Mister Nobody – Part 21 | Straight into my heart, in the dark

Scotland, March 2017

As the guy kept talking, Michael glanced again at the picture on his phone, wanting nothing more than having his woman there with him. Immediately.

He and Lisa. Sitting on the bench like an ordinary couple – which they were, and probably always had been: an ordinary couple trapped into an extraordinary, often malicious setting. Him keeping her close, his arm around her shoulders. Looking genuinely happy for the first time in years, with that slightly idiotic grin on his face. And Lisa – those azure eyes, hooded and beautiful, revealing wonder and love. And a bit of fear. Michael blinked and locked the screen, putting the phone back in the pocket of his jacket.

He smiled politely at the estate agent, even though he was bored to death. The visit was not as satisfying as he had expected. Fuck, he had been so sure this house was the right one! The mansion was beautiful, but after an extended and thorough exploration of the garden, the ground floor, the first floor, the dependence, the guy had finally remembered to mention that it was on sale because a murder had taken place in the living room.

Just. Great.

A husband and a wife lived there, and he had shot her after busting her in bed with her lover.

“Oh,” Michael had said with moderately expressed surprise, his eyebrows raising.

“Eh…”, he had thought, immediately after.

“Yeah, well. It was just… you know, Mister Murphy. Sometimes bad things happen, right? But in this specific case, that gives us a great advantage: the price of this amazing property has dropped significantly. It’s a good deal.”

Yeah, a fucking great deal.

Right on cue, Michael’s phone went off, and he swiftly took it out of his pocket.

“How is it going?”

He grinned. That was Lisa, checking in.

“Meh. Not 2 good.”

“How so.”

“Crime scene in the living room.”

“OMFG, are u 4 real?”

Michael’s smirk widened.

“Yup. U should wash that dirty mouth out with soap Lise.”

“House sounds dirtier tho. Let it go. We’ll find something else”

Yeah, she was right. No way Michael was going to buy a property exuding such bad vibes. He and Lisa didn’t need any of that shit. They already had so much stuff that needed to be sorted out, and the last thing that he wanted was to bring his woman into a potentially haunted house. He didn’t need any vindictive spirit pulling their feet at night. If anything, he already – still – had his fair share of vindictive fuckers, all alive and kicking and always busy dragging his name in the mud. And Lisa, too. She was often just as belittled and misunderstood.

So, sadly and despite the beautiful, huge garden surrounding the property, the wide and luminous kitchen and the spectacular sauna, the mansion was a no-no.

“Yeah. How is ur meeting going?”

“Long-ass & Boring”

“We could do that thing we talked about then.”

“What thing.”

“Sexing”

“LOL”

“Why u laughin.”

“It’s SEXTING”

“Whatever”

“Cant now babe. I need to look committed.”

“U always are.”

“Perv”

Michael repressed a smile and looked up at the estate agent, clearing his throat and smoothing down his tie.

“You know, Mister Graham… the house is really… ah… peculiar, but I don’t think it’s what my family and I are looking for.”

“Mister Murphy, I know that little problem in the living room can be a bit of a turn-off, but I am sure we can sort this out,” Graham replied with a reassuring smile, “The price is-”

“It’s not about the price, really… It’s just not the solution we are looking for.”

Graham sighed and tilted his head.

“I understand. Well, thank you for your time.”

“No, thank you,” Michael replied politely, shaking the agent’s hand.

As soon as he got in the car and sat comfortably in his seat, he took his phone out again and his stared into space for a moment. Finding the perfect house was not as easy as he had first thought. Lisa had been gone for a couple of weeks, and the clock was ticking. Michael was getting antsy, as it always happened when he felt ineffective. He was the kind of guy who would get shit done, always had been. And this house hunting thing wouldn’t be any different.

The problem was that he had already visited many different mansions all around the area, but none of them seemed to fit his standards. He wasn’t looking for anything luxurious – not a Neverland, not a Graceland – but he hadn’t felt his soul vibrate in any of the houses he had so carefully chosen and explored. They just didn’t hold the magic that he had first felt entering the house at Hidden Hills with Lisa. The place where they had spent pretty much all their married life. And many moments afterward. Now, he was looking for something similar. Something that felt just like that. Something that felt right.

He glanced at the phone and sent Lisa another text.

“I got a couple more houses 2 see this week. Confident I’ll find the right one 4 us”

“Don’t get all frantic about it, M. We R not in a hurry.”

“We are. I want it 2 be ready 4 you when u get back.”

No reply.

“Still busy with the meeting?”

“Yes”

“I miss you baby.”

“I miss you too, I really do.”

“Call you later? So we can talk more”

“Sure. If you’re a good boy, you might even get some sweets.”

“Cant wait! :)”

“Love you.”

“I love you too Lise.”

Being in love was nice. As it always happened when things between him and Lisa were good, Michael couldn’t even remember a moment when he had not been crazy about her.

Like when she had shown him what was going to be their house, at Hidden Hills. Right after the wedding, when she had managed to get it all nice and ready for them. And, even though Michael didn’t like surprises, that one had been too good.

Hidden Hills, August 29th, 1994

“Don’t peek… shit, come on! What are you, four?”

“Well, you said we’re gonna stay here only for a couple of days, so I’m not sure I’ll have the time to see everything in detail… Let me see!”

“What the fuck, Mike!” Lisa slapped his hand away as he tried to remove the blindfold she had so carefully placed over his eyes.

He laughed.

“I love it when you’re so tame and sweet.”

She pushed him gently down the hallway.

“I know. That’s why you married me. ‘Cause I’m a delicate little flower… This way!”

“Hey! No need to be sarcastic. And stop pushing me, little lady! That’s not how you should treat a birthday boy”.

The truth was that he was having fun, and Lisa knew it. She repressed a laugh, shaking her head and placing her hands on his muscular shoulders, directing him through the door.

“Stop.”

“Alright…”

He obeyed and just stood there, hands clasped behind his back, sighing and waiting for her next move. She watched him for a moment, her head cocked to a side, then sauntered over to him, her voice dropping an octave.

“You know, I could just take that blindfold off now, but…”

“But?” Michael smiled and bit his lip the moment he recognized the husky tone in her voice.

Lisa rubbed his chest, then entwined her fingers behind his neck and pulled him down for a kiss.

“But…” She spoke in between kisses. “Now I’m thinking that having my way with you like this could be even better…” A deeper kiss. “…At least for now.”

She did her best to ignore the fact that his body was happily responding to her soft play, and a significant part of him – a part that she adored – was already pressing against her belly. This man seemed to walk around at least semi-hard all day. She would have even found it funny, hadn’t it been so arousing.

Michael held her by the waist, his fingers tracing the lines of her body through the thin fabric of her shirt. She quivered under his touch. He knew her body by heart, and yet it always amazed him how it looked like it was made for him and him alone. It was somehow crazy how they could still manage to be physically so attracted to one another. It was just unstoppable, almost predestined. At first, Lisa had been sure that those electrifying sensations would wear off with time, but boy, had she been wrong! Not only didn’t they subside: they seemed to get even worse with time. She and Michael had been together for quite a while, they had gotten married and every day felt like a never-ending honeymoon. She was crazy in love with her husband, and he seemed to reciprocate her feelings just as much.

With immense effort, Lisa pulled back.

“Hey!” Michael protested with a chuckle, his hands grasping air.

“Be good… You got me sidetracked for a second, and I forgot all about your surprise…” Breathing out and trying to regain control, she walked around him and started undoing the blindfold. “…Which… by the way… requires your sight.”

He blinked and squinted as his eyes slowly got acquainted with the dim light. He looked around and his lips parted in surprise.

“You like?”

Did he like it? He was speechless.

They were in the perfect room: mirror walls, smooth wooden floor, excellent proportions. Everything was flawless. His wife had gifted him with a professional dance studio, specifically built right inside their home.

Soft, low lights now illuminated the empty space. Michael noticed huge vases full of sunflowers in the four corners of the room – his favorite flowers, his happy flowers. In the middle of the studio was a birthday cake carefully placed on a large, soft, red comforter.

“Lisa… I…”

“Happy birthday, my love.” Her eyes shimmered in the penumbra.

He blindly reached down and took her hand, squeezing it and then pulling it up to his mouth, kissing her knuckles.

“I don’t know what to say…”

He knew he had blushed. He watched her and noticed that her face was blurred. It was because he was touched, and his eyes had welled up.

Lisa reached up, her hand resting on the side of his face. She knew that he had some issues regarding the celebration of his birthday, and had tried her best to make it as pleasant as she could.

“If you like it, it’s all good.”

“I love it….”

His voice was soft. Lisa smiled that sweet smile that he knew so well. The one she would always show him whenever she felt vulnerable and safe at the same time. The only thing he could do was kiss her again, softly and repeatedly.

“I love you… So much.”

He whispered the words against her lips.

“And I love you.” Lisa touched his face and then moved a step back, taking his hand. “Come on… there’s a birthday cake waiting for you.”

They ended up feeding each other the cake and then feeding each other all the love they shared – which was quite a lot. Half-naked on the comforter, with soft music playing in the background, they made out like teenagers for a long time. The touching, the teasing, the kissing. It all got more and more intense and heated by the minute. Every time they made love, it was like discovering a new galaxy. Supernovas and unexplored galaxies, flickering comets, distant stars, nebulas, planets. Everything felt new and ancient at the same time.

At one point, Michael pulled Lisa’s sweater pants and underwear down and took them off, and she opened herself to him. And when he bent down, his head in between her thighs, his hands stroking her smooth, tanned skin, his lips and tongue on her, inside of her, the only thing she could do was rake her fingers through his hair, as he became a wave crashing on the shore of her soul, retreating and then reaching for her again. She could only moan and do her best to control her breathing as they became one. The pleasure unstoppable, she whimpered softly and tried hard to keep her eyes open, fascinated by the pleasure that he, too, was so obviously was experiencing in bringing her to ecstasy. Her husband loved to go down on her, and there had even been times when she had witnessed him climax while doing it. It had mind-blowing to realize how much he desired her, how his innate instinct to love was also coupled with an intense willingness to give.

And so even now, when it came, her orgasm was like a sparkling wake of stardust among the sky. The only thing it did was create even more desire and need for this man, for his body, his soul, his heart, that spirit of his, that seduced and tantalized and soothed, completing her so thoroughly.

“You taste amazing…”

As Michael kissed his way up her body, leaving a trail of scorching hot desire on her belly, her breasts, her collarbone, her shoulders, Lisa grabbed his head. She kissed him slowly and deeply, savoring the warm sensation of his tongue in her mouth, of the scent of his skin wrapping itself around her senses.

She kissed his neck, the tip of her tongue tasting sweat and something that was uniquely his, heady and intoxicating. Her teeth grazed his skin and she spoke in a whisper, straight into his ear.

“Lie down, birthday boy… My turn…”

She had already gotten rid of his t-shirt and now mirrored his actions, pulling his sweater pants and briefs down just enough to free him and have him at her complete disposal.

She smiled, and he did the same in return, letting out a long breath and leaning back, resting on his elbows. He looked relaxed – at least on the surface. On the other hand, at least another part of him was waking up just fine.

“Is this another birthday present?”

His voice sounded a bit strained.

Lisa took him in her hand and stroked him, slowly but firmly. She looked up at him, her eyes holding a mysterious, deep blue shade.

“I don’t know… You tell me…”

“Well… so far…” Michael swallowed as her mouth descended on him. The soft, scorching hot sensation engulfed him. “…so good… Oh, baby…”

He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and bit his lips. Maybe the slight pang of pain would be enough to keep his eyes open and fixed on his drop-dead gorgeous, sexy as hell, young wife giving him a fantastic blowjob. What Lisa did to him, Michael had never experienced. Not from a physical, not from an emotional point of view. He had gone through a few dates before her, and of course he had had sex, but nothing could compare to the chemistry he felt with this woman. The way she touched him, the way she took him to heights he didn’t even think existed, the way she always made him feel loved, accepted, perfect for her, never ceased to amaze him. It still breached his soul further, leaving everything exposed. And it was alright.

“…There you go, baby…”

His breathing had become shallow. He reached down and his hand fisted in her hair, keeping her head in place. His hips pushed up as he gently coaxed her to take more of him. As usual, Lisa didn’t retreat. She was a bold, passionate lover, and there was virtually no limit to what she and Michael could do together when it came to sex. Nothing was dirty; nothing was prohibited, off-limits or taboo. In fact, everything was nothing more than a purely physical manifestation of the intense, deep connection they shared. He was now living his sexuality in an entirely uninhibited and unbridled way, knowing that he was always, always safe with her.

“Oh yeah… That’s it… take it…” His voice sounded deep and soft. “Oh, shit… You feel so good, Lise… so fucking good.”

Lisa moaned in return, not letting go of him, the sound emitted by her vocal cords reverberating into his penis. He jerked a little and gasped.

“Yeah, baby… Fuck…”

She backed off and kept kissing him softly, with open-mouthed kisses that made his sensitive skin tingle.

“Getting there,” she whispered with a smile. Her hand caressed and fondled him, teased him as she started kissing up to his stomach. She stopped at his chest and her tongue left a blazing trail between his pectorals before focusing on his nipples. He sighed again, trying to keep his breathing under control. It was all painfully slow and painfully intense.

“Lie down…” She reached his lips and kissed him deeply, all the while sitting astride his legs. “How about I ride you for a bit, big daddy? Let me make it good… Tonight is all about you, Mike… all about you…”

She hadn’t let go of his dick, and now she positioned it in between her legs, rubbing it slowly against her wetness. Michael closed his eyes and swallowed again, his heartbeat hammering in his chest and drumming in between his temples. He was going insane with pleasure. For a moment, he tried to focus on the erotic, chill-out music playing in the room. It just made it worse.

“Come on, Lise… Do it… Put me inside of you, where I belong…”

Tossing her hair and giving him a languid look, she slowly descended on him, taking him inch by inch, almost in a torturous manner. She exhaled, her eyes closing for a moment.

“Damn… You feel so good when you’re deep inside me…”

She had been good at maintaining her self-control, but as soon as she sat down on him fully she let out a moan, and her head dropped back, exposing her beautiful neck. She wore a light blue shirt, wholly unbuttoned at this point. Spellbound, Michael watched her breasts appearing now and then as she started to move over his body.

“Oh…”

She found her rhythm and whimpered. She rode him so perfectly, even though the contractions of her body told him that she was still getting used to his size. His arousal was so high that he thought he would lose it there and then. Everything seemed to have been planned to have him lose his mind.

She watched her as she took a deep breath and then let it go, tilting her head to a side and staring at him with her enigmatic eyes. Her hands rested on his chest as she kept swaying, slowly and deliberately, keeping him enclosed inside her body.

Cursing under his breath, he lay down on the comforter and held her by the waist, guiding her movements and yet allowing her pretty much complete freedom. The speed, the rhythm. He trusted her with all his heart.  

His hips pushed up and into her, and she winced.

“Oh, shit…” She bent over and kissed him, her tongue replicating in his mouth what he was doing to her body.

“You’re so so fucking hot…” His hands moving over to her ass, he spoke in between kisses and sped up the pace a little, feeling Lisa’s fingers pressing into his shoulders. He needed more. More heat, more friction. “You’re killing me, girl…”

“That’s it,” she breathed out against his lips. “That’s it, Mike… let’s try to make that baby, huh? Keep going…”

Michael smiled.

They had been trying to make a baby for a while now, after their painful miscarriage, but he was eager to oblige once again. Sitting up, he held her in place. Lisa’s arms wrapped around his neck, one hand cradling the back of his head, the other running over the sweaty skin of his back. He kissed and sucked on her neck and then descended on her breasts, taking one nipple into his mouth, his hand caressing the other.

“Fuck, baby… I’m about to come again…”

He felt her tremble and clamp down on him, and his breath stopped in his throat for a second. He glanced at the mirrors surrounding them, admiring the beauty of their interweaved bodies, fused together, the way her muscles moved, like ocean waves under her tanned skin, the way they both glistened with sweat. It was all too much. Lisa starting to spasm and shudder against him, coming violently, was the last push he needed. His orgasm mounted like a flaming arrow descending from his spine to his groin and he let go, thrusting hard into her, giving her everything he had, all of it. It was so violent to be almost painful, and yet he soared, somewhere in the sky, completely free, completely happy, one with her.

Memphis, 9.30 PM

When Michael’s face appeared on the screen of her laptop, Lisa smiled her very first, genuine smile of the day. They finally had the chance to enjoy their daily video call, and the first thing she noticed was that he looked tired, albeit beautiful. He wore a black V-neck t-shirt, no glasses, his face was stubbly where his beard – now longer and thicker – was usually carefully shaven, and his hair was messy. It was getting long, the curls disorderly descending on this forehead and sides, right above his ears.

“Hey, stranger.” Michael’s dark eyes sparkled like black gems.

Lisa smiled.

“Hey! You need a haircut, baby…”

He ran his hand through his hair, absent-mindedly.

“Uh? I know… I look like a lonely, single man. A sad one, too.”

“You do! You look like a sad lumberjack.”

He laughed heartily.

“Yeah… I need my woman to take care of me properly.”

“You surely do… Just like I need my man with me…”

“Well, I hope you do! Anyway, don’t worry… I manage to look almost presentable, during the day… especially when I’m in public.”

“Oh, babe… You are gorgeous, you know that… You just look tired… I know it’s very late over there. I’m sorry I couldn’t make it home sooner.”

Michael glanced at his watch.

“It’s… uh, 2,30 A.M. But don’t worry… I wasn’t sleeping. In fact, my insomnia has been kicking in for quite some time now.”

Lisa felt her anxiety rising immediately.

“Really? Babe, have you been exercising regularly? Try and release some of the energy during the day?”

He stared at her for a long moment, studying her.

“Yeah. I’ve been exercising alright, every day. I just miss you… I mean, it’s not that I don’t sleep at all… Don’t worry, Lise… It’s not like it was, you know, before…” He cleared his throat, uncomfortable as he always was when some old issues resurfaced. “…But you know me… I only sleep well when I have you in bed with me.”

Oh, she did know. It was just the same for her. She had started to suffer from insomnia after their divorce, and it had gotten way worse after 2009. Until she had found him again. Now that half of the planet physically separated them, they both seemed to have gone back to some nasty, old habits.

“What about you?” He could tell that she was worn out. She had gotten thinner again. “Have you been sleeping, girl?”

Lisa sighed.

“Yes… not as much as I’d like to, but I do sleep. Don’t get worried over nothing.”

Her slightly defensive tone made him think that she was lying – and she was. Lisa was not sleeping well, and even during the day, she was far from the top form she had gotten to while in Scotland with Michael. Often nauseous, she had been battling the most constant and intense series of panic attacks she could remember since June 2009. They would usually wake her up at night, interrupting a lovely, happy dream and pushing her back to reality amongst shivers and an intense sense of suffocation, her fingertips tingling. Sometimes, the panic attacks would harass her during the day, too, and more than once she had found herself forced to pull over and rest her head on the steering wheel, breathing in, breathing out, fighting back the tears and feeling as if she was going to die at any moment.

Yet, she had never said anything to Michael. And even now, as she looked at him, realizing how exhausting and stressful their separation was for him, too, she pushed the truth aside and decided to lie. It was nothing but a white lie, after all, and for his own good. He didn’t need to know the extent of her discomfort. He didn’t need to be even more stressed out, to get even more worried. If he thought he had brought havoc in her life by coming back, he was wrong: now, Lisa was sure that she was the weak link in the couple. That was why she needed to sort everything out on her own, without weighing on him.

“Lise… I don’t know, baby. I am not convinced. Have you seen your doctor?”

She tried to smile in the most reassuring way she could.

“No, Michael, why should I see my doctor? I am fine. I function. I eat. I sleep.”

You don’t function that well. You barely eat. And you currently sleep a couple of hours per night. Tell him!

She swatted her inner voice away, like a mosquito on a summer night.

“How was your meeting?”

She had a feeling that Michael changing the subject had something to do with him trying not to overstep. She knew he was concerned, and she appreciated his effort.

“Oh, right, about that. Like I said, it was boring as all hell, but it’s all good as far as the EPE is concerned. The problem is… well…” She tried to gather her thoughts. “…I had another meeting this late afternoon, with Gross this time.”

“Your lawyer?”

“Yeah.”

“What about him…” Michael’s face took that business-like appearance that she had learned to know so well through the years.

She shrugged and let out a dry, joyless laugh.

“Well, I guess there’s no other way to say it, baby… It looks like I’m severely in debt. And, apparently, I owe over 1 million dollars in taxes for 2015 alone. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg… I am not even getting into it right now, but it’s bad, Mike. It’s really bad.”

He almost jumped in his chair.

“What?! How is that even possible? What the fuck!”

“What the fuck, indeed…” Her mask finally dropping, Lisa rubbed her forehead tiredly. She suddenly felt exhausted.

“How did it happen? Baby girl, what…”

“It was my business manager… he fucked me over. And then, of course, there’s Lockwood… he contributed to this motherfucking mess, too…” She shook her head and her gaze dropped. “The situation is not good… Not at all.”

Michael clenched his fists, blood immediately rushing to his brain, the trauma of what he too had experienced suddenly revived in his mind. It had been caused by the same vampires that now had sucked Lisa dry.

“And that’s why I wanted to talk to you about the house, Michael…”

Her voice sounded tired.

“What does all of that have to do with our home?”

He frowned.

“Well… As you might have realized, I cannot afford to buy a house right now. And in all honesty, I have no idea if or when I’ll ever be able to.”

“So?”

He genuinely didn’t understand where all of this was going.

Lisa’s eyebrows sprung up.

“What do you mean, so? Michael, I can’t contribute in any way. I don’t have any money left… well, except for what I get monthly from my inheritance, obviously. But I need that money to pay my debts, which are huge, and sure as hell I can’t afford to buy a mansion, right now.”

“You don’t need to afford to do anything, Lisa,” he replied, honestly surprised by her words. “I am paying for it.”

“What? Are you out of your mind? No way, Michael… You’re not buying me a house.”

“I ain’t buying you a house… I’m investing in our future. It’s a completely different thing.”

“No, it’s not different. You can’t just pay for the whole thing if I’m gonna live there with you. It’s just not fair.”

“Well, correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think you allowed me to pay my part when it came to Hidden Hills,” he replied dryly.

“That was a different matter altogether…” She shook her head and made a face. But she knew he had a point there.

“Oh yeah? Was it? Because I seem to remember that Hidden Hills was our home throughout our entire marriage… and afterward… you know, when we were lovers, and I would spend nights at the property, and my clothes were there, and if I wanted to rehearse, I had my private dance studio there, and…”

“I got it. I got it…” Lisa waved her hand in the air. “But still, Michael, you didn’t take it well. You didn’t like that I paid for the whole thing.”

“True, but I accepted it and listened to your motives and, eventually, I even understood them.”

“Yeah, I realize that was such a rare moment, for you, that you still remember it so vividly.” She couldn’t help but chuckle at the grave, almost sanctimonious attitude he was showing. “…I mean, accepting something you don’t agree with.”

“Whatever. Anyway, now it’s time for me to repay that favor. I’m gonna buy the fucking thing, and you’re gonna live with me in it.”

Lisa stared at him, a soft smile on her face, her eyes full of love and longing.

“I don’t know if I’m supposed to laugh at that macho talk of yours or simply get all hot and bothered…”

“I’m all for the second option.” He smiled. “And I can even do something about that bothered part, if you let me…”

“Oh yeah?” Lisa rested her chin on her clasped hands.

Michael pushed his chair back, so that she could see him fully, and rested his hand on his crotch.

“Yeah…” He replied, his voice dropping to that sexy tone that defied time and space.

Lisa pulled her robe up, uncovering her naked thighs, her hands caressing the smooth skin.

“How does it feel, baby girl? Tell me…”

She heard Michael’s voice and, for a moment, he didn’t sound like he was talking to her through the computer screen. He sounded like he was somewhere in her bedroom, so very close, in the darkness, his voice seducing and tantalizing.

When she spoke, she was careful to make that husky drawl that he found so arousing more than audible.

“It’s warm… and soft. Toned. My body misses your touch so much…”

“You know what it does to me, hearing you talk like that…”

Lisa smiled and closed her eyes for a second, imagining his hands on her naked skin.

“I do… but show me anyway…”

She opened her eyes and stared at the screen. He was still sitting on the chair, stroking himself through the soft fabric of his sweater pants. She could see the outline of his erection.

“There you go, baby…”

“Oh no, Mike… that’s not nearly enough. Let him come out to play with me, big guy. Let me see…” All the while, she opened her legs, showing him the white silk of her panties. His eyes widened, and he let out a trembling breath. Mesmerized, his eyes fixed on the screen, he reached into his pants and freed himself. As usual, he didn’t have the slightest problem in showing himself in all his glory. He truly was a feast for the eyes.

“God… you are so beautiful…”

She began touching herself through the fabric of her panties and then pushed the fabric aside, allowing him to see exactly what she was doing.

He reacted just like she hoped. He blinked and started stroking himself slowly as he relaxed into the chair. His elbows rested on the armrests. He was so handsome, so sexy. Lisa thought she would come just by looking at him playing with himself.

“It might sound greedy, but I need your cock so bad right now…”

Her voice sounded low and husky. She knew that, in different circumstances, he would probably have chuckled at her being so foul-mouther. But this was far from normal, and Michael’s face remained serius. And kept looking affected.

“Oh, baby… You look so fucking hot… Seeing you like this is…”

His voice trailed off and, all the while, his movements quickened. The fact that he got off on their private dirty talk never ceased to amaze her. And it worked on her, too – especially when he was the one doing it.

“Touch yourself and let me watch you…” His tone became more commanding. “Tell me all the dirty little things you do when you do it… Tell me everything, baby. Tell me how you take care of yourself when I’m not there….”

And she did, because honestly, what else could she do? He was the master of her body, the king of her soul, the emperor of her heart and whatever Michael wanted, Michael got. He just had to ask.

She put her leg on the armrest and opened up more to him, allowing him to watch how she pleasured herself when all she missed was his body enveloping hers, his hands on her, his steel inside of her.

Then, suddenly, she couldn’t breathe anymore. An invisible hand closed around her throat and she felt like dying, oxygen leaving her lungs. She tried to inhale, but she couldn’t. She felt her heartbeat accelerate dramatically and was sure her heart was going to explode in her chest. She was dying, and Michael couldn’t help her because he was far away.

She opened her eyes and there was nothing but complete darkness.

She was in her bed, alone, and realized that she had been dreaming. In her sleep, she had relived what had happened only a few hours earlier. Their discussion about her meeting, the house, her issues. Finally, they had relented, and their call had ended with some satisfying virtual sex. It was not what they needed at all, but it was all they could do to take the edge off until they met again.

Lisa’s mind had relived it all as soon as she had fallen asleep, afterward. Every single detail was there. Michael’s commanding tone, the little show she had put on for him, one hand in between her legs, the other one fondling her breasts, touching herself as she pretended that he was there with her, making herself come while watching him come, too, as he did the same while pretending that she was there with him. It had been hot in its own way, and it had managed to sate them, at least momentarily.

But her panic attacks didn’t care about the fact that she was finally feeling better, and now she felt as if she was going to stroke out and croak.

She clung to the belief that everything would be OK.

Any minute now…

With the last bit of energy, Lisa stumbled out of bed and dragged herself to the bathroom, opening the faucet in the sink and putting her forehead under the cold water. She gasped and, suddenly, her lungs opened again. She could breathe.

Breathe in, breathe out…

Alright. Good. But what was she going to do about the tremors? She could barely stand. Her legs felt wobbly and weak, and she slowly slid on the cold, tiled floor, balling up in a fetal position, shaking and shuddering, tears spilling from her eyes.

She had no idea how long she stayed like that. At one moment, she had probably passed out just to wake up a few minutes later, freezing cold on the floor. Her muscles sore, she had somehow managed to stand up and had slowly walked back into the bedroom, her naked feet welcoming the soft warmth of the carpeting.

Swallowing hard, Lisa moved over to the minibar near the window and poured herself a drink. She had no idea what time it was, but she was pretty sure it was late. Sipping her scotch and enjoying the warm liquid running down her throat, she took several deep breaths and tried to distract herself by watching the surroundings through the window.

The road was desert and quiet, dimly lit by the street lamps. She let out a long sigh and tried to relax. She just needed a minute, and then she would be able to go back to sleep. Maybe. Hopefully.

Count. One, two, three….

Then she saw the man. He was walking on the sidewalk, and he wore a light grey coat and a fedora. He looked like a gangster from an old, black and white movie. What was he doing there? He sure wasn’t walking his dog – he was alone.

Lisa studied him carefully, her glass resting just an inch away from her lips, her eyes narrowing.

The man slowly walked to the lamppost and leaned against it. Then he looked up and straight at her.

She jumped back and hid behind the curtains, her heart hammering in her chest. She almost dropped the glass. She looked at it and gulped down what was left of her drink, her eyes wide open in the darkness.

Who was that man? Was he spying on her?

She peeked through the curtains and he was still standing there, his eyes fixed on her window. She walked back to the center of the room and sat down on the bed.

Why was he watching her? What was he looking for? Or who?

Pulling her knees up and against her chest, she started to rock back and forth, just slightly.

Maybe… maybe he was not interested in her at all. Perhaps, it was Michael he was looking for. Maybe he knew that he and Lisa were in contact. Back together… as he pretended to be someone else. Yeah. It could be. After all, it couldn’t be random that the man had appeared right after their call, right? He must have known.

Lisa shook her head. No. It couldn’t be at all. Michael had told her that he was safe. He had had seven years to perfect everything. He had assured her that he was no longer in danger and she chose to believe him, once again.

But her heartbeat didn’t slow down, and her breathing didn’t calm down, and she reached over and opened the small drawer in the nightstand. There, in a tiny pouch, she still had some pills.

Paroxetine.

Perfect.

She gulped down a couple of pills without even needing any water. Old habits. She hadn’t taken any meds in months, but her muscular memory didn’t suffer from any Alzheimer’s, apparently.

She felt a slight pang of guilt, but hey, she was dying, here. She needed some help. It was just for tonight. Nothing major, nothing to worry about.

She lay down on the bed and closed her eyes.

Chapter song