Thirteen, Twelve, Eleven, Ten.

I had planned to keep out of her Michelle's way, for a lot of water had passed under the bridge since we last met. I wasn't quite sure what sort of reception I'd get, or even if she would even remember me. Little did I know that I was going to find out, and sooner rather than later.

The afternoon that Michelle arrived, I was by sheer chance in the security office watching from the safety of one the many reception cameras. She looked good in a beige business suit, still pretty even though her hair was now cut short. After she booked in, I retired to my office and made a few phone calls reminding staff to be on their toes. Bad publicity I didn't want. The next morning I made my rounds as I usually do. I like to spend time in the hotel foyer watching the comings and goings, the bar was empty but the restaurant was well known for its quality coffee and was doing its usual good trade. Everything looked just fine I mistakenly thought to myself. Not far away, a pair of interested eyes was upon me, I just didn't know it.

The night before, Michelle Brixton settled into her comfortable suite. At a small desk, she plugged her laptop into the phone jack and waited for it to start up. She reached for the plastic hotel folder and looked through the list of facilities. The first page had a welcome note, immediately the name Stephen Hilter leapt out at her; and it took a couple of seconds for her to put two and two together. Wasn't Adolf's name Stephen Hilter? Could it be him, it was an unusual name and a long, long way from home. Her curiosity aroused, she intended to keep an eye out.

The next morning, Michelle sat in the hotel restaurant under the gaze of a local reporter whom she'd agreed to an interview with. With bored eyes, she explored her surroundings while answering the same inevitable questions which had been asked hundreds of times before. But she knew that the media was a powerful ally of her cause, and therefore had to be looked after. Her eyes fell on a well dressed man in a dark suit at reception as he chatted with three receptionists. It sure looked like Adolf, dark haired and lean; she watched his mannerisms and how he moved his hands when he talked. The more she watched the more certain she became, and she excused herself from the surprised reporter and made her way towards reception. The receptionists turned towards Michelle as she approached, but she ignored them.

"Hello Adolf." she said. "Long time no see."

My surprise was complete as Michele Brixton without hesitation took her hands in mine and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

She turned to the bemused receptionists and grinned, "Did you know this man saved my life."

"No, we didn't know that, but we'd like to." one replied.

Michelle turned back to me, "Well, say something."

I grinned, "Let's go somewhere else; you're gonna to get me into trouble here."

"You can stay here if you like." the receptionist suggested humorously. "We'd sure like to get a little dirt on Mr Hilter."

My look of displeasure fell on uncaring eyes which demonstrated exactly how much respect I held with my staff, but I vowed to change that at a later date. Towards the front of the foyer stood a couple of leather chairs; and I directed Michelle to one as I took the other.

So, should I call you Stephen or Adolf?" she asked.

I smiled graciously, for it had been a long time since I'd answered to Adolf.

"Steve will be fine. I knew you were staying here, but I didn't think you'd recognise me."

"I saw your name up in my room, and wondered whether it was you or not. Hilter isn't common. But you would've looked me up wouldn't you?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "What happened was long ago, you might not have wanted it all brought up again. Talking to me might just have done that."

Her eyes blazed back at me, "The only reason I'm sitting here today is that you took the time to talk me out of jumping off a cliff. Everything I've accomplished since that day is down to you, and there's not one day I regret you doing that."

I held my hands up in surrender, "Okay, take it easy. Jeez, it's good to see you've still got your sense of humour."

Michelle's eyes softened, and she smiled, "Sorry about that. Anyway, it's good to see you again. Tell me how you got into all this?"

For the next few minutes, we told our stories. We were interrupted by the appearance of two cups of coffee by a cheeky receptionist rubbing my discomfort in a little. I of course told her she was fired after addressing me as Adolf, and she smiled wickedly at Michelle and told her I'd already fired her three times that week. We continued to chat, but both were constantly interrupted by unwanted cell phone calls. Eventually, I got called away, but only managing to escape after agreeing to dinner that night.

For some reason I was nervous about dinner with Michelle. She was now a powerful and strong woman, and while I respected her, she also made me a little uneasy. That night, I dressed down into jeans and a casual shirt and made my way to her room. A lot of my nervousness disappeared when she opened the door, and was quickly replaced with a little lust. With her blonde hair, she looked stunning in a slinky black top and matching jeans which hugged her every little curve. Half an hour later, we sat in a busy little French restaurant which is a long time favourite of mine.

"So, have you still got a crush on me?" she asked after we'd ordered.

I smiled, "I'm past crushes now; I'm more interested in lust."

"Well, I won't ask whether you're in lust with me, it might not be appropriate."

"Can I ask what ever happened to the guys that attacked you; I never heard the end of it."

"They each got thirteen years, but my sentence is forever. Do you remember that day on the cliff when you told me stare them down and never let them beat me?"

"Yep."

"I did just that. I looked at them when the judge handed down their sentence, and I laughed at the fear in their eyes. Out of all the people that were around me when it all went down, you're the only friend who told me to stand up and fight them. Even my parents gave me the option of not pressing charges against them."

"I thought I might have got dragged into court."

Michelle shook her head, "I wanted you kept out of it. The cops wanted to drag you in as a witness, but I wouldn't let them. Told them I'd not press charges if they did. You'd already done enough, and I didn't want you to hear what they did to me."

"You told me on the cliff that day."

She hesitated before answering, "I know, but it would be different in a courtroom. I didn't want you to see me going through the whole thing again."

"I wouldn't have minded, anyway you've come a long way since then."

"Did I ever tell you how close I was to jumping when you stopped me?"

I shook my head.

"I was counting down from fifty, and I was at thirteen when I heard you. Thirteen seconds more and I would've jumped."

"And look what you've achieved since. What a waste that would've been. So what does the future hold now?"

As we ate, Michelle talked about her one aim in life, to make the world safer for women. She told how it consumed her every waking moment. The plans she had to educate women to avoid getting into harmful relationships, and how to extract themselves if they already had done so. How to get financial assistance to be able to live self sufficiently without having to go back into the violent relationship they'd just left. I soon began to tire of the conversation, for it was not much more than a beat up on men. I'd never once raised a hand to a woman, or was even tempted to do so. If my feelings for a girlfriend diminished, it was time for us to part company. The same went for my girlfriends who decided that I was not the one for them. I politely waited until Michelle ran out of steam; then decided to give her my view of the world. Looking back, I should've known better.

"So, are all men bastards?" I asked.

My question took her by surprise, and she sat back on her chair while staring at me.

"No, not all men are bastards, but women need to be aware of the danger, and what to do to make themselves safe. Do you know how many women are sexually assaulted in this country every year?"

"Too many, but the national figures are exaggerated anyway."

Michelle's face tightened in anger, "How so."

"As I understand it, the statistics include girls younger than the age of consent, but having sex with their boyfriends within a relationship."

"Spoken like a true man." she hissed. "It's still against the law."

"Maybe, but its not rape, the sex is consensual."

"Steve, it's still against the law. All women have to be educated in ways to make themselves safe."

I gazed around the restaurant at the other diners; there were a mixture of couples by themselves and small groups of men and women.

"I don't see any frightened women here."

"What are you trying to say?" she sighed.

"That not all men are bastards and rapists, and not all women are at risk of been assaulted. Millions of men and women live happily together in this country, not all relationships go bad. What I'm trying to say is that all women have the right to walk away from any situation any time they like."

"It's not as simple as that." she replied.

"Well, I think it is."

"Then you don't know what you're talking about."

The silence between us was deafening, for things had been said that shouldn't have. I was disappointed in myself for getting into the argument; I should've known how passionate Michelle was in her cause, and had every right to be. Our silence was thankfully interrupted by the arrival of more drinks, and I carefully steered the conversation away after the waiter had left our table. We chatted amicably through our meals and we let the wine do its job.

One always takes a risk of meeting people when patronising their favourite restaurant, and tonight was to be one of those nights. During our deserts, a noisy foursome of girls entered the restaurant catching everyone's attention, mine included. One of them I knew very well. Anna's eyes eventually caught mime, and she briefly smiled before switching her attention to Michelle. Luckily, they were shown to a table on the other side of the restaurant slightly behind me and out of my peripheral vision. I thought I'd got away with it, but a short time later Anna approached our table.

"Hi Steve, how are you?"

"Fine, you?"

"Okay." she replied as her eyes moved to my table mate. "Are you by any chance Michelle Brixton?"

Michelle smiled and held out her hand, "Yes, I am. And you are?"

"Anna Martelli, I'm a friend of Steve's. I just wanted to say that it's a pleasure to meet you, and I hope that you keep on doing your work. We women really appreciate it. "

Michelle smiled, "Why thank you, it's most gratifying to hear that."

"I'm just trying to convince Michelle that not all men are bad." I offered.

Anna's big eyes turned briefly to me and then smiled at Michelle, "Nope, he's one of the good guys, he ain't got a bad bone in his body. Are you in town for long?" she asked.

"Just a couple of nights."

I listened as the two women made small talk for a few seconds; then Anna excused herself after asking me to call her sometime.

Michelle smiled and raised her eyebrows questioningly, "Mmm, very pretty. Tell me all about it then."

I shrugged my shoulders, "Not much to tell really. We had a thing going a few months back. Parted company after a little disagreement when my work got in the way of her friends wedding day and I couldn't go."

We chatted for awhile, but for me the magic had gone from the night. The girl I'd known and once lusted after had changed into someone I didn't really like. Even though Michelle was a beautiful woman, there was a hard and aggressive side to her that I didn't care for. Then, all of a sudden I wanted out, I didn't want to be in the restaurant, and I didn't really want to be with Michelle anymore. She caught my mood, and I walked her back to the hotel and to her room. She knew better than to invite me in, but whispered a sorry into my ear before giving me a peck on the cheek.

Thirty minutes later I was alone in my bed, and even though I was tired, sleep alluded me for some time. It was three in the morning when my phone rang and woke me from my well earned sleep. Reception had a call for me, and no amount of vetting could dissuade the caller. I sighed and asked them to put the call through, and after a few seconds came a familiar voice.

"Thirteen, twelve, eleven, ten, nine, eight."

"Michelle, what are you up to?" I asked.

"I want to see you." came her subdued voice.

"Do you know what time it is? Can't it wait till morning?"

"Seven, six, five."

"Okay, okay. I replied. "Come up to my room while I get some clothes on."

I told her how to get to my room and then hung up. After extracting my weary body from my comfortable bed, I dressed and made myself presentable, well sort of. A few minutes later, I answered a knock at the door.

It was a dishevelled looking Michelle that entered my room wearing the same clothes she went out to dinner in. But now the impeccable makeup had gone, her hair sticking out in different directions not unlike a porcupine, and her eyes were red from crying. She looked at me with her big eyes for a few seconds and then fell into my arms sobbing her heart out - which took me by surprise.

I held her tightly and let her tears flow as the guilt flowed through my veins, for I had been callous with her. I should have known that under that hard shell was the Michelle of old. I had no right to treat her as I did, I was supposed to be a friend, and friends don't do things like that. I led Michelle to a leather couch, eased her down alongside me and held her as the tears flowed. I stroked her hair and apologised for my actions. Eventually the tears ebbed, and Michelle looked up at me.

"Sorry about this." she whispered.

I smiled, "There's nothing to be sorry for."

"It's becoming a bit of a habit really, you rescuing me." she replied taking my hand in hers and giving it a squeeze.

"Anytime."

"You don't have to apologise." she said. "It was about time that someone put me in my place. You're right, not all women are at risk, and I've got no right to suggest that all men are wife beaters."

I shrugged my shoulders, "When you do your sort of work, it would be easy to think just that."

"For a woman that's never had a relationship with a man, how can I be a good judge of them?"

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

"It means that since I was attacked, I've never let another man touch me. I've never had a relationship."

I thought about her confession for a few seconds, for it surprised me.

"You're a beautiful person Michelle and you deserve some happiness. I'm not saying you can ever forget what happened to you, but you should be looking forward and not backwards. Everyone needs someone to love."

"You don't have anyone to love."

I smiled, "I still get a little loving here and there."

"Like the girl at the restaurant?"

"Yeah. It's not long term loving, but a little short term loving is good too. It's not only a man thing either; there are lots of women out there who just wanna bit of short term loving without any commitment. "

"I've never thought of it that way." she replied after a little consideration. "Maybe I need a little short term loving too."

"Probably; it's kinda fun."

"Well, maybe you should show me how much."

Michelle just smiled at my reaction as she turned around on the couch and knelt beside me.

"There are only two men in my life that I've trusted, you and my dad. So if you think I need a little loving, then here's your chance to do something about it, right here and now."

"Jeezus Michelle, do you know what you're asking?"

She looked at me with her cool blue eyes, "I know exactly what I'm asking you to do. I want you to take me into your bedroom and show me what its like to be loved. And don't tell me you don't want to, because I know you do. And I want you to. I want you pretend that we're back when we were teenagers, I want to call you Adolf and pretend that I'm that little innocent girl you lusted after all those years back. Show me what you would've done to me."

When I failed to reply, Michelle got off the couch and walked to my open bedroom door which led off the lounge, she turned and smiled, "Come on then."

I climbed from the couch and joined Michelle who was standing beside my bed, her arms slipped around me as soon as I was close enough.

"Please be gentle." was all she offered before she lifted her lips to mine.

The moment was not lost on me, I realised that a dream was about to come to reality. Here in my arms was the girl that I'd fantasised about in my adolescent years, and now she was offering herself to me. I wanted to show Michelle what it was like to be loved by someone who cared for her, and I intended to make it good.

I kissed her gently, my tongue gently probing her parting lips so that our tongues played. I held her loosely allowing my hands to caress her narrow waist and curvy hips. Her kiss was full of passion and intensity, and I could feel her arousal slowly building within her. I broke the kiss and slid my lips down her neck and then upwards so that I could nibble her right ear. She whimpered as I then kissed my way around to her left ear only pausing to provide a little peck on the lips.

After a few seconds, I lifted her top upwards and over her head. My eyes fell to her full breasts partly hidden by a pink bra, and I savoured the sight before me. I lowered my lips to her shoulder, and licked my way down her warm skin tracing the line of frilly material before snuggling my way into to her ample cleavage where I could feel her heat beating quickly. I listened to her little sighs of pleasure as my fingers found and undid the belt to her jeans, her top button was skilfully released and the zip lowered. Michelle wiggled her hips as I pushed her jeans downwards and allowed them to drop to her ankles. Without prompting, she slipped her shoes off and stepped out of her jeans.

I then allowed myself one passionate kiss before I started on a long journey of kissing and touching. Her skin was warm and smooth, and I took great delight in kissing my way downwards over her breasts and down her pale navel. Turning her around, I kissed her shoulders and peppered her back with little kisses, each one a little lower until I reached her full panty covered buttocks. Without prompting, Michelle turned so that she was facing me.

I knelt before her and stroked her shapely and full thighs, then directed my tongue towards her matching pink panties. Her voluptuous thighs parted briefly at the top, and I could see through the tiny gap. I kissed and traced my way around her panty line, and felt the trembling of her body as I explored the smoothness of her inner thighs. I looked upwards and caught sight of tears flowing from her closed eyes. I then stood before her and kissed her tears away, and she hugged me close in appreciation.

I reached behind her and unsnapped her bra and eased the garment from her body and stepped back to allow it to fall between us, her breasts were heavy in my hands, her proud nipples erect. She cried as I gently suckled on them in turn, her body trembling noticeably as my hands pushed her panties downwards leaving her naked as the day she was born. I took her hands in mine and stepped back so that I could take in her beauty. My lustful eyes were drawn to a natural tangle of brown curls between her thighs.

"You're so beautiful." I offered as my eyes roamed over her body.

She pulled me close and kissed me, her tongue frantically searching for mine, and for the first time she pushed her body into mine deliberately crushing my erection.