Two Different Roads

Love Is A Battlefield

Ellen waited until after they'd eaten dinner, made love, before she raised the subject of Brian's phonecall with Mike, hoping he would take the conversation a bit better if he were fed, satisfied and naked.
"I heard from my employer today," she began.
"You gave him this number?"
"In case he needed to contact me about anything."
"What did he want?" He asked in a slightly wary tone as if he already knew.
"He wondered when I would be returning to work."
"What did you tell him?" Wariness was inching closer to irritation now.
"I didn't know WHAT to say. There ARE some things that I haven't settled properly."
Those dark eyes were downright accusatory now as he asked, "Such as?"
She couldn't find any words that wouldn't inspire the argument she was hoping to avoid.
"You don't actually mean to tell me that you never officially ended it with him do you? He does know about me, right?" He pressed.
"No," she choked so quietly that she herself could barely hear it.
"I don't think I got that. Say again."
"No!" She wailed.
"So you decided to hedge your bets. Is that it? You thought you'd keep him on the hook in case it didn't work out with us?"
"It wasn't like that. It all just happened so fast. I didn't think about anything beyond making sure I didn't miss my chance with you."
"You didn't even once consider that you might need to tell him you'd fallen in love with someone else?"
"As awful as it sounds, no. But then I hadn't even told YOU yet."
"Fuck Ellen! He's gonna wanna come three thousand miles just to kick my ass! And I wouldn't really blame him! How could you not tell him? You're gonna do it NOW, right?"
"Of course, but..."
"You want to do it personally, don't you?"
"It would probably be best don't you think?"
"Oh, I figured a 'Dear John' letter would do."
"A what?"
"You know, like what girls would send their boyfriends fighting in the war when they dumped them."
"That sounds terrible."
"I don't know-it got the job done."
"You don't want me to go."
"No, I dont," he said honestly, firmly.
"Why?"
"Why? Once you return to that life who's to say you won't decide not to come back to me."
"Michael, I love you."
"You loved HIM once too, and a lot longer than you've loved me, I'm sure."
"You don't trust me!"
"I don't trust HIM. You think he WOULDN'T try to move on in again, especially since he'd have the advantage of being right there while I'm here on another continent."
"That doesn't mean I'd cooperate. You DON'T trust me!"
"You've got history with this guy. History often repeats itself."
"I don't even know how to respond to that Michael."
"Just say you'll stay with me. We can get a better place now that I have this tv gig, and you can send for your stuff. No more half here, half there. Just make the jump, Ellen," he insisted.
"But Michael..."
"Do you want to be with me or not? It's that simple."
"No, it really isn't. I can't just leave everything on a moment's notice. I'm not saying I WON'T move here to be with you. I just need time."
"All I hear are excuses."
"Michael, you're not being fair."
I'M not being fair? you want it both ways, to pick up your old life while I just wait here hoping you don't change your mind about us."
"Michael..."
"I can't talk about this anymore. I'm done!"
He got up, dressed quickly and slammed out. She'd never seen him this way. Even on the rare occasions she'd witnessed his anger, he'd never raised his voice. That he'd done so now, allowed himself to lose control, did not bode well.
Had she messed things up irretrievably?
II
She lay in bed for what felt like hours, crying where no one could see. She'd almost managed to cry herself to sleep when the door opened, and she heard the familiar sound of Mike's boot heels on the floor. He stripped down to his underwear and slipped under the covers next to her, lying on his back.
After an excruciating silence he finally whispered into the darkness, "I'm sorry."
She immediately turned to hold him, relieved. Maybe it would be all right after all. "I'm sorry too.
There didn't seem to be anything else to say. He kissed her with immediate hunger, his impatient hands pulling at her nightgown, her panties. It seemed only seconds before he was naked too, touching her, preparing her for him.
He made love to her with a desperation she'd never seen from him before as if he was trying to reassure himself that she was still here, that she was his. What on Earth was she going to do?
III
"Can WE fight so we can have make up sex like that? Peter asked as the sound of Mike and Ellen's enthusiastic reconciliation drifted to the living room where he and Vicky lay curled together on the couch.
"We can skip the fight and just have mind-blowing sex..."

The Monkees' "Mary Mary" also comes to mind here. If anyone can find a version of this with Mike singing lead let me know.