Arcana | 3 – The High Priestess

Arcanum 3 – The High Priestess

The High Priestess will often refer to a female individual, the mother or grandmother who has handed down either an ideal of purity or an authoritarian coldness. She will also incarnate the cold mother, the sexless woman, who finds justification in a religious ideal or morality, and who does not know how to be tender. But her demand for purity can put us on the trail of a woman of high spiritual stature, a priestess, a therapist, a female guide, who could be of any age. In love, The High Priestess is ready to form a couple based on the union of souls.

Michael had been this close to tell Lisa who he really was and that they had met before, many years earlier. When she had asked him if his face was bandaged because of an accident.

He hadn’t realized right away, but of course, the moment he got closer to her and introduced himself as John, and she replied by telling him her name, it became apparent who she was. Even more evident than her striking resemblance with her father.

Throughout the night, he had enjoyed his disguise and reveled in the luxury of not having to say anything about the Michael Jackson persona. However, as the hours went by he had started to feel as if somehow he was deceiving Lisa, by not telling her who he really was. And that she knew him, just like he knew her. They had been introduced before.

It had been so long ago, and likely she didn’t even remember having ever met him. After all she was just a kid back then, and he was nothing but a teenager. It had been a quick meeting, too. But still, it was not fair that he knew about her and she didn’t know squat about him. Alan, as clueless as he was, had been way too focused on the beauty by his side – Leigh, Michael remembered him calling her – to pay too much attention to Lisa. In a way, that had comforted him: he guessed that the young Presley too was used to be overlapped to her public persona a little bit, and probably enjoyed being ignored or not recognized, every now and then.

So all in all, everything had gone well. At least until they were in that gondola, on the Ferris wheel. Right on top of the carnival, swaying gently in the breeze of the night, and just enjoying a moment of quietness. It had been that suspension that had finally allowed him to let the sensations in. The music coming from the funfair was so feeble that he could barely hear it, and Lisa’s blue-green eyes were the brightest star in the sky. He was such a sap. But anyway.

He had observed her for a bit, unseen, taking in the beauty of her features. She had told him she would be turning twenty in a few days. She was gorgeous, and he could tell that behind that bold, strong facade there was still the shy girl he had once met. Only, that little girl was now a beautiful, adult woman and the way he looked at her held a different quality altogether.

Giving her his scarf had been nothing but natural for him. And he did hope she would keep that little present and maybe think about him sometimes. He wondered what she thought of his bandaged face and of him not really knowing what to say when she had asked him about it. That had been the moment. It had been right then and there that Michael had been this close to tell her the truth about who he was.

But then the Ferris wheel had started moving again, and he had realized that the night was coming to an end. Not enough time to explain. Not something of this magnitude. And maybe not even the place. What if she freaked out? They were suspended in the air, after all.

And then, there was also something else. Just like Alan liked Leigh, Michael liked Lisa. More than he expected, and more than he was prepared for. What was he going to do about that, given that he would soon leave again for his tour? He hadn’t dared to ask her about a possible boyfriend, and he didn’t remember having heard anything about her or read anything in the press. He knew nothing about her life. But surely he wanted to know more and, worst-case scenario, hoped they could be friends.

Before that, however, he needed to stop lying about his identity. He was not John, and she deserved to know it. Even if that meant that she would look at him differently, or even worse, before she decided that he wasn’t that interesting after all. He couldn’t play the mummy forever, especially because at one point Michael had been pretty sure that she, too, seemed fascinated by him. Now he wondered if Lisa would still feel the same way, once she knew the truth, and if she would still have wanted to see him the next day.

In retrospect, asking her out had been the natural consequence of the stream of consciousness that he had been experiencing throughout the night. In all honesty, he had blurted out the words even before they even took shape in his mind.

Now, twenty-four hours later, as he and Alan waited for the girls at the candy store, just inside the UltraFunGames Fair, Michael hoped he would have the chance to speak to Lisa in private just for a minute.

“So… remember what I asked you?” Michael tossed a chewing-gum into his mouth and glanced at Alan.

Alan laughed.

“Yeah, yeah… I remember. Don’t worry. I was planning to be alone with my sweet Leigh anyway. You can take as much time as you want with Lisa…” He shoved Michael playfully. “You dog!”

“Hey, it’s not like that! I just wanna talk to her, OK?”

“Yo, Mike! Chill! Look – I ain’t judging you. She’s so pretty. Why wouldn’t you want to spend time with her, anyway?”

“To talk.”

“OK, OK. To talk. Are you sure you wanna tell her who you are?”

“I think she has the right to know, because she and I have met before. And don’t even start with your shit about me wanting something else from her… Something I can’t do with these darn bandages on, anyway.”

Alan made that gesture where he zipped his mouth and Michael’s forehead distended. He didn’t want his friend to think of him in those terms. As if he just wanted to nail Lisa. Michael just wasn’t as open as Alan in his flirting. He had been raised differently, and whatever he did behind closed doors was nobody’s business but his and his lady’s. Besides, it irked him a bit that his friend had kind of sniffed his interest for Lisa. Alan knew him and had realized that Michael liked the girl. However, what Michael had told him was the truth: he just needed to talk to her. And then, after that, he would also fill Alan in.

They were still chatting and goofing around when the girls appeared. And that night, Lisa looked even more heavenly than the night before, as if… well, as if she had tried her best to look good for him. For Michael. As a matter of fact, she looked drop-dead gorgeous, with those tight jeans and boots and a black trench coat, her hair down on her shoulders, just a light make-up on. And his scarf. Lisa was still wearing his scarf. The realization produced a sudden, and likely misplaced, sensation of glee that Michael tried to bury by coughing.

By his side, Alan whistled lowly.

“Look at my girl…”

What?

Blinking, Michael’s eyes moved to Leigh. Yeah, she was beautiful, all in red tonight. However, it felt almost physically painful not to keep looking at Lisa, which was why his gaze shifted back to her right away. He smiled.

“Hey, guys…”

Leigh sounded cheerful and genuinely happy to see them. One step behind, Lisa smiled at Michael.

“Hi.”

Everything else seemed forgotten the moment he walked over to her.

“Good evening… I’m so happy you showed up.” He cleared his throat and extracted something from the pocket of his coat. “This is for you.”

Her smile got wider.

“Wow. Nobody had ever gifted me with a candy cane.”

Michael laughed.

“I guess there’s a first time for everything. Are you ready to begin?”

After all, convincing Alan to step back and let Michael enjoy some alone time with Lisa did not end up being a feat at all. Within thirty minutes since the girls’ arrival, he and Leigh were already engrossed in a never-ending conversation peppered with laughter and jokes. Of course, all four of them spent some time all together, but after a while and ever so slowly, the two couples started to drift away from one another – in quite the literal sense. At one point, as Lisa and Michael were busy playing Big Six Wheel, they noticed their friends were walking off to the Carousel. And that Leigh was holding Alan by the arm.

Oh, well…

“Leigh told me she likes your friend very much…”

Lisa glanced over in their direction and smiled, then shook her head. Bless Leigh. She lived everything so naturally.

“Yeah. And it’s reciprocated.” Michael was really starting to enjoy the close proximity with this girl, the fluidity of their back and forth, their little glances. “He’s a cool guy.”

“And she’s a good girl. I hope he’ll treat her well.”

“Want me to make sure he does?”

Lisa turned and looked at him.

“Would you? Are you the kind of man who makes sure a woman is treated right?”

“I always make sure my woman’s treated right. Or any woman around me, really. I can do that for your friend, too… If you want me to.”

They stared at each other, both quiet for a moment. The unspoken message was communicated just fine. And if Michael didn’t know any better, he would almost think that he and Lisa were flirting.

“So…” Lisa’s voice seemed to have dropped in tone just a tiny little bit. “What do you wanna do now?”

The question almost surprised him. Well, not the question in itself, but the possible answer. Because all of a sudden, the rides in the funfair weren’t the only things in Michael’s mind. Not the only things he wanted to do.

“What about the Dark Ride?” He pointed at the attraction right behind Lisa’s back, and she spun on a dime, looking in the same direction. “Or would it scare you too much?”

She laughed in a way that made him smile. It was a low, soulful laugh.

“There’s nothing that scares me about this place. Let’s go… John.”

Automatically and without even thinking, Michael held out his hand to her. Alan and Leigh could go arm in arm, so why couldn’t he just take things a step further with Lisa? Not that he thought she would allow him to. And instead, catching him by surprise, she did take his hand. Glove on glove, no skin on skin contact. However, he felt the heat emanating through the fabric and held onto her. Her hand was so little in his own bigger one. When he glanced up, Lisa was smiling.

Still talking about trivial things, they walked over to the ghost train, an indoor ride that looked more vintage and old than anything else at the carnival. Michael loved it. He adored the scruffy-looking vehicles, all painted in red and yellow just like the Ferris wheel.

“Hey, Lisa… Do you know that this kind of ride is usually designed to be an optical and physical illusion?”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. If that thing is what I think it is, we’ll travel through specially lit scenes with… you know… animation, sound, music, special effects…”

“And you’re into that kind of thing?” As they kept walking, Lisa kept her gaze fixed on the ride. However, Michael could tell that she was listening to him for real. It felt nice, to know that she was interested in what he had to say despite not having any idea of who he was. Because usually, people tended to listen to him because of who he was.

“Some of that, yeah… You?”

“I like music. But I love reading even more. Reading is my thing.”

Without even realizing it, he squeezed her hand in a very affectionate gesture.

“Really? I adore books. Of any kind! Comics, too. I have a huge collection.” All scattered about, so he hoped she wouldn’t ask to…

“Wow, can I borrow some of them, some time?”

Just perfect. He had to laugh.

“Sure, why not. By the way…” He stopped right near the entrance of the tunnel and turned to her fully, taking a good look at her. Gosh… This girl indeed was beautiful. “I’m happy you’re still wearing my scarf…”

Her eyes in his, Lisa’s hand came up and touched the fabric of the garment. “I am too. At first I wasn’t sure if I should wear it again, but then… I realized that I really like it. Plus… it keeps me warm.”

“Cool.”

Were they, like… flirting for real now?

“Well, would you look at that…” She pointed at the sign right above the entrance of the tunnel. Fata Morgana. That was the name of the ride. “I hope this whole thing isn’t a mirage!”

Once again, that subtle undercurrent of unspoken words despite her playful tone. Michael found it hard to disentangle himself from the feeling. He gently tugged at her hand.

“Hey, the top cart is free. Or boat. What is that?” He laughed, like a kid. “Come on… Let’s jump in!”

She followed him without a word, as if she was engrossed in some thought that he couldn’t really pinpoint, and he helped her get comfortable, allowing her to take the safest seat. Something she noticed, he could tell from the look in her eyes and the way she grinned at him. As if she was surprised and pleased. The bandages on his face felt suddenly the most uncomfortable thing he had ever experienced. He wanted her to be able to look at his face and keep that amazed expression intact. And he hoped she would, in due time.

While she… Well, Lisa was experiencing sensations that she had not been ready to experience at all. Earlier that night, while getting ready to meet with the guys and while Leigh was still busy singing her heart out while taking a shower, Lisa had quietly gotten dressed in front of the mirror, at her friend’s apartment.

After a few minutes, she had realized that she wanted to look beautiful for him and that she also hoped she could see his face. Without that stuff. Just his face, thoroughly. To have a visual image to match with the auditory feeling of his voice, that sounded like liquid gold. Like a caress.

The scarf had come as a final touch, just as she was about to leave. After coming back home with Leigh, the previous night, Lisa had carefully folded the scarf and placed it on her nightstand. When she had opened her eyes the next morning, it had been the first thing she had seen and, still half-asleep and out of her own volition, she had reached out and touched the soft fabric. She still remembered that guy’s cologne. And his eyes, so dark and so gentle. She realized that she really was looking forward to seeing him again.

Before leaving the apartment, that night, Lisa had picked up the scarf and had wrapped it around her neck, being assaulted right away by John’s scent. The sensory experience had been intense, and she hadn’t known what to do with it. Just like now, as she sat next to him in the cart, and the olfactory feeling of his proximity was shaking her more than she was prepared for. There was just something about his presence that was alluring, thrilling and calming all in once, and something about his aura that differed from anything she had known about males up until that point.

However, as the cart started moving through the dark ride, she got distracted by the darkness suddenly falling around them. Next to her, she saw John smile.

“You like this stuff for real, don’t you?”

There was amazement in her voice. Lisa had stopped being childlike when she was very young, while this guy right here seemed to enjoy playing like a kid every chance he got and being all adult-like at the same time. Such a bizarre combination.

“Oh yeah, you can very well say that!”

They kept traveling slowly on their cart – which at one point indeed became some sort of boat, as they found themselves immersed into the water – gently swaying through dark passages. What at first had been nothing but a trip into the darkness soon became a spooky horror ride including lighting, sounds, animatronics, props and a lot of visual effects.

Lisa was not scared, quite the opposite, in fact. She heard screaming and laughing from the other carts and when she turned her head, she noticed a couple making out in the boat just behind hers and John’s. When her gaze shifted again, she found his laughing eyes.

“You don’t look scared.”

“I’m not. This stuff would only scare six-years-olds and…”

The sudden thunder and splash of water just an inch away from her made Lisa jump and shriek and scoot over toward John, who was chuckling hard.

Ass!

A silly, goofy ass at that, having much more fun than she did. And yet, she found herself clinging onto him. His arm came around her shoulders and he pulled her closer, still laughing.

“Here… Don’t get wet…”

She rolled her eyes and had to smile at his very specific choice of words, despite not being sure at all that he implied anything more than what he had said. However, her seat was now moist and she couldn’t indeed scoot back to her place. Well… not that she minded. Holding onto him, her side adhering to his solid chest wasn’t even half bad.

“Sorry…”

“Hey… don’t be sorry…” She felt his breathing on the top of her head. “You can stay like this for as long as you like… I don’t mind…”

Boom. The noise. And then another flash of light and the stupid plastic skeleton dropping from the ceiling and hanging right above her head, almost touching her, making her shriek once again. This time, she nearly jumped into John’s lap and her hand came up automatically, touching the side of his face, right over the bandages. He stayed perfectly still and just held her as the boat swayed slowly out of the darkness and into what looked like a red fog.

“You are almost out of hell. And after Thanatos… comes Eros. Cling to one another as you float toward the surface and say goodbye to Fata Morgana… Hold onto the one you love to make it through this and survive. Survive… Survive…”

The recording voice echoed, sounding as old as the props surrounding them, and was accompanied by a melody of soft, relaxing strings in the background. Glancing up at John, Lisa realized that her hand was still cradling the side of his face. His hand was tangled in her hair.

They stared at each other as the splashing sounds of the water swallowed the music and moved the little boat toward the exit of the dark cave.

“Am I hurting you?” Lisa motioned to remove her hand from his face but his free hand came out, resting over hers. They had removed their gloves and it was their first skin on skin contact. His palm felt warm.

“No, it’s OK…”

Lisa’s eyes dropped on his mouth and she saw him lick his lips. His head moved closer, and she wondered what she would do if he intended to kiss her. She was used to guys taking what they wanted from her, or at least trying to, without even asking. And although John seemed different, he likely wasn’t, and in a second she would feel his tongue into her mouth, forcing her to slap the hell out of him and hurt him for real this time. It did not matter how much she liked him.

“Can I… give you a kiss?”

His words dragged her out of the haze she felt immersed in. Was he asking for permission? And how… incredibly surprising was to realize that he was the first guy who had ever dared to do such a thing?

His eyes kept studying her, patiently, and he did not move, as if he genuinely seemed to wait for her answer. As if he was giving her all the time that she needed to understand if she wanted this. Which prompted her to ask herself if she did. And the answer was yes.

And so Lisa’s hand, up until that point still cradling the side of his face, moved behind his neck. Her fingers touched his hair. It was soft. She pulled his head down and closed her eyes. For the first time in her life really letting herself go and truly wanting it while, at the same time, realizing that she could not and would not fight this. Why, she had no idea.

His lips touched her in the sweetest contact. He did not try to force the kiss in any way. He did not try to take what she had not granted or allowed. But one thing he did, and she loved it: he pulled her closer to his body as his lips gently explored hers in a sweet, chaste kiss, in a series of pecks that lasted until the boat stopped its motions, the lights changed once again and the music subsided.

It was nothing dirty or especially daring, but still… it felt breathtaking. It felt like nothing Lisa had experienced before. As a matter of fact, it wasn’t even typical for her to engage in this kind of behavior with someone she barely knew. Or didn’t know at all. Despite her “wild child” image on the press and defiant attitude, she was not an easy girl. But John – he was different from any other man she had ever met, and that much she could tell. How and to what extent, she didn’t know yet.

She appreciated how restrained he had been and how he had never tried to shove his tongue down her throat, like other dudes had attempted to do one too many times. He felt entirely in control and lost in the moment as much as she was. However, Lisa tingled – all over, as if he had the power to call out to each part of her just by exploring her with his lips.

When the lights almost blinded them and they finally broke the kiss, they stared at each other for a moment. He smiled, then kissed her forehead, gently.

“Well… This was even better than I expected. Or hoped for.”

Lisa had to laugh. Shaking her head, she allowed him to help her get out of the cart. What now?

“Lisa…”

“Yes?”

“I really loved kissing you.”

Her eyebrows sprung up. Another first. Never had she heard a man express himself that way. Loved? It sounded almost out of time. He also seemed sincere. She smiled.

“It was nice.”

“Yes, it was… Hey, look… Would you come with me? There’s a little corner right behind the Coconut Shy and I was thinking…”

Lisa let go of his hand and gave him a deadpanned look.

“Dude? Seriously? What else do you expect? What kind of girl do you think I am?”

There it was. That was how easily her hopes would crumble. The expectation of finding a man that was truly different from anyone she had ever met before. John had kissed her, and now he wanted more. Or even worse, maybe he expected it.

Despite the bandages on his face, she saw the embarrassed look in his eyes. She wondered if he was also blushing. Probably yes, since he started to fidget.

“What? No! I’m sorry. It’s not what… I didn’t mean that. I just need to talk to you in private.” He blinked and straightened his stance. “It’s important. Please, trust me. I just wanna talk.”

She studied him for a moment. She knew what her mother would say if she were there. To let it go and go back home. Go back to Florida, to Clearwater, where she was safe, or California. But was she, really?

What was she supposed to do? Act rationally or follow her instinct?

“What do you wanna talk about?”

John shook his head.

“I can’t do it here. I need for us to be alone. You’ll understand. Please… Trust me.”

Trust me. Those words again. So easy to say. So hard to believe. Especially coming from a man.

Lisa sighed.

“OK… But just for a little while, alright?”

“Sure, it won’t take long. I promise.”

He crossed his heart for good measure. Once again, that contrast. The adult man and the childlike veneer. Well… maybe he didn’t have any bad intention. Perhaps she could indeed hear what he had to say. Nodding her head and still a bit hesitantly, Lisa allowed him to take her hand and walked with him out of the tunnel and in the direction of the Coconut Shy.

Michael’s heart was hammering in his chest. He had not planned to kiss Lisa at all, but when the lights had gone down and the havoc had died off, he had found himself so close to her, so enveloped in her sweet scent that he had not been able to resist. The reason why he had asked her if he could kiss her also resided in the look he had seen in her eyes. As if she, too, wanted the same thing and yet shared his same insecurity.

The kiss, albeit chaste, had detonated internal bombs he did not even know existed. Emotional and physical. He had no control over either one of those reactions. His body buzzed and his heartbeat had started thundering in his ears. For a moment, the only thing he had wanted was to keep kissing her until they were both out of breath.

Of course, he had restrained himself. He didn’t want her to think that he was there to fool around and nothing else, but the truth was that he had not expected such level of attraction, so sudden and so disconcerting. More than ever before, he needed for her to know about him, about who he actually was. His real name and his face. The realization was startling and concerning at the same time: what if she stopped being so comfortable around him, once she knew the truth? What if she regretted kissing him, holding onto him, being so close to him?

What if she didn’t like him at all? His face? His identity. His… whatever it was that people thought he was. Old insecurities resurfaced, just like that.

Sadly, he had no time for any profound reflections. Their sudden closeness and attraction had been unexpected, and now he needed to move things along. He felt bad enough for having kept quiet up until that point – and he no longer could.

“Come… See that spot over there? Under those orange lights?”

“Yeah… You aren’t a serial killer, are you?”

Michael had to giggle.

“No, I am not.”

“But you wouldn’t admit it if you were, right?”

He turned to her and spotted that weird expression on her face, halfway between enticement and worry.

“Lisa… I don’t know, probably not. I can’t say. I’m not a maniac. Here… Let’s sit down. I need to take a breather.”

“You’re way too young to be tired after three minutes of walk.”

“It’s not that…” Michael sat on the bench under the vintage-looking lamppost and waited for her to do the same. No, he wasn’t tired. Just a bit nervous.

“OK… Here we are. So? What do you wanna tell me?”

Lisa clasped her hands in her lap and watched him with those azure eyes that always managed to entrance him and make him lose focus.

Michael took a deep breath.

“Remember when you touched my face and asked me if you were hurting me?”

“Yes?”

“And I said you weren’t?”

“Uh-uhm…” She narrowed her eyes, studying him. Trying to guess what the big secret was.

“It’s the truth. You weren’t hurting me because, well… I’m not hurt.”

She frowned.

“What do you mean, you’re not hurt? What are those bandages for, then? A beauty treatment?”

He guessed sarcasm was a good thing. Or a defense mechanism as she wondered if she should be scared shitless of him.

“It’s a… ah, just a disguise, actually.”

“A disguise for what? I’m not sure I follow.”

Gosh. Another deep breath. Why explaining himself with words was always so darn hard? He never had any problems when it came to the lyrics for his songs.

“I just can’t walk around like… everyone else does. Lisa, you and I have already met before. A long time ago. Probably you don’t remember, but I do.”

Lisa shifted uncomfortably, and that little crease in between her eyebrows deepened. Now she was getting concerned for real. Michael had to move things along before she ran away screaming and called 911.

“Which is fine! ‘Cause… You know… It was a very long time ago. You were just a kid back then, and I was nothing but a teenager. Your dad introduced us.”

He saw her stiffen her back, and it occurred to him that her father was likely a very delicate subject for her to face. Maybe he should not have mentioned him. Michael was sorry. However, that was the truth. And yet at the same time, words could only go so far.

“OK… I can only show you. I’m gon’ remove these bandages so you can see my face. You aren’t gonna run away, are you?”

He smiled, but his eyes conveyed more concern than anything else. She just stared at him for a moment, her hands still in her lap, clasping the gloves she yet had not put back on.

“I won’t promise anything.” She set her jaw. “For now, I can still say that I don’t know you. But go ahead, let me see…”

Biting the soft flesh inside his cheek, Michael slowly started taking away the bandages covering more than half of his face. When he began to struggle, Lisa unexpectedly scooted closer and her hands reached up to him.

“Wait… You’re making a mess. Let me…”

His hands abandoned the task and he allowed her to take care of him, all the while observing her reactions like a hawk. The more skin she uncovered, the more of a turmoil he saw in her eyes. Curiosity, bewilderment, surprise. Maybe a bit of shock, too.

“My name is not John…”

Reaching up and touching his cheek, he realized his face was finally visible.

“Well, no shit, Sherlock.” The reply came out in amazement, merely a bunch of whispered words. She paused, then… “Fucking hell. You’re Michael Jackson.”

“I’m just Michael. Or Mike. I mean… You can call me Mike.”

Without even thinking, he reached out and took her hand. The most surprising thing was that she let him and didn’t seem startled at all.

“I hadn’t recognized you at all. Not because I think I met you before… ’cause you’re right, I don’t remember. But just because… you know, you’re on TV and on the cover of the magazines and all that stuff… But it’s not the same… It’s not even comparable.” It seemed as if she was talking to herself. “Your voice sounds different.”

Yeah, he bet it did.

“But… aren’t you supposed to be on tour? That’s what I saw… ah… on TV.”

She was a bit shocked. Not starstruck, just surprised.

“I was. I’m going to leave soon for the final leg. I’m taking a break.”

“I see…”

“So you don’t remember ever meeting me before?”

Lisa just shook her head. Her eyes kept scanning his face and he felt naked and vulnerable. But not necessarily in a bad way.

“It was, I think, in 1974. Your father came to one of our shows… It was my brothers and me in Las Vegas. And you were there with him. After the performance, he introduced you to us all. You were maybe six, seven… I was about sixteen.”

“Oh…” Her eyes softened, then seemed to shine. Something in Michael’s heart melted. “And what happened?”

He smiled.

“Nothing, really. You hid behind your dad’s legs for the whole time. You were so shy.”

That detail too managed to make her smile. Good… Now they were getting somewhere. But still, he was not done. Not by a long shot.

“Lisa… I didn’t want to deceive you at all. Or lie to you. I just… I can’t…”

“Go out like everyone else. I get that now, I do.”

Her hand squeezed his. She understood, and Michael relaxed. The comfort of being around her coming back in full force, and so easily. That feeling of being safe, not in danger with this girl, who looked at him as if she could really see him. And now she was seeing him for real.

Speaking of which…

“Are you sorry you let me kiss you?”

His words startled her.

“What do you mean?”

“Now that you know it’s me… And not John… Do you, you know, wish we hadn’t kissed?”

Surprising them both, Lisa leaned forward and framed his face with both hands, kissing him again, quickly. Just a peck on the lips that lasted maybe a little bit more than necessary. They pulled back and stared at each other for a moment, their forehead almost touching. Their breathing slightly more labored than it was supposed to be.

“No… But I’d like to go back now. Here… Take your scarf, so you can cover up again.”

Yeah… she had a lot to digest. And yet that kiss still felt like the perfect ending of the night.