Push Play – Take 3 | Oneiric

Take 3 | Oneiric

Oneiric

In film theory, the term oneiric (/oʊˈnaɪrɪk/; “pertaining to dreams”) refers to the depiction of dream-like states or to the use of the metaphor of a dream or the dream-state in the analysis of a film.

Oneiric is a mode of expression in the field of film studies. It gives a rundown on the purpose of dreams and illusionary performances within certain films. This pertains to the applications of the symbolisms of the dream progressions and is an important aspect in the exploration of the film. Having been constructed on the foundation of both the Freudian and non-Freudian hypothesis, oneiric acts as a link between what is factual and what is merely a preoccupied manifestation of an illusion. An Oneiric directive provides an intuition to the essence of the film.

The progression to the realm of dreams is suggestive and, at time, clearly revealed. The dream world, at first, is calm, relaxing and illustrates a dream of peace and comfort. However, its trance-like character is eventually exposed which can be very dramatic and often disturbing. In the climax, the dream world turns into a nightmare. It is hit by disasters and turmoil which are unnatural and bizarre. The nightmare is released and triggered because the protagonist was not able to accomplish his aspirations. (filmtheory.org)

Hey L. Forgot to tell you something today. 
Think we can talk abt it? 
Just let me know when you free.

In all honesty, Michael didn’t think Lisa was awake. It was way too late. Well, cool – she would find his text message first thing in the morning.

He had just placed his cell phone back on the desk and was ready to go back to bed when the tiny green light signaled an incoming message. For real? Narrowing his eyes, he carefully took the phone again and flipped it open in a slow, deliberate manner.

We can talk now.

His heart jumped in his chest and a strange feeling of giddiness assaulted him. He sat back down in his chair and took a deep breath.

??? Thought you were asleep
Want me to call right away?

He waited, forgetting all about not wanting to talk to her. And it didn’t take long for her to respond. No, she had not been asleep at all. He wondered if Lisa was awake because she had been busy doing what he had been doing… before he went to his study. If she was busy doing that other man. And just like that, his giddiness deflated a bit.

No - I said we can talk not that u can call me
Let’s talk here
Whats going on Michael
Its late, nothing that could have waited til tomorrow?

Michael smirked. The lady was in full pissy mode. Which was cool with him. Like a jump back in time.

No it cant. 
Got a very specific message attached to the footage. In my mail.
Gotta talk to you abt that but not here via text. 
In person.

Did he want to talk to her in person? See her again? Well, it was not a matter of volition. It was just not safe to leave breadcrumbs when it came to this kind of subjects. That, at this point, was very clear.

WTF?? We were face 2 face today. Why didnt u tell me then?

Ah, because it had irritated him to no end to discover that another man warmed her bed? But again, what did he hope? That she would stay virginal and immaculate forever? Besides, he too had been fucking someone else. Michael let out a quiet groan.

Guess I forgot. Too much stuff on my mind. 
Isnt your man on it as well? He could have found out. Easily.

Oh, he so loved to set her off. She had always been so easy in that department. However, after those first triumphant seconds of gloating while hitting the “send” button, he started to feel slightly bad. He wondered if he still was treating her as a target, just like he had done before their final breakup.

Told u my MOTHER is on it. You must be getting old. 
Hope ur new lady is way younger than u and that she can
do something for that amnesia. Its alarming.

Michael chuckled, shaking his head. She really was something. And of course… she was fishing. Just like he was.

Dont you worry about what she can do for me. 
Especially since you got over me so quick. 
Lets talk business.
When and where can I see you

This time, a solid five minutes passed before her message came up.

Talking bout quick? 4 real? U were the best master.
Call u tomorrow
So we can set up a meeting.

Fair enough. Michael flipped the cell phone closed and went back to bed, hoping Zoe had fallen asleep in the meantime. She hadn’t. He made love to her one more time, not really being in the mood for it all of a sudden, then finally was exhausted enough to doze off for a few hours.

Lisa woke up with difficulty, as if a ton of rocks had been laid on her body throughout the night. Immediately she detected Roman’s warm body next to her and took a deep breath, trying to relax. The last week or so had been… interesting. Unsettling. The news of the tape had been the beginning of the avalanche, the inevitable proxy creating another connection to Michael. A connection she did not want at this stage of her life. When she was serene, content, even happy in a way.

And now… well, now she had to tolerate dumb headlines such as “Thriller night! Jacko caught in hardcore romp with rumored on-again, off-again lover and ex-wife Lisa Presley!”

Just splendid. Exactly what she needed. Thank God Roman was loving, understanding. Sure, he was nothing like the passionate lover and partner Michael had been – before he turned into the iceberg that had destroyed the Titanic – but maybe that was how relationships really worked. What Roman and Michael had in common was just their total dedication to their work. Only, Roman was the CEO of an industrial giant. Nothing as remotely charming as an artist, but Lisa had gotten something better in return: a solid, stable, reliable man who didn’t need anything from her, and sure as hell not her money.  She had to deal with her fair share of leeches before Michael, but Roman was wealthy enough to feed a small country.

The fact that he wasn’t even the jealous type was an added bonus, and she was starting to appreciate his calm, casual disposition.

Once upon a time, Lisa had considered Michael’s jealousy endearing. Sexy, seductive. Just like pretty much everything about him. But now she knew, she didn’t necessarily need her man to flip out, steaming with possessiveness, to know that he loved her. As a matter of fact, Roman showed her how much he cared about her in so many different ways. Passion was totally overrated. Stability, presence, support were way more critical in the long run.

Roman stirred in his sleep and turned, then started to snore like a lumberjack in Oregon after a twelve-hour shift. Lisa winced, then made a face. OK, that thing about him had been cute at first. Until it began keeping her awake at night. Glancing at him one last time, she quietly got up and put on a robe, grabbed her cell phone from the nightstand, then went downstairs. She needed a coffee.

It was about ten in the morning and, as she sipped her coffee, she checked her voicemail. Alecia had called. Well, that had taken longer than expected. Lisa dialed her friend’s number and waited for her to pick up.

“Yo! Crazy lady!”

She had to chuckle. Leish was a lunatic in the best possible way.

“Hey yourself. Good morning. I didn’t wake you up, did I?”

“Nope! Believe it or not, I woke up quite early today… just came back from a nice run on the beach. The temperature is amazing.”

“Right…” Yawning, Lisa finished gulping down her coffee.

“You, on the other hand, sound groggy. You been up all night?”

“Not really… I just went to bed a bit late. And a bit tipsy.”

“Wow!” Alecia laughed. “Were you out with your sparkling ex, celebrating the success of your sex tape? ….Girl, let me tell ya… Damn… You guys were some kind of crazy.”

Lisa rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help but grin.

“So you saw it, uh…”

“Well, how could I not! It’s everywhere. Besides, can you blame me? That stuff is fire! I mean, don’t get me wrong, I tried not to watch it. I really did, Lise. But in the end curiosity got the best of me and I clicked play.” She cleared her voice and turned serious again. “Look, you wanna know what I think about it?”

“Sure… Bring it on.” She shrugged. At this point, Leish seeing the tape was really the last of Lisa’s problems.

“I know it must be embarrassing. And I know it’s not something you or him wanted. Hell, nobody would want their junk out there for everyone to see… well, almost nobody I guess. But honestly, Lisa, it’s all about bigotry. What’s the big deal? It’s sex. Who the fuck cares. Everybody does it. It’s all natural. I see nothing wrong with the act in itself. Plus… you guys look smoking hot and so into it! Girl – I kinda get now why you were so hooked to that man. I ain’t gonna be any more specific than that, but you get my drift.”

Her words were able to make Lisa laugh. Yeah, she and Michael had been into it alright. And yes, she got Leish’s drift alright.

“Yeah… Well, I don’t care that much about it either. I mean, of course I am worried the kids might see it someday, but am I going to hang my head in shame? Don’t think so. And honestly, I was surprised when I realized that Michael didn’t seem too bothered either. I’m more concerned about-”

“Wait – what? Hold on a second. How do you know Michael is not bothered?”

“Because I saw him.”

“What?! When? How? Did you guys… you know, reconnect?”

Lisa walked over to the family room and sat down on the plush couch. “You remember I have a boyfriend, right?”

“Yeah. Roman.” Alecia’s tone conveyed how unimpressed she was with the man. She had met him, and had told Lisa that he was boring. “But…”

“Anyway, no Leish, we didn’t reconnect that way. It was just a business meeting. Our legal teams were there too. It was not, you know… a private moment or anything. That one, we’ll have it today…”

“What?! Oh my God, Lise! Like a date?”

She snorted. “No… our days of dating have been over for quite some time now. We just have to discuss some more stuff about the footage.”

“Well, damn it. You know what? I know Roman is… good for you, I guess. So I trust your instinct with Michael. I am sure you’ll know what to do do. And if you say it’s over…”

“It is. Besides, he too has a girlfriend now, apparently.”

“Apparently?”

“Yeah… I mean, he told me he does.”

“Oh.” Leish paused, and Lisa heard the fridge door close. Then the unmistakable metallic noise of a soda can being opened. “Does it irk you?”

“Should you be drinking soda after jogging? ‘Cause it kinda invalidates the whole thing…”

“Nah, don’t do that, Lise. That shit doesn’t fly with me. So, ‘fess up. Does it irk you that he’s seeing someone?”

She shrugged. “Why should it? It’s his life. He’s moved on just like I have. No, it doesn’t irk me at all that he has a girlfriend.” She was pretty good at bullshitting other people. Not so much at bullshitting herself. She was not at all bothered by the mental image of Michael giving it to other women. Not. At. All.

“Well, then… all it’s good in the world, right? The thing is, the moment I saw that video, I didn’t watch it because I wanted to be nosy… well, maybe a little bit… but mainly it was because I wanted to know how hard… oops, sorry, wrong choice of words… How serious this whole thing was. And the first thing I thought was: that’s some pretty kinky shit. Is it impacting her to have it out there like that? How much? That’s what I wanted to know, you know…”

“No, Leish. I get what you mean, but don’t you worry about that. Like I said, it’s not impacting me that much. It’s just the hundredth crap he and I have to sort out. Nothing new on that front.”

Well, that last part was the truth. The first part, however, was not entirely adherent to reality. Lisa was somehow capable of keeping “anything Michael” pretty much at bay during the day, when she was busy running her business, taking care of her kids, being the best partner she could for Roman. It was different at night, when her defenses were low because she was asleep. It was then that the dreams would come.

They hadn’t even started right away. She had kept a stoic, solid front up until Michael had sent her those texts, a few nights earlier. Perhaps thinking she was asleep, when she was not. His first message had beeped on her cell phone around 2 AM, and she had known it was him even before checking. The first thing she had wondered was why he was still awake. She had been worried: was his back still bothering him? Maybe he was just stressed out because of the tape. Or maybe… well, maybe he had been in bed with his new girlfriend.

On her part, Lisa was awake because she had been busy replaying the leaked footage on her computer, over and over again, taking note of all those x-rated hubs including hers and Michael’s private stuff in their video catalog. Before his messages, she had been lost in thought, noticing the asymmetry of what was going on the screen and the crude reality of their last breakup. When he had basically called her a whore without even saying the word out loud.

She knew – she did know that he had just been lashing out. That he was in so much physical and emotional pain, and that he hated to be perceived as vulnerable, defenseless, in need of something. Anything. On different circumstances, she would have taken the brunt of his words and mood swings in another way. What had cracked the ground open, separating them for good, had been the realization that he was not going to let her in for real. That something, inside of him, was withering. Changing. Possibly dying. And she could not be there witnessing the death of his love for her.

So no, him calling her a whore while pretending he was not doing that at all had not been the reason for the breakup. That was only the side dish. It was the main course, the lack of trust, the remoteness, the constant in and out, that had been indigestible to the point that she simply had to go. And set him free. All the while, losing a huge chunk of who she was… an invisible bloody mess keeping him company forever. Her tattered heart.

Putting the pieces back together had not been an easy task. For several months, Lisa had not been sure she would make it. But then she had found Roman. So different from Michael. He was a bit detached, not passionate, but calm and understanding. Solid. More than anything, Roman didn’t seem to be going anywhere, nor he kept her on the sidelines of his life. With him, she was never dangling on the edge of the void in between pure heaven and excruciating hell.

So, when the footage had leaked, Lisa had already recovered enough to roll with the punches just fine. Even seeing Michael in person, during that meeting, had been tolerable. She could not fathom why such an idiotic thing like a text message had been able to mess her all up like that. A freaking text message? For real?

She had gone to bed, after telling Michael she would call him the next day to set up a meeting. And she was calm. Well, pretty calm at least. Just a bit irritated at his idiotic cockiness. He had dared tell her that she had gotten over him quickly and then, of course, he had shifted the conversation to what was more convenient for him: “business.”

Asshole. Who the fuck did he think he was.

After that last exchange, Lisa had fallen asleep quickly. And after what she had perceived like long hours spent in the sweet, dark nothing, she had started to dream.

It was a revival of what happened in the footage, only it didn’t include just that. Lisa remembered the pearl rose blanket, all crinkled, because they had already slept in it. And rolled over it. At first, Michael had asked her to keep her eyes closed. Not a problem. He had almost fucked her into a coma, so she could use some rest… until the next round. And yet she had told him what she knew he wanted to hear.

“Come on, daddy… I’m being a good girl… I’ve been waiting for a while now…”

His laugh had stirred all kinds of feelings inside. All of a sudden, she was not that tired anymore.

“Keep waiting a little longer, baby… You know what’s gonna…”

His voice slowed down and disappeared in the fog, but the dream continued.

Yes, she did know what was going to happen in a minute. Both in the footage and in her hypnagogic revival. In both cases, she remembered. The remembrance was mixed with sweet longing. She allowed herself to feel it at least while she was asleep because once awake, she would never admit she missed that man. That man who had broken her heart to the point that its fragments were so tiny, that for a long time Lisa had believed they could no longer be reassembled into something remotely healthy. Or acceptable.

In her dream, she floated in the darkness because she kept her eyes closed. But once again, her memory had kicked in, overlapping to her imagination, and when Michael’s breathing had become a little more shallow, quicker than usual, she had asked him what he was doing. He had told her it was not her business, but she knew he had reached down and had grabbed ahold of himself. God… Just like back then, the mere idea of being able to turn him on to the point that he had to do something to release the tension was the biggest aphrodisiac she could ever imagine.

“I wanna see those eyes…”

Blinking, Lisa snapped back to reality. She felt a bit shaken, but managed to keep the light conversation with Alecia going for a few more minutes. Her friend asked her if she could do something, anything, to show her support. Lisa just replied that there was really nothing she, or anyone, could do. After all, it was the truth. Once in motion, the internet machine was unstoppable.

When she hung up the phone, she went back upstairs and noticed that Roman was still asleep. Quietly, Lisa stepped into the bathroom and got the bathtub ready. She needed to relax, and get ready for her lunch with Michael. She had told Roman right away that she would meet him – they had no secrets. Roman was easygoing, nothing seemed to bother him, and it wasn’t difficult to tell him everything. She liked that about him so much – their communication easy-peasy, smooth, productive. He had not seemed annoyed at all knowing that Lisa was going to spend a few hours alone with Michael, just like he had not seemed too distraught over the leaked footage. In the past months, Lisa had come to understand that it was really, really hard to shake him to the core. Which, given the circumstances, was not necessarily a bad thing.

Her eyes were closed when she heard Roman enter the bathroom yawning. Glancing up at him, she smiled. He was tall and slightly overweight, with short silver hair and deep set grey eyes. He stared at her for a minute, his face inscrutable.

“Good morning…”

“Hey yourself.” Lisa leaned back against the edge of the bathtub. “Wanna come in?”

He smirked, squinting his eyes. “I wish I could, honey, but I gotta get going. I got a meeting to attend.”

Right… His meetings. A never-ending string of meetings. Oh well, he was a balanced, mature man who knew everything about priorities. She had thought some morning sex could be a nice option, but now, surprisingly enough, she realized that she was relieved knowing that he had to leave. She wasn’t really in the mood. Plus…

“Wasn’t I good enough for you last night?” Apparently able to read her mind, Roman sat on the edge of the bathtub and gently caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. Lisa smiled up at him.

“You were amazing.”

Satisfied with her answer, he leaned over and kissed the top of her head, then got up, took his cologne from the wall unit near the sink, and left. He was going to take his shower in the other bathroom. Like he usually did. His routines were so comforting.

Lisa sighed and sank further into the warm water. Had the previous night really been enough? Well, certainly it had been for Roman’s standards. His lovemaking was so…

Different from Michael’s?

No. She should not think about sex with her boyfriend in those terms. She was well aware that the incredible sexual chemistry she and Michael had shared wasn’t standard. She could not seriously hope any other sexual relationship could read such… extreme heights. And what bad could a little white lie do? It made him happy to think he was the perfect lover for her.

As she let herself float in the scent of the amazing shower gel, Lisa granted herself one tiny moment of complete honesty. OK – sex with Roman could get a passing grade… maximum. The previous night, as he lay on top of her and thrust into her with the enthusiasm of a sleepy sloth, Lisa had struggled very hard to stay in the there and then. And to climax. She had barely been able to achieve both goals. How was it even possible that some footage shot so many years earlier had the power to turn her on more than a real, warm body in her bed?

This was so fucked up!

Almost on its own volition, her hand disappeared underwater and dipped down, sliding on her lower belly and toward the central hub of her sensations. All the while, she closed her eyes as still frames of the video – and the events linked to it, way more tantalizing than any footage could ever convey – made their way through her still soporific mind. No defenses. She had zero defenses if she was not totally prepared to fight the thoughts away. And right now…

She leaned her head back and bit her lip, as she tried to relax. Behind her closed eyelids, Michael’s eyes were burning, burning her with their darkness. Obscure universes pulling her in. How could she survive unscathed through the glory and ruins wrought by his passage in her life? She hadn’t figured that out yet. Her body responded right away, pretending her own touch was his instead. And at that very moment, at that utterly honest, solitary moment, Lisa almost felt the texture of his warm lips on her skin.

Of course, when he had mentioned the Ivy she had said no. Stupid move. Too reminiscent of the past. Why in the world would Lisa want to have lunch with him in the restaurant that, more than any other place on the planet, had been a silent witness to their love story? He could have offered to see her directly in his bedroom. Same effect. The fact was, he hadn’t even thought about it. It had come natural to him to text her those words:

Hey L. I was thinking -
Why not the Ivy

She had replied in no time.

Fuck off.
Pretty fucking please with cheese on top
do it now.

He had started to chuckle… he had kind of missed her creativity in the cursing department. But yeah. It made sense. Shrugging, he had started thinking of some other place – any other place where they could have some privacy and not be surrounded by hordes of people and paparazzi.

Well… there was always the Mélisse. It was quite a young restaurant in L.A., but seemed to be well on its way to becoming one of the most exclusive places in town, as far as the binomial celebrities and privacy was concerned. So yeah, Michael had called and booked a table in a private dining room, asking for absolute confidentiality and discretion. Not a problem. Then he had merely told Lisa that they were going to meet there. He hadn’t asked – he had just stated it, matter-of-factly. He could tolerate her outbursts, and they were even familiar and funny in a way, but she had to remember who she was talking to.

Melisse, 1:15 PM.
Dont you dare say anything L.
And do not I-N-S-U-L-T
Table booked already.

And she had relented because she, too, remembered the rules of their neverending game.

Who am i to poop on your parade?
OK

Fair enough.

Around 1 PM, Michael had managed to reach the restaurant with only a small security detail. The truth was that Michael was way more capable of going unnoticed than people gave him credit for, if only he wanted to. He was ushered inside the restaurant from one of the back entrances and reached the private dining room safe and sound. Lisa was not there yet, and he took the chance to order a glass of white wine. It was not that he needed to calm his nerves. He was just thirsty.

She arrived about ten minutes later, and when she opened the door, from her flushed face he could tell that she was surprised to find him already there. The waiter tipped his head in Lisa’s direction and closed the door behind his back, leaving them alone. And this time, there were no legal teams waiting for them outside a meeting room.

“Hey… wow. I thought I was on time.”

“You are. It’s me… Strangely enough, I am not late today.” He smiled and moved a few steps in her direction, taking in her appearance as inconspicuously as he could. Gently placing his hand on the small of her back, he guided her toward the table and pulled out the chair for her. Lisa smirked.

“Always the usual gentleman…”

“Well, shoot. Not everything’s so terrible about me.” Michael sat across the table and handed Lisa the menu. “How are you, Lisa Marie?”

She opened the menu and hid half her face behind it, looking very interested all of a sudden. Michael sipped his wine, all the while studying her. She looked slightly less collected than during their first meeting, and he wondered why. Maybe she too had gotten an optical disk with a message attached. Gosh, he sure hoped not… But hey, or maybe she just didn’t want to be there with him at all… After their last verbal exchanges, one year earlier, it would make sense.

She also looked hot. And that was no news. Despite the place being as classy as it came, she had donned a very casual attire: blue jeans and a black shirt, her hair loosely tied in a ponytail, only a light makeup on. And yet she managed to be the usual bombshell. A perfect, tiny doll who looked even younger than her age today.

Well, he could not reprimand her for her outfit for sure. He too had opted for something simple: black pants, a hoodie. He hadn’t even shaved. And it had nothing to do with the fact that he knew she liked him stubbly. Zoe had eyed him suspiciously, that morning, asking him why he was so bouncy.

“Bouncy? I’m not bouncy. I just got stuff to do.”

She had raised an eyebrow, still wearing nothing but one of his robes, all the while collecting her clothes – strewn about here and there in the bedroom after the previous night.

“Right…”

“So, I’ll call you, OK?” He had sauntered over to her and had tipped her chin up, kissing her lightly on the lips. She had kept studying him.

“Michael… you sure you’re alright?”

“I’m perfectly fine.” Another light peck on the lips, the reassurance that he was going to call her soon, and he was out of the room. Taking care of some business in his studio, then dancing the morning away. Wanting lunchtime to be there already. Yes, he had been bouncy for hours indeed. He just had a bit of a problem accepting why he felt that way.

“I’m… good, I guess.” Lisa put the menu down, and the brightness of her eyes startled him. Had they always possessed that bizarre shade, mixing green and blue? Like the clearest seabed in the sunniest morning? “How are you?”

“I’m fine. Not too troubled by the news. According to my PR staff, it could actually do good to my… ah, reputation…” His gaze dropped on the table. On the finely decorated white linen tablecloth. “To look slightly less… eccentric, you know. More normal.” In his peripheral view, he noticed Lisa tighten her lips. Her fingers flexed, and she moved her hand as if she was going to reach out and touch him. But she didn’t.

Michael cleared his throat. “But hey. As much as I can bring myself to believe that what happened might benefit me, I know it won’t do anything good for you… and of that, I am sorry.”

“What are you sorry for? That stuff was taken from my property. Plus, who the fuck cares, Michael? If anything, people will stop questioning if you and I ever had sex.” She smiled at him, and it was a warm, understanding offer of peace. He smiled back, recognizing the unexpected olive branch thrown his way. He was a perceptive man. Even a little too much, whenever Lisa was concerned. Too bad he often had decided to ignore his own perceptions, in the past.

“Lisa…” His hand slid on the table, reaching out tentatively. And at that very moment, the waitress knocked on the door and the accidental, intimate moment was broken.

They composed themselves and ordered something light. A salad, some side dishes. Neither one of them was really hungry. They did order some delicious wine, though – noticing, quietly, that they still had the same taste when it came to that. When they were alone again, Michael took a deep breath.

“Look, I know this might sound selfish. But if anything, I’m glad you’re the woman I am making love to, in that footage.”

She tilted her head, smirking. “So you’re telling me you got footage involving other ladies?”

He blushed. “No, not at all… You’re the only one I ever… I mean,” he shook his head. “…Never mind. Forget about it.”

“No, tell me…”

“It’s stupid, really.”

“Tell me.” Lisa looked straight at him.

He took a moment to think things over.

“What I meant to say, is that if something like that had to come out, I’m glad it was with someone who meant so much to me. It makes everything purer than anyone would ever believe.”

She just stayed quiet for a minute. Then played with her napkin. “Yeah. You’re right. Oh, by the way… did you see the headlines? So creative…”

He had to giggle. A bit bitterly, but hey… one could only make light of the situation.

“Yeah… My favorite has to be ‘They’re gonna be starting something dirrrrrrrty’…” He shook his head in disbelief. “The idiocy of it never fails to amaze me…”

Lisa laughed. “Right. What about ‘They don’t stop ‘til they get enough?’ That was kinda lame too…”

“It was. Well, we can’t expect those tabloids to be smart, can we?”

“No, I guess we can’t…” The moment of playful bantering subsided and the dining room went quiet again.

“So, anyway…” Why did his throat feel so dry? Michael took a sip of wine, then reached into the back pocket of his pants. “I wanted to see you in person because I got something to show you…”

Extracting the message he had found attached to the optical disk, he placed it on the table and pushed it toward her.

“This.”

Carefully, a serious look on her face, Lisa unfolded the worn piece of paper and read it. Then her eyes moved up to Michael. She chewed on her lips and he knew she was nervous.

“Mother. Fucking. Fuck.”

“Yeah… I know.”

“Sounds like blackmail. Sorta. The only thing is, it’s not. It’s obvious that whoever wrote this is making no demands… Monetary or otherwise.”

“That’s the point. It’s confusing. I mean, I’m used to people trying to extort money from me, but this… possibly it’s even more concerning.”

The waiter knocked on the door again and Lisa folded the message, hiding it in her hand. They allowed the staff to serve lunch and stayed quiet until they were alone once more.

“Who knows about this?”

“Just you and I. And one of my lawyers.”

“Your… girlfriend?” Her face stayed serious. Michael averted his gaze for a moment.

“She knows about the leaked footage… hard not to. But she doesn’t know I got a copy of it beforehand… And I don’t plan on telling her about that message either.” He took another sip of wine. “We’re not that… close.”

“Oh.” Lisa pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “Hey, let me be clear. I didn’t ask because I was curious or anything. I was just wondering if she’s someone you can trust with this kind of information.”

Michael stared at her, his face inscrutable. “Not everyone in my life wants to fuck me over, Lisa Marie. What about your boyfriend, instead? What does he know? You think you can trust him? Since the original tape is in your possession and all…”

She raised an eyebrow.

“I can trust Roman just fine, thank you very much.”

“Oh, Roman. Well, now I know his name at least…” He smirked and played with his food.

“Why do you care? Wanna date him too? He’s amazing, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

He laughed, dryly.

“Nah. Seems you got that covered. And I’m doing just fine with Zoe, thanks.”

Lisa nodded her head, but was unable to hide the sharp glint on her face.

“Well, cool. Now that we know a bit more about the people we’re dating, I think we should focus on this.” She placed the piece of paper back on the table and smoothed it down with her fingers. Trying to push the mental image of Michael fucking a faceless woman off her mind, she decided to set her sights on what looked like a way more urgent issue. “What I don’t get, is why this message was delivered to you, since the video was never in your possession to begin with.”

“That’s exactly the point. Seems like whoever got a hold of that footage has a problem with me. Not with you.”

Lisa snorted. “Dude… seriously? Pull your head out of your ass for a minute. It’s not like you’re jerking off in that video. It’s about you and me both. It’s a frigging sex tape, Michael. Where you can clearly see our faces and every single inch of my body.”

“And my dick.”

Her eyes flew up at him and he noticed her cheeks reddening. Well, apparently Lisa still got off by hearing him talk dirty. At least a tiny bit. However, her sarcastic response told him that she was now able to recover way quicker than he remembered.

“Yeah, which means that whoever did this wanted to hurt you and me both. You think we can agree on that? Or is your cock worth more than my ass?”

Michael had to chuckle. Because her snarky attitude was always funny and because he needed to water down the intense barrage of feelings he was starting to perceive beneath his collected facade.

“No, not at all… So yeah, I guess we can agree on that, Miss Pissy. OK.”

Lisa sighed and angrily started cutting her omelet, and he had to fight against the need of snickering again. There was just something about her – the imperfect perfection he used to call it. She was everything and its exact nemesis at the same time. He had always found her contradictory nature so tantalizing and alluring, and he realized he had forgotten a lot about that. Zoe was fantastic, but didn’t have the spunk that made Lisa who she was, and that always kept him hanging.

“So, this is even a worse mess than I had initially imagined. Because it implies that more footage could come out any minute and before I can blink, I’m gonna become a porn-star. So yeah… we gotta find out what fucking asshole did this.”

“Yeah. And before that, we gotta have a clear idea of what they can throw out there.”

Frowning, Lisa put fork and knife back on the plate. “What do you mean?”

Michael placed his napkin on the table and leaned back in his chair. “I mean that we got several more tapes… you and I. Some of them, we both got a copy of it. Some are only in my possession… some in yours. We should… ah, check if we still got all of them… make some sort of inventory… compare them, see which ones might do more damage and try to prevent it. And then secure them in a very, very safe place.” He looked up at her. “Or destroy them, maybe…”

She blinked. “I am not going to destroy shit. That’s my stuff. My life. So you might as well forget about it.”

“I don’t wanna destroy them either.”

Lisa rolled her eyes and sighed. “I told you, Michael. Back then. Remember? I told your hoarding ass we should neatly organize those friggin’ tapes. But no, of course, we never did. They got lost in the infamous Neverland Bermuda Triangle, all scattered about. I grabbed the ones I could find after we broke up. But it was real’ random because I didn’t wanna get lost in the gigantic clusterfuck that your private quarters are. I mean…”

“I hate to remind you that the footage that was stolen is in your possession, not mine.”

“Whatever. Hey, you know what? Maybe whoever did this is still in your bedroom, at the ranch. Buried under tons of clothes, books, toys and other stuff. You should take a look.”

“Really funny.” He stayed serious, but his eyes laughed at her. “So, how many do you think you got?”

“I don’t know… a bunch. I haven’t watched those videos in ages. How many you got?”

Michael shrugged, nonchalantly. “Several.”

“OK…” Lisa rose from the chair. “So… alright. I think we should do just that. Catalog them… or something. You take care of yours, I’ll take care of mine.”

He too stood up, slowly. “Are you leaving already?”

“Yeah… That message made me nauseous. And I got stuff to do. Say hi to Petunia for me…”

He scrunched his eyebrows together. “Who’s Petunia?”

“Ah… your girlfriend?”

“Her name is Zoe.”

“Cool. Goodbye Mike, let’s keep in touch.”