a loose choke hold and began to give me a noogie messing up my hair more.
"Hey! Wow! Wow! Not my hair you butt-head!" But he ignored me and laughed.
"What am I doing I'm just giving my sister a brotherly embrace." As I struggled to break free of my brothers grasp I felt a pair of hands grab my waist and tug me out of my brothers "embrace" I was pulled into a muscled and toned chest. I froze in his touch.
"Ok, ok enough of that. I am very hungry and if you keep teasing and distracting your sister like you are we'll never eat." Anthony teased while still holding onto my waist. I was completely motionless, no man has ever touched me like this except my brother since him Michael could see the look on my face, he knew I was uncomfortable. He reached out to me.
"Yes you're right, Lynn go get the dinner please." Michael took my arm and slowly pulled me out of his arms. My legs felt stiff and the muscles didn't feel right, Michael had to push me towards the kitchen to start getting me to move. In the safety of the kitchen I let out a deep breath that I was holding, I gathered the plates, forks and cups and set them on the dark wood table, next the cheesy potatoes came out then the ham, I cut the ham into slices and put the slices on a plate. Now it was time to eat, there was no noise around the table except for the small moans of pleasure both Michael and Anthony emitted as they ate.
"Wow, Lynn you are an amazing cook this is delicious!" Michael exclaimed.
"Yes this is absolutely fabulous." Anthony said threw a mouth full of potatoes. I smiled in recognition happy they like it. After dinner we conversed about small things, then I served cookie dough ice cream and began to prepare Michael and Anthony to go to Michael's old apartment, we were walking out the door when Michael's cell phone rang.
"Hello?" Silence.
"Yes this is Michael Cassel."
"Ya I got home today." I could here someone's voice over the speaker.
"A whole year." I could see the transformation of Michael's facial features, it went from confused to content to anger.
"What do you mean you sold my apartment?" He yelled over the phone. My eyes widened.
"Well that's just stupid! I can't believe you did that!" He did an angry grunt and canceled the call.
"What happened?" I asked, Michael ran a hand threw his hair and pulled on it.
"Because I stopped making payments last year for the apartment cause an old buddy of mine said he would take care of the cost, well he didn't so now I lost it so now I have no home." He said threw gritted teeth.
"Well just stay here with me, I have two extra rooms that have never been slept in, the mattresses aren't great but they are better than none, just stay here." I offered, Michael smiled and hugged me, kissing the top of my head.
"You are too kind, thank you." Michael then took all the luggage into the rooms, as Anthony passed me he leaned down to my five and half height and whispered in my ear.
"Thank you for letting me stay here." His breath fanned across my ear sending shivers down my spine, I felt paralyzed as he walked away.