Love Comes To Me

After a some span of time, he could not have said how long, the sobs quieted. Shortly after, he could feel her presence by his bed. There was a moment's wait before she spoke in a hesitant voice.

"Michael, may I join you?"

He pulled open the covers as invitation, unsure of what would follow. She slipped between the covers and then spoke again.

"Michael, would you... would you hold me?"

He didn't know what to say. When Mike found his voice, he finally managed to respond.

"Of course, whenever you need it." He did not know why he said it like that. Mike was acting on instinct.

He could feel her bare flesh as she grabbed on to him. Like the night before, she clung to him like a drowning sailor. His shirt was becoming damp where her head rested on him. They lay like that for a while, neither speaking.

He could not fall asleep, perplexed by such extraordinary circumstances, and she could not sleep; she was still weeping. Julie spoke up again.

"I am so scared. Nothing should make me happier than to be free, but I... I don't know what will happen next to me. Do you?"

Mike had no answer to questions like that. He was barely able to answer when his colleagues told him to pick the place for lunch that afternoon. But he needed to say something.

Once again lost in the woods, Mike responded with instinct and told her what he felt to be true in that moment.

"Julie, I will take care of you. We'll handle your future together. And don't worry, I will protect you."

It was more wish than truth, but Mike meant it.

Julie responded back slowly, with a single word.

"Really?"

He squeezed her a bit tighter.

"Yes."

The tension left her body in a rush. In a moment, she went from clinging to him fiercely to resting across him. It was a relief to Mike.

A few moments later, he felt her breathing change. He could feel her slow, deep breath on his neck as she slept.

Mike did not fall asleep so quickly. He had made promises with less than his usual care. Now he would need to find ways to fulfill them.

It was late before he dozed off.

Chapter 3

Mike again woke with the unfamiliar warmth pressed up against him. He could feel the smoothness of her skin on his leg and arm. Was it possible that she was naked, he wondered?

Within a few minutes, she must have sensed him waking because she also began to stir. As she did, Mike slipped out from the bed to take a shower and prepare for the day. He hoped that the time spent under the warm spray would clear his mind.

There were too many issues to consider. He needed to get Julie back to the US, of that he had no doubt. To do that, he would need to find a way to close his current job to the satisfaction of his employers, if he could. Julie would require clothes, toiletries, makeup, and everything else a young woman needs to appear in public.

He would need to contact the embassy to learn how she could return home. There was doubt in his mind as to the safety of going to the local police or allowing the embassy to go to the police on their behalf. Mike did not even know whether returning her to the States was the right thing to do at the moment.

Surely she also would need immediate medical care, as well as psychiatric counseling. He was not aware of whether that would be easily available or not here.

Finishing his shower, with no less questions than when it started, Mike dried off and went back into the room to do some research on his computer. He was so engrossed in the task that he did not even notice Julia leave the bed and enter the bathroom.

His attention was pulled to the bathroom door by movement after some time. Walking out of the door was Julie, with her hair dried. (He had not heard the hair dryer either.)

She was naked and she was spectacular. When Mike saw her, he forgot to turn away or speak to her or even to breathe. Julie was more beautiful than anyone he had seen in person or online. Even his adolescent memories of pilfered playboys could not match her.

She was, indeed, tall and slender with a flare to her hips and shoulders. Her breasts were not large, but they were high and proud. Her graceful arms and smooth stomach led the eyes down towards ballerina's legs. Where her shapely thighs met, he could see a gap even as she walked.

Mike was speechless as she looked at him with a shy smile. Eventually he did recover and his eyes returned to meet hers.

"You're naked." Of course, this was fairly obvious to both of them.

"Yes." Julie agreed, although it is questionable whether he heard her.

"You don't need to... I mean... why?..." He could not fully form reply.

She answered him anyways. "Why not? You saved me."

"There is no need... I didn't... I just..."

Julie gave him a strange look as he said this. Unashamedly, she approached him and sat on the bed in front of him.

"You did something extraordinary. You may not know, but there were Westerners before you who saw me, maybe even pitied me. They did nothing. There were police raids before that. No one ever reached out a hand to help me.

"But you did. I can never repay that, but I will trust you forever for it."

Once again, Mike had no response. She simply gazed at him, steadily.

"You can get dressed you know."

"Would you like me to?" Her eyes never left his.

He was thinking of breakfast, trying to tear his eyes from her. "Yes."

"Alright."

She stood up and walked over to where her clothes lay on the floor. Without any sign of self-consciousness she began to pull them on.

"Julie, would you like to go get some breakfast?"

She did not reply, her face showing an uncertain expression.

"It might be good for you."

"Alright, then."

She finished dressing and they went downstairs to the restaurant.

*****

As they waited for service at an isolated table, Mike pondered the recent events. It seemed as if there were a common thread that he should recognize, but it escaped him. Events did not make sense, motivations were unclear.

When the menus were in front of them, Mike absorbed himself in the choices available to him.

"What do you think I should have?" Julie was speaking to him.

Mike never made food recommendations, it had been his experience that when it came to food, people resented bad advice and ignored good advice.

"I don't know. Whatever you like." He did not look up from his menu.

A few minutes later, the waiter came up. Mike gave his order; Julie just asked for water.

After the waiter left, Mike asked her, "Didn't you want anything for breakfast?"

"I will be alright." Her voice was even.

Once again, Mike had no response. It was silent between the two of them until his food arrived.

After he had eaten a little, Mike began to explain his thoughts from the morning. He recommended that the first priority for the day should be to purchase Julie clothes. She agreed to the suggestion. Then Mike began to talk about the embassy and how they would resolve her status.

"You know, it might help a little more to understand your history. If you are willing to speak about it."

"What would you like to know." Again, her voice showed little emotion.

"Can you speak Arabic, do you know what those men were discussing?"

"A little. They were talking about what it had been like to fuck me." Her voice barely shifted as she made the statement.

"They were..." Mike did not know how to finish.

"Several, but not all of them had me at least once since I arrived. They were attempting to make a final sale."

"A final sale?"

"Yes. Once the girls pass their prime age, they try to make a final sale. Or so I gathered."

"How long does that mean you have been here?" He could not keep the shock out of his voice.

Hers remained steady. "I do not know what the date is..." She provided an exact date that she was taken. It had been nearly two years.

"I'm so sorry! I shouldn't be dragging this information out of you..." Mike was angry with himself.

Julie simply shrugged. "I have no secrets from you."

A few minutes later, he completed his breakfast and they left. The next destination was a clothing store.

Once they arrived, Mike felt like he were in enemy territory. He was uncomfortable and uncertain of himself.

He gave an awkward smile. "Pick out anything you need. My assignment paid well."

She looked at him. "What styles do you prefer?"

"I don't know. Maybe the shopgirl has some recommendations?" He did not catch her discontented look at him.

Julie walked over to the shopgirl and they began to speak. After giving her a lookover, the girl started to run around the store grabbing items.

Mike was not paying attention to anything in the store, his mind was still racing with how to handle the embassy, so he did not hear it when the shopgirl walked up.

"She is trying on some of the outfits. Would you like to see her in them?"

"No, that's alright. She should pick out what she likes the best."

The shopgirl left and Mike's attention went directly back to the problems at hand. After twenty minutes or so, he was becoming restless so he wandered around the shop a little. He was considering Julie, and how different she was from anyone he had ever met before. Talking to her felt like a whole different language.

His hand brushed against a sweater. It felt soft to the touch and he liked the texture, so he picked the item up. The tag said it was a loose pullover sweater, and he could see it had a neutral color. He thought it might be comfortable for her.

Picking it up, he carried it back towards the changing rooms. Mike handed the sweater to the shopgirl, telling her that he thought Julie might like it. The shopgirl gave him a strange smile when he said that. Already wrapped up in his worries, Mike returned to the front of the store to wait.

A few minutes later, Julie came to tell him that she was ready. She was wearing a new outfit, including the sweater, with a shy smile.

"I would like to wear these out, is that alright, Michael?"

"Of course." He was thinking about something else.

They left as soon as he paid. While they walked back to the hotel, Julie lightly stroked the sweater she was wearing with a happy smile. Mike was proud to have made such a good choice.

Chapter 4

The rest of the day was spent making calls to a handful of individuals that Mike knew. By the end of the day, he thought he had a plan for the next day. If Julie would agree, that is.

He had confirmed with his bosses that the critical portion of the job was completed, so he was free to return to the States if he wanted to.

When all of that was completed it was already late. Mike looked around the hotel room before noticing Julie sitting on the bed, looking sleepy. He remembered that he had not eaten since breakfast.

"Julie, are you hungry?"

"Yes."

"What would you like?"

"Can you pick?" She was looking at something else, across the room. To be honest, he thought to himself, she looked a little sick.

"Alright, are gyros alright? I think room service can bring us some."

"Of course."

"Are you OK, Julie? You look sick."

"A little hungry is all. I will be fine." She gave him a small smile.

Mike hadn't thought about it. Julie had not eaten anything at breakfast and they had skipped lunch. He went to the phone and ordered immediately. Then he looked back to her.

"I'm sorry. Why didn't you say that you were hungry? We would have eaten sooner."

She gave another small smile. "It is alright, I didn't want to bother you."

"Julie, bother me next time. If you're hungry, let me know!" He was a little frustrated that she had been suffering and had not told him.

She gave him another small smile. "Alright, Michael."

Mike spent the wait for the food telling her about his plan. She listened attentively, but did not offer an opinion.

"Does that sound alright to you?"

"Do you think it will work?" Was her only response.

"I think it should, but I want you to be comfortable with it."

"It sounds alright to me, Michael."

Despite her hunger, she seemed a little happier than she had earlier in the day. Julie continued to lightly stroke the sweater every few minutes, as if reminding herself of something.

The food came, and again they ate silently. Near the end, he finally asked the question he had been considering all day.

"Julie, would you like to tell me about it?"

When she responded, her voice was even. "Do you want me to tell you about it?"

"I want you to do whatever is best for you."

"Alright, Michael. Let me know when you would like me to talk about it."

Mike was confused. Wasn't she supposed to be the one telling him when she wanted to talk about it, he thought?

He decided to try another subject.

"Do you know where you are going when we get back to the States?"

That brought an emotional response from her. The first he had seen all day.

"No. Is there somewhere you want me to go? Where are you going?" She sounded worried.

"I haven't decided."

"Alright."

Again, that wasn't an answer. He decided to sleep on it, maybe she would make the decision in the morning.

I need to be patient with her, he thought, she has been through a lot. By then it was nearly one in the morning. They had a long day tomorrow. Mike decided to turn in. He spent a little time in the bathroom, then slipped into his bed.

A few minutes later, the last evening repeated itself. He again felt her standing by the bed.

"Can I join you, Michael?"

He opened the sheets.

"You don't need to ask for permission for now."

"Alright. Would you hold me, Michael?" He could hear emotion in her voice again.

"Of course."

Again, he could feel her cling to him almost desperately. Mike played the last two days over again in his mind. He had promised to take care of her, but had not made it clear that she was welcome to stay with him when they got back to the States.

"Julie?"

"Yes?"

"When we get back to the States, you can come with me. We don't need to separate any time soon."

"Really?" Her voice was a whisper.

"Of course, I'm sorry that I didn't think of it earlier. I would like to have you with me for now."

"Alright. Thank you, Michael." He could hear the smile in her voice. Again, her grasp on him seemed to relax. A few moments later, he could tell by her breathe that she was asleep.

Mike drifted off soon after.

Chapter 5

The next morning, Mike once again woke to the unfamiliar warmth next to him. When he looked down, he could see Julie's head on his shoulder. Her face was surprisingly peaceful.

Being as gentle as possible, Mike climbed out of bed and headed towards the bathroom for a shower. He did not see whether she woke up when he left the bed. A few minutes later, he was back in the room, focusing on packing. If all went very well, they would be leaving that day.

After a few minutes, he realized that he could hear the shower. Looking over at the bed, he saw it was empty, but when he looked at the bathroom, he realized that the bathroom door was open.

A moment later, Julie stepped out of the shower. Once again, she was naked. She reached over to one of the towels and began to dry herself off. While she did so, she glanced around the room and caught his eye. Mike was having difficulty not staring at her.

She smiled at him. It was probably the happiest smile he had seen from her yet. The lone exception might have been when she put on the sweater he had picked out. She did not seem to feel any shame in letting him watch her.

He felt intense shame in doing so.

Pushing that thought to the back of his mind, Mike finished packing. Soon after, Julie was also ready to go, with her small collection of clothes in a carry-on suitcase.

Mike was dressed more casually than the days before, in a polo shirt and khakis. The tight sleeves of the shirt gave a hint that he might have been stronger than he appeared. Mike did not see the appreciative glance that Julie gave his outfit.

She was casually dressed at his suggestion, once again wearing the sweater.

They left the hotel to head to the embassy.

*****

Twenty four hours later, they landed in Atlanta. It had been a long, slow trip for Mike. For her part, Julie had appeared to enjoy the cramped space. She had simply curled up against Mike and slept for most of both flights.

By all accounts, she had enjoyed her in-flight meals. He had recommended the salads to her, as they tended to be better on planes in his experience.

After they cleared customs and had collected their bags, Mike realized that he didn't have a definite plan. He actually did not own or rent a home. Because of his long travel hours, he simply kept what little he had in a rented storage unit in case he ever did settle down. Mike spent his holidays and downtimes living with his sister, her husband, and their two boys.

That would not work as well with Julie added to the picture..

He considered it further. While he was figuring out the future, there was an easy solution. Julie could stay with his sister. He needed to fly down to Miami to meet with the bosses anyways. That decision broke him out of his concentration.

"Julie, would you like to stay with my sister?"

"Alright." Her voice was noncommittal.

"Good. It will only be for a day or so while I'm gone. I've got to get down to Miami. You'll like them."

"Alright." He didn't hear the catch in her voice that time. Mike was already focusing on booking his reservations on his phone. That brought up another thought.

"Julie, would you like a phone? I think it would be good for you to have one."

"OK, that sounds good."

"Great. I'll ask my sister to take you out to pick one out. She can just have it added to my plan."

"Alright."

*****

When they arrived at his sister's house, Mike introduced Julie to his sister, Kathy, and his brother-in-law, Tom. She also met their two year old twins, Eric and Tyler, and the three dogs.

Kathy and Tom had a large mini-mansion in an Atlanta suburb with a large pool and yard. At some point after they moved in, they realized that Mike was likely to spend time there regularly, so they built on an extra suite. It was, for all intents and purposes, Mike's room.

They enjoyed it when he visited, and so did the boys. It also saved him from being forced to decide on a permanent home, so it worked perfectly.

Mike started for the airport soon after they arrived. He was staying at an airport hotel before catching the early morning flight out. Before leaving, he spent a few minutes with Kathy to give her some of the broader story about him and Julie.

He was convinced that this set-up would work well. Kathy would bond with Julie, and some separation from him would probably do Julie some good, as well. He was afraid that his presence was going to bring up memories for her.

If there was anyone who would be able to help Julie, he thought, it was Kathy. She was the kinder of the two and the more decisive. Most likely, Kathy would be able to get Julie to do some of the things that she needed to do soon, like starting therapy and visiting a doctor, that Mike had been uncertain how to discuss.

He smiled when he thought about the two clothes shopping together. Kathy would probably think that shopping for Julie was like shopping for a barbie. She looked good in everything, he was sure.

When Mike got to the hotel, he had difficulty getting to sleep. In the end, it was only a few hours before his flight that he dozed off.

Chapter 6

It ended up being a long two days for Mike. The early departure from his last job led to some tense negotiation within the company before the plan for the next one could be established. They decided to send him to Seattle but it was going to be two weeks. Fortunately, he thought, he had not received any calls from Kathy or Julie, which had to be a good sign.