CHAPTER 8

 

Chapter 8

“Oh my goodness, a gas leak? Those can be incredibly dangerous." Katherine gasped, her eyes wide with worry. "Are you okay?"

Seeing her concerned expression made Lisa’s stomach churn and a wave of guilt washed over her because it was one thing to lie and whole another one to lie to someone like Katherine.

Lisa swallowed hard, the dry lump in her throat refusing to go away, and she took a small sip of water to calm herself down a little.

Yes, lying to her felt like kicking a puppy or like stealing candy from a child… simply an ultimate betrayal!!

But, on the other hand, now wasn't the time to get into the details about her stalker and all the creepy letters, let alone the disgusting DNA sample the pervert had left on her bed.

They were sitting at the table in the dining room, where the atmosphere kept flipping between friendly and a little awkward like a faulty switch during the whole night, and Lisa bit the inside of her cheek, smiling softly.

"I'm okay… And I'm sure they'll fix it soon." She said and forced a reassuring smile hoping to fool her former parents-in-law, before she looked over at Michael, who gave a subtle nod and added some trumped-up details to back up her ridiculous story about why she was actually staying at his house.

The story that really didn’t hold much water, if any at all. After all, she did live a good two hours away and easily could have afforded a very nice suite in any hotel in the city, so driving all the way to Neverland just because of a stupid gas leak in her house seemed pretty far-fetched.

“So it’s going to be fixed tomorrow, right?" Paris suddenly cut in, giving Lisa a scrutinizing, and not very friendly look.

Oh, it was crystal clear that the girl wanted Lisa out of there as soon as possible. To Paris, Lisa was just a dangerous intruder, an unwelcome guest messing up the delicate balance of her life.

Paris had actually been doing that all day — pouting, taking a bunch of not-so-subtle jabs and making sure her body language screamed that she wanted Lisa out and far away from her home… and from her dad, of course.

"Paris!" Michael said, his voice edged with frustration. After the whole day, it was clear he was pretty fed up with his daughter’s rude behavior and seemed to be struggling to keep his patience in check.

Paris made a face again and rolled her eyes, then went straight back to ignoring Lisa, pouting some more and nudging her dinner with a fork around the plate.

Lisa gave Michael a subtle glance, trying to let him know that she was okay with the situation and silently begging him not to make a big deal out of it.

She remembered all too well what it had felt like when her dad would bring new women home - how she despised each and every one of them. Couldn't stand them. Wanted to launch them into space or ship them to Antarctica just to get rid of them.

Not that she was Michael’s girlfriend or anything, but she got where Paris was coming from and actually almost sympathized with her.

"Well, I hope to hear from them tomorrow and to be able to go home, yes." Lisa said, smiling at Paris, who, just like after every other dig at her, was once again busy pretending Lisa didn't exist. "But Michael was so kind to let me stay here."

She added, the second part of her sentence directed more at Katherine and Joseph than at the upset, pouting girl sitting across from her...

 

Earlier that day, Lisa had woken up and for a moment she just couldn't figure out where she was.

She looked around the room, feeling like she had been thrown back in time - she recognized the art on the wall, the photos on the nightstands and the antique high-end furniture, each detail sparking an almost painful pang of nostalgia because his room hadn’t changed almost at all.

And waking up in Michael’s bed stirred up a ton of old memories, especially when she realized she had slept in his red shirt the whole night.

She blinked a few times, sat up, rubbed her eyes, and yawned. Michael was nowhere to be seen and it seemed that she was alone in the room.

Lisa looked around and noticed a glass of orange juice on the nightstand next to her, with a little note propped against it.

She immediately recognized his handwriting and a slow smile emerged on her face.

Morning, sunshine… meet me downstairs. M.

She smiled even more when she noticed a toothbrush hidden under the post-it and with a chuckle, she sank back into the soft pillows, enjoying the peaceful moment for another minute or two.

After she had washed her face and brushed her teeth, she looked around the room to find her bag with some of the clothes she had brought.

She walked around carefully, mindful that it wasn't her home anymore, feeling a little out of place as if she was tiptoeing through a museum.

And in a way she really was. The room was a mess as usual but everything she saw there reflected Michael — from his quirky taste in art or the books scattered all over the room, to even the oddball collection of mismatched socks on the floor.

She found her bag and decided to put on her jeans and a T-shirt but frowned when she realized she hadn’t brought any underwear.

Dammit.

She sighed and rolled her eyes, realizing she would actually have to go commando.

Lisa brushed her hair into a pony tail and walked out of the room, barefooted, looking for Michael.

Once she reached the hall, she heard excited voices coming from the dining room and smiled realizing they were his kids, bickering and laughing and her smile grew even wider when she heard Michael chime in, telling them to be careful with the watercolors.

And suddenly, out of nowhere, she felt an unexpected jab of regret, thinking of what could have been if they hadn’t let their stubbornness get in the way all those years ago.

A happy life, filled with love, kids, and everything they had dreamed of but never realized, flashed before her eyes and Lisa deliberately had to chase the images away from her mind.

After a moment of pause to collect herself, she let out a sigh and straightened her shoulders.

It was now too late to cry over a melted sundae, anyway.

She slowly made her way over, before she leaned against the entrance into the dining room, smiling and watching the scene with an amused expression on her face.

Prince, Paris and Blanket were sitting at the table, painting a big banner, Prince and Paris arguing about whether they should draw a butterfly or a bird while Blanket seemed totally in the zone doodling something else clumsily, covered in colors, his clothes all dirty from the intense artistic session.

She saw Michael stand over them, his hands in his pockets, watching the scene with a soft smile on his lips before he looked up and his smile widened when he noticed her.

“Good morning.” He said and nodded before clearing his throat and trying to get the kids’ attention. “Hey, do you guys remember Lisa? Can you say hi?”

They all looked up, Blanket only for a second before focusing back on whatever he was engrossed in, the two older kids narrowing their eyes at the uninvited and suspicious guest for a little longer.

They couldn’t remember her. There was no way.

When she ended things with Michael, Prince was four and Paris was just three. Lisa had been spending time with them back then, but it was such a long time ago that they couldn't possibly remember any of it.

“Hi…” Lisa said first and smiled at them. Prince smiled back and greeted her politely, before he looked down again, reaching out for his brush and going back to his art while Paris’ eyes stayed fixated on her much longer, her lips pursed into a thin line.

Oh, the girl wasn’t happy.

“I saved you some breakfast, are you hungry?” Michael said and took a few steps towards her, smiling at her with that smile of his that could melt all the icebergs in the world.

Dangerous, dangerous territory.

Lisa nodded and he turned to the kids again. “Hey, I’ll be right back. Prince, you draw the butterfly, Paris, you draw the little bird. The world needs both.”

With that he walked over to Lisa, reached out and gently put his hand on the small of her back leading her towards the kitchen.

As they moved, she couldn't help but glance back and noticed the little girl was still watching them with a clear look of disapproval, almost annoyed…

“How did you sleep?” Michael asked casually as they walked together through the hall.

“Great, thank you. And … um…” She cleared her throat. “I’m really sorry that I freaked out last night, I wasn’t thinking straight I guess. Sleep deprivation is a bitch. I do feel much better now, though.”

“You’re fine, Lisa, you have absolutely nothing to apologize for.” Michael said and they walked slowly into the kitchen.

The place hadn’t changed one bit - the wooden beams and stone countertops still gave the room its familiar, rustic feel she remembered loving.

Another wave of memories washed over her, recalling not only all those fun times when they had attempted to cook complicated dishes there — both covered in flour, eggs, and oil, laughing and teasing each other, stealing quick kisses — but also all those hot and passionate moments when they were all alone in the house and ended up tearing each other’s clothes before Michael lifted her onto the counter, fucking the hell out of her right there…

Lisa saw two cooks bustling around the kitchen and she shook her head to push away the unwanted flashbacks and memories before she greeted them warmly while Michael walked over to the counter and took a plate removing the lid that was covering it.

“Is a croissant and some fruit okay?” He asked.

“Of course. Thank you. I’ll just eat it here… quickly and get out of here.”

“What?? Slow down there, champ! Where exactly do you think you’d go, Lisa?” He exclaimed, eyebrows raised in disbelief.

“Um, home??”

“Are you nuts?? You said the cops were still there and I told you, you’re not going back until we make sure the place is safe! We'll get someone to install a new security system later, but I'd rather not do it while the police are still searching the house.”

“Michael… it’s not such a big deal. I doubt the creep would come back.”

He raised an eyebrow again and tilted his head giving her that funny, exasperated look and she had to stop herself from chuckling.

“Lisa, we're done discussing this. You're staying here, end of story. My parents are coming for dinner tonight, and I’m sure they'll be thrilled to see you, so you might as well just drop it now, okay?"

He handed her the plate, an amused expression playing on his face and Lisa slowly took it frowning at him for good measure.

“Hey, want some coffee?”

She nodded.

Michael asked the cooks to prepare a pot of coffee and bring it to the dining room before he smiled at Lisa motioning for her to follow him back.

“Come on… I need to make sure they don’t kill each other.”

The rest of the afternoon was spent hanging out with the kids before Michael let Lisa use his office to call her children, and she happily spent a good hour talking to them while they were already at their grandma’s house.

Of course she never told them about what had happened in the house… and for some reason she didn’t volunteer her current situation either.

 

And later that night, as Lisa, Michael, his kids, and his parents sat around the dining table, Lisa had to admit she was glad Michael had talked her into staying.

“And how are the kids, Lisa?” Katherine asked and took a sip of her water, smiling genuinely. “How old are they now?”

“Oh, they are great… and they are getting big, really big. Teenagers. It’s crazy. Sometimes everything feels like pulling teeth with them but most of the time they are sweethearts.” Lisa chuckled and took a forkful of the delicious jasmine rice. “They are with their dad now, actually.”

“Shouldn’t you be with them too? Don’t you miss them?” Paris asked snidely, trying to mask the venom in her voice with an innocent smile.

Oh, she was good.

Lisa very well remembered pulling similar stunts when she was a child, only she hadn’t really bothered to smile at any of the women having dinner with them back then.

No, no… she used to openly mock them for whatever clothes they were wearing, at times she would spill drinks at them… by accident, of course… or just ignore them altogether trying to get her dad’s undivided attention, instead.

Lisa smiled at the girl, noticing Michael tense in her peripheral vision but before he could say anything to his daughter, Lisa gently put down her silverware and nodded, letting him know that everything was alright.

“I miss them very much and I can’t wait for them to come back next week, Paris.” She tried in a conciliatory manner.

Lisa wasn’t really bothered by all those jabs, but for what it looked like she and Blanket might have been the only ones at the table.

Everyone else appeared taken aback by the little girl’s sudden behavior…

“And their dad too, right?” Paris added and Michael slammed his fork against the table, the loud clatter echoing through the quiet dining room.

“Paris! That’s enough.” His voice was stern and his daughter looked at him, clearly realizing she may have crossed the line there. Yet, she didn’t apologize.

Instead, she rolled her eyes inconspicuously and put her chin in her hand sighing softly.

It was surprising to see Michael actually run a tight ship with his kids. Lisa had never imagined he could be so firm, especially when she remembered how things had been different when he was the stepfather to her kids.

She would come home to find them using cardboard boxes to sled down the stairs. He would let them have all the candy they wanted before sending them back to their dad, bouncing off the walls on a sugar high. And there were always water balloon fights going on inside her house.

She really thought when it came to children, there was nothing he wouldn't allow them to do.

Still, a brief moment of awkward silence filled the air before Blanket saved the day by innocently turning to his grandparents and eagerly asking when they were going to take him to Disneyland, insisting he needed to see Splash Mountain as soon as possible.

His genuine enthusiasm made everyone laugh —except Paris, of course — but it really helped lighten the mood in the room, making things a bit more relaxed.

After dinner, Michael went upstairs to tuck the kids in while Joe stepped out to enjoy a cigar and Lisa stayed with Katherine, sipping tea,  chatting about their families and catching up on old times.

However, at one point, Katherine’s expression darkened, and she sighed as she looked at Lisa.

"Did you know he decided to move to the other side of the world?" Katherine asked, her voice tinged with sadness and concern.

"Yes, kind of. He mentioned something about it."

"I still cannot believe it, and it's breaking my heart." Katherine added, shaking her head sadly. "Lisa, do you think you could talk to him about it? Maybe he'll change his mind."

"I doubt he'd really listen to me, Katherine." Lisa said, a hint of resignation in her voice. "You know how stubborn he can be and quite honestly he's never really been one to seek advice, especially from me."

It was all true — Michael was used to doing his own thing, even though she always spoke up with his best interests at heart, hoping he would actually listen.

But more often than not, he just went his own stubborn way.

"I think you might be the only one who can make him see reason, Lisa." Katherine insisted gently. "You hold a special place in his heart, I know that. I just don’t understand why he always feels the need to run away."

A few minutes later, when Michael joined them, they all chatted about some of his siblings, how they were doing and what they had been up to.

Joe returned shortly after, and eventually, Katherine decided to address the elephant in the room once again.

“Son, I really hope you will reconsider.” She said and Michael looked at her, narrowing his eyes.

“Reconsider what, exactly?” He asked, clearly buying time. Lisa knew that trick. He knew very well what his mother was talking about.

“It’s one thing to close up this place and find a new home but I don’t understand why you need to uproot your children, burn all bridges and move to the other side of the planet. What is the point of it?”

Lisa curiously looked at Michael and then back at his mom, realizing he never actually told her where he was moving.

‘The other side of the planet’ seemed like a bit broad term.

“I told you.” He sighed. “I need to get out of this country and start fresh. And the kids are still small, they are excited about the adventure more than anything.”

“But they won’t be able to see their family, their cousins, uncles and aunts. And their grandparents. Don’t you think they’ll miss that somewhere in the middle of a desert? I thought I had brought you up to respect and cherish the family ties.”

Oh, the good ol’ guilt tripping. Lisa remembered it had usually worked on Michael coming from his mother but who knew… the times might have changed.

“It’s not just a desert and there are phones, mother… And we will come visit.”

Hmmm, a desert. Interesting.

Another wave of dejection caught Lisa off guard, reminding her that perhaps she wasn't as indifferent to him as she had thought, and to give herself something to do, she reached out for her cup of tea and brought it to her lips, trying to pretend the conversation didn’t interest her at all.

Yeah, right.

“I just worry, Michael… they should be with their family, not stuck with some sheik or people like that.”

Hmmm… it was now slowly turning into a riddle. Looked like Michael was planning to move to the Middle East.

Shit, that was really far away…

“Are you going to record a new album there?” Joe jumped in and Michael turned to him quickly, looking almost relieved.

“Yes, I am… absolutely. I have a lot of ideas for new songs, I just need to have the time alone to work on them.”

“And how about a tour? I talked to your brothers, a comeback concert would be a great thing to help with your image now, son.” Joseph said and Lisa could almost see how his pupils turned into dollar signs. Almost.

Yeah, exploiting his son’s talent had always been Joseph’s thing.

In the past Joe had been nothing but nice to her, always acknowledging her as the daughter of the king and clearly loving the idea of uniting those two big show business families but Lisa hated the way he had always treated Michael, still trying to manipulate him into somehow making more money for the family.

She and the rest of the world knew that getting back together with his brothers was the last thing Michael wanted to do but his father still seemed hell-bent on the idea no matter what.

“No…I’m done touring. I hate it.” She heard Michael say resolutely but when Joseph took a breath to argue with him some more, Katherine actually reached out and grabbed her husband’s hand, trying to prevent any kind of conflict that would likely spiral out of control in a matter of seconds.

“We should get going, Joe. It’s getting late.” She said and slowly stood up. “Michael, thank you for the lovely dinner, we had an amazing time.”

Then she turned to Lisa and took a few steps towards her, hugging her tight. “It was so nice to see you again, Lisa. I’m so glad you’re doing well and I really hope they’ll fix your house soon. Though I’m sure Michael doesn’t mind you staying here at all.”

If Lisa didn’t know any better, she would say there was a glint of mischievousness in Katherine’s eyes.

“It was so good to see you guys.” Lisa said and hugged her back, then moved over to Joseph and hugged him too.

They all slowly made it together to the front door and Michael and Lisa walked his parents to their car, saying their goodbyes and waving to them as their car slowly inched out of the driveway.

They watched the car disappear in the darkness when Lisa felt Michael’s hand on her arm.

“Hey, are you tired?”

“Not really.” She shook her head and shrugged. “Why?”

“Let’s go for a walk.” He said and turned grabbing her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers as if it was the most natural thing between them and leading her around the house towards the gardens. “I try to do it every night now, walk around and take in the whole place… I’m really going to miss it here, you know.”

“So why leave? You can stay.” Lisa was fishing now, hoping he would tell her more about his plans and his reasons to move.

Yes, she was nosey and always had been but horror of horrors, she also suddenly felt something that deeply resembled fear of losing him for good, much like the one she had felt when Michael was saying goodbye to her in front of her house the previous night.

“I can’t. Not after everything that happened with the police search. I’m so tired of it, Lisa, you have no idea.” He said, his voice breaking a little. "It just doesn't feel like home anymore."

“Michael…” She said as they walked reaching the gardens now, the beautiful landscape lit by a few lamps here and there. “You can’t let them win like that. You love this place! Don’t let them ruin it.”

"Sometimes it's best to just give up." He said sadly, gazing into the darkness and she stared at him incredulously, unable to believe what she was hearing.

Michael had never been one to give up before, in fact she had doubted the word ‘give up’ existed in his vocabulary at all.

They stopped in the middle of a large, beautiful garden and Lisa withdrew her hand from his before walking slowly over to the low split rail fence and climbed up, sitting on it and dangling her feet.

“I hear ya, I just think you might regret it one day, is all.” She said, trying to sound as casual as possible. After all, there had never been any point in trying to make him change his mind, let alone trying to save him, and God knew she had tried, crashed and burned way too many times in the past.

She heard Michael sigh as he turned away from her for a moment looking around.

“I need a break. Who knows… maybe I’ll come back one day.” He said a few seconds later, his voice distant and sad and Lisa nodded, even though she knew he couldn’t see her.

Then she fell silent as well, simply enjoying all the beautiful sounds of the night. It was getting a bit chilly now, the night colder and she shivered.

“Um, Mike…” She said after a brief pause and he turned and looked at her, his face barely visible in the darkness. “Thank you so much for everything. I… I’m going to go home tomorrow.”

“Lisa…” He sighed, his voice low and almost resigned. “I thought we talked about it. It’s not safe. Have you heard back from the cops?”

“Not yet, no… but…” She took a deep breath and looked down. “I really shouldn’t be here.”

Michael took a few steps closer and stopped in front of her, looking at her quizzically.

“Why not?”

“I…” She started, her voice betraying her a second later.

A part of her - the less reasonable one - knew that staying was probably what she wanted most.  The ranch felt so safe, so peaceful and earlier in her life she had loved every single second she got to spend there with him, feeling loved, cared for and protected.

But that wasn’t Lisa’s reality now.

They were hardly friends anymore, she was seeing someone new, and she suspected he might be seeing someone as well.

It was too risky to be around him because Lisa knew her mind would inevitably start creating all those cockamamie scenarios where they could actually make it work, be together, and face the world as a team...

Michael still stood in front of her and she felt him put his hand on her knee hesitantly, his touch soft and very gentle.

“Lisa… The house is huge, you can stay here… if you want I can have one of the bungalows set up for you. We have already shut them all down, but I can do it. It’s not a problem.” It was clear he was weary, his voice low and strained.

“No, no… you don’t need to do that. I… I’ll stay in the guestroom tonight, though.” She said, still trying to read his expression.

The usual spark of hope and determination in his eyes seemed to have faded away.

She placed her hand on his, still resting on her knee, and saw his eyes look up into hers again.

“And I really do need to go home tomorrow.” She repeated, watching him nod slowly in defeat now.

“Okay…”

“I didn’t bring any underwear, you know. And one day of going commando is where I draw the line, I guess.” She finally added and chuckled lightly, hoping to lighten the mood and make him smile, too.

He didn’t… instead, his eyes flew up to hers and she felt his hand squeeze her knee, most likely completely involuntarily.

“Lisa…” She heard him whisper and saw him bite his lower lip. “You can’t tell me these things.” He let out breathlessly, his whole body tensing and she giggled again.

“Sorry.” She smiled.

They fell silent once again, just looking at each other and listening to the rustle of leaves, to the distant sounds of the night and to the soft whispers of their shallow breaths.

Lisa had no idea what compelled her to spread her legs but she did and as if by some unspoken agreement, he took a small step closer, standing between them, still looking into her eyes.

Lisa noticed her heart pounding loudly in her chest and she swallowed hard, feeling the dry, nervous tightness in her throat.

Okay… if sitting with him in his library the previous night had felt like a dangerous territory, what the hell was this then?

She focused on his lips and saw them part slightly as if he was preparing to speak but then seemed to have decided against it and stayed silent.

And then, as the infamous, less reasonable part of her took charge, she leaned in closer to him and closed her eyes, acting purely out of volition, guided by something stronger than her.

There was no going back.

In a million years she would not be able to explain what made her do it, but Lisa suddenly needed to get her fix of whatever she had forbidden herself to feel all those years ago.

The moment their lips met in a gentle, tentative brush, she sighed and felt Michael put his other hand on her other knee as well and move them slowly up her thighs, his touch soft and still very hesitant.

Their lips moved against each other in a slow, restrained kiss, both of them clearly unsure of the situation they had gotten themselves into.  

As their lips continued the gentle and cautious exploration, she felt him take another small step to get even closer to her, his hands now placed on her hips, holding her in place and she felt him tremble, when she deepened the kiss a little, running the tip of her tongue over his upper lip softly, making him moan into her mouth.

Her head spun.

Michael‘s lips were soft and warm against hers, moving with a cautious rhythm before he pulled back slightly and she fluttered her eyes open, meeting his fixed and almost baffled gaze. His eyes seemed to be searching for permission, for approval but was she ready to give him that?

No…

She was not…

The smartest thing to do there was to jump down from the fence, apologize to him for getting so carried away and leave immediately.

But instead of listening to her brain screaming at her to boogie the hell out of there and save herself from another painful, soul-shattering heartbreak, she tuned into her heart for once and grabbed his shirt, pulling him closer to her instead.

Her right hand moved to the nape of his neck and she kissed him again, this time with complete abandon.

Just that one kiss that would last her forever… That was all she wanted.

Lisa heard him let out another shaky moan she greedily swallowed and Michael grabbed her waist firmly as their lips moved in a fervent rhythm, exploring and tasting.

They say you never forget how to ride a bike and Michael and Lisa clearly still had their passionate kissing down pat, even after all those years.

The world around them faded into oblivion as they lost themselves in the moment, focusing only on feeling and tasting each other.

“Lise…” He whispered in between the kisses but she knew he wasn’t going to finish the sentence. Their brains were now deprived of all the much needed oxygen and blood and she doubted he could think straight… She knew she couldn’t.

His hand moved up, gently pulling back her hair to expose her neck and he moved his lips there, placing small, tender kisses all over her burning skin, sending chills all over her body.

Lisa threw her head back, letting out a loud moan and her hands roamed down his back, pushing his shirt out of the way when his lips moved back to her cheek first, then to her ear before he sucked on her earlobe making her moan loudly again.

The sound seemed to entice Michael further, and he once again pulled her mouth to him, kissing her deeply, his tongue teasing her mouth, his hands on her face now.

Okay, if they were going to continue this, they would end up naked on the ground within minutes, making love right there on the soft lawn, and no matter how hot the idea seemed, she needed to kick-start her brain and stop that madness, and fast.

Lisa grabbed his face and broke the kiss, breathing raggedly and placing a few soft pecks on his lips before pulling back and looking at him.

She saw him swallow hard as her thumb caressed his cheek gently.

“We need to slow down…” She said and took a deep and much needed breath.

Then she held onto his shoulders and jumped down from the fence and Michael steadied her, his hands on her hips again as they stood there, in the night, silent.

She wouldn’t know what to say anyway…

The emotions swirled within her like a storm, intense and unpredictable, leaving her feeling unsteady.

Lisa knew she still loved him. If she hadn’t been willing to admit it to herself before, there was no way to deny it now, after the kiss they had just shared and after all the emotions it had stirred up.

But there was no denying that she feared the possible future just as much… What chances did they really have? She highly doubted Michael still loved her, maybe the idea of her or the idea of them being together, but not her.

Lisa remained silent and they stood there when Michael leaned closer again, his lips touching hers slowly and gently one more time, just tasting her.

Shit, he was not playing fair!

No one had ever made her feel the way he did, and that had always been her biggest fear – never finding someone who could make her feel whole again.

Then, as his tongue teased her mouth and he tried to deepen the kiss again, Lisa heard something - a sound from behind her, somewhere in the dark.

She broke off the kiss and backed away slowly, making her way out of his embrace, immediately feeling cold without his body pressed against hers.

Then she squinted, her brow furrowing in concentration, trying to make out any shapes or outlines in the dark.

“Sir?!” An uncertain voice cut through the night, the man clearly concerned at possibly stumbling upon his boss in a very compromising situation.

Lisa heard Michael let out a low grunt, clearly annoyed, and he turned away toward the voice.

“Yes?”

“Sir… I’m sorry to bother you but your daughter is up. She’s crying and her nanny asked me to find you.”

Lisa never saw the guy, as he kept a safe distance between them and Michael nodded while his hand reached out and grabbed hers, squeezing it tight.

“I’ll be right there, Jose. Thank you.” He said in his usual, professional and polite voice, and she couldn’t help but wonder how in the world he could stay so composed, especially when she felt her knees trembling and her own composure slipping.

“No problem, sir.”

As she heard the man turn and walk away, Michael pulled her close again, embracing her and placing a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

“Lise…” He breathed out. “I need to go back there and check on her but… but… can you wait for me till I tuck her back in so that… that we can talk some more?”

So they were… talking??

Hmmm…

And did she really want to wait for him to do some more of that kind of … talking?

It was a slippery slope, there was no doubt about it. But god, the kiss made her feel more alive than she had felt in years.

She nodded against his chest and felt his lips brush against her forehead tenderly once more before they both turned and strolled back to the house, their footsteps quiet and deliberate on the gravel path.

The moonlight cast gentle shadows around them as they moved, their fingers intertwined and when they walked inside the house, he quickly pulled her close once again kissing her deep.

“Can you wait for me in the library? Please?” He asked and Lisa nodded while he pressed his forehead against hers for a second, looking into her eyes.

 

She was lost in thought, flipping through a book, when Michael walked in a good thirty minutes later. Glancing up at him in the doorway, Lisa swallowed with difficulty as their eyes met, noticing the intensity in his gaze as he watched her.

“Hey you…” She said and slammed the book shut. “How is she?”

“Oh well…” Michael smiled and shrugged. “She’s asleep now. Seems like she has a little problem with another lady appearing in my life.”

“No shit…” Lisa chuckled lightly. “She has made it very clear.”

“I know, I’m really sorry about the dinner, I’ve never seen her like that.” Michael said softly and with a sigh, he walked slowly to her.  

“It’s okay, trust me, I was way worse. I used to kick my dad’s lady friends out of the house left and right. Paris was actually considerate enough to let me finish my dinner. I really appreciate it.”

He laughed and sat down next to her, watching her closely before reaching out and tentatively taking her hand in his, his thumb gently tracing over her knuckles.

Lisa took a deep breath, unsure of how to proceed, torn apart by the jumble of emotions stirring inside her.

 While he was with Paris, she had replayed every second of their kiss over and over in her mind, grappling with the decision of what to do next…

Give in? Bail out?

Both options had their upsides, and each was daunting in its own way. Despite this, Lisa knew she had to prioritize herself and make the decision that was best for her, even if it meant letting go of something she still deeply wanted.

Michael smiled gently and leaned closer trying to kiss her again, but this time she turned her face away from him slowly, softly shaking her head as if the motion itself was painful.

An uncomfortable stillness immediately filled the room.

Lisa knew she was going to hurt him, but she was frightened to death, the fear of repeating the same mistakes holding her back.

She shook her head avoiding any eye contact with him.

"I can’t, Michael. I’m sorry."