Arcana | 4 – The Empress

Arcanum 4 – The Empress

The Empress will inspire thoughts of creativity, the female part of the individual, or even a woman full of fire and energy, animated by a boiling enthusiasm. She is prepared to go beyond boundaries, to “burst out,” no matter how old she is. She is the soul of adolescence with its joyous fanaticism, its inability to recognize the consequences of its actions, its faith in action for the sake of action. This card is also, when drawn in a reading for an elderly person, the rebirth of an energy thought long vanished. The Empress recalls the dreams of youth and urges us to fantasize from them, a thirst for the absolute that may well have been forgotten.

The next morning, Lisa woke up pretty early, knowing well that she was supposed to go back to Los Angeles and not being in the mood for it at all. The previous night had been revealing, to say the least – and on so many different levels.

She and Michael had spoken for a bit as they walked back to the entrance of the funfair, waiting for Leigh and Alan to appear. Lisa wanted to go home but needed her friend to do so, since Leigh was the one driving. At the same time, she was glad Michael was such a gentleman and that he was not willing to let her be alone until Leigh arrived. That had given them the chance to get to know each other a little better. Or to get reacquainted. Or whatever.

Lisa had found out that Michael had tried to get in touch with her a couple of years earlier because he wanted to meet her – being sure as he was that she, of all people, would understand what living the kind of life he lived meant. However, he had found himself face to face with a bastion called Priscilla, who over the phone had told him that Lisa was not interested in getting in touch with him at all.

Only, it wasn’t even remotely true.

Up until that point, Lisa had never known Michael had spoken to her mother at all. Priscilla had never told her anything about that phone call. Michael’s words, finding out what had transpired and being totally clueless about it had startled and irritated Lisa. She had realized right away that she had been duped by her mother, and the saddest part was that she wasn’t even surprised. Priscilla was controlling, hyper-protective, and sometimes toxic in her behaviors. Lisa would try not to overthink about the many occasions when her mother had faulted her. Her intentions might have been good, yes… however, the result hadn’t always been pleasant.

As Leigh and Alan finally appeared, taking a minute just to make out near the carousel like two teenagers, Michael had quickly told Lisa about his rehearsals in Pensacola, inviting her to meet him there the next day, apologizing in advance because he would not be able to pick her up, and saying a whole lot of endearing, quirky, funny, hurried things that had made her laugh. He sure was something, and so different from the man she had always imagined him to be.

Lisa hadn’t given him a straight answer right away, but had promised him that she would think about it.

On her way home, as Leigh blabbered non-stop about Alan, telling Lisa that what a fantastic dude he was and that she was already crazy about him, Lisa’s mind had begun wandering. Back, and back, and back, to several years earlier. Trying very hard to focus on the first time she and Michael had met, as kids.

At first the recollection was nothing but a blur, but eventually something had appeared from the fog of her mind and she had remembered somehow. The memory of a memory.

A young boy with big dark eyes and a sweet smile, just waving at her. His brothers surrounding him. Her father telling her to say hello “to the guys”. Lisa hiding behind her dad’s legs, feeling out of place and shy.

That was it. Mainly a blurry, indistinct image. However, she now recognized Michael’s smile and soulful, gentle eyes. He had grown older, but the two images, the kid and the man, overlapped so easily.

And now there were also new memories. The kiss she and Michael had shared in that tunnel, and that other quick peck on the bench. Why in the world had she kissed him again? As Leigh’s voice faded into the distance and Lisa kept spacing out, absorbed in her own thoughts, she had realized that she had kissed Michael because she really wanted to. Because the first time around it had been better than she could ever expect and she wanted to feel that feeling again. But also because he had looked so insecure, as if he could not believe she might be attracted to him once she knew who he really was. Was he kidding? He was more than attractive. He was handsome. No, scratch that, he was gorgeous, but there was also so much more about him. So much that Lisa wanted to find out. So much more she wanted to know about him. The realization, of course, was unsettling in so many ways.

The next morning, she called her mother to let her know that she would prolong her stay at Leigh’s. Of course, Priscilla wasn’t amused and started her interrogation right away.

Why are you not coming home. Why can’t I ever count on you. Why do you make me worry about you all the time. Why aren’t you following your courses in Clearwater. What are you doing over there, where I cannot take care of you.

“Control you” was a likely more appropriate definition of what Priscilla wanted to do. Lisa had tried to be as evasive as she could, but her mother just would not relent.

“Are you, mother? Are you really letting me do my thing?”

She broke her mother’s flow of words by interrupting her monologue. Nothing but undiluted bullshit. Lisa was done and didn’t like to be treated like a little kid. Or as if she was some unintelligent moron.

“Lisa Marie, of course I am. What I am doing now is giving you the chance to tell me the truth.”

“About?”

“You know what I am talking about. I asked you, in a very straightforward way: what are you doing over there? In Pensacola, of all places! What’s keeping you so far from home? Or even better, who’s keeping you there…”

Lisa narrowed her eyes and glanced at the closed door of her bedroom, faintly hearing Leigh walking down the corridor and toward the bathroom. Her friend had awakened.

“Are you keeping tabs on me, mom? Having someone follow me around?”

“I am just making sure you are fine. I get worried. You know me.” Priscilla’s bland tone only managed to make Lisa see red. She was going through a phase where her mother would get on her nerves quite quickly. “Who was that guy you have been meeting at that ugly funfair for the past couple of days?”

There it was. Sighing, Lisa sank back against the pillow. She was still in bed, pajama and all, despite being almost noon. And now she also had a pounding headache.

“That place isn’t ugly at all. And I don’t want you to follow me around. We spoke about this. There’s a reason why I left for a while. I needed to be on my own.”

“You will be on your own when you are mature enough to take care of yourself properly. Until then, I am still responsible for you.”

“There’s a very thin line between being responsible and being a stalker, mother.”

Priscilla’s surprised gasp made Lisa grin. Finally she had managed to get under her skin. Time to aim at the target that had been in her mind since the night before.

“Speaking of interference, I have found out something curious, mom, and I would love to hear your side of the story.” Her tone was very calm, but she was boiling inside. “Did Michael Jackson called you a couple of years ago, asking for your permission to talk to me?”

A part of her hoped that her mother would simply tell her that Michael had lied. There was, in Lisa, the need for her mother to be loyal and transparent with her. Lisa was ready to accept that this guy she had just met again could be a fraud, while coming to terms with the fact that her own mother could be a hyper-controlling, manipulative figure in her life, so devoid of trust in her daughter to always try to choose for her, was a way more difficult mouthful to digest.

“…I don’t remember.”

Lisa snorted and her stomach dropped. The small pause and measured tone in Priscilla’s words had been a dead giveaway. Michael had been honest. He had called and Priscilla had sent him away. She had lied to him and then to her own daughter.

“Yes, you do. You never forget anything, mom.” Lisa closed her eyes. “Why did you tell him that I didn’t wanna get in touch with him? I didn’t even know he had called!”

“Lisa, you were weeks away from your eighteen birthday. You were technically still a minor.”

“What, did he call ‘cause he wanted to marry me?”

She could not avoid sounding snippy and sarcastic.

“Lisa Marie! What’s with the attitude? Who do you think you’re speaking to? Anyway, no, of course. He just wanted to say hello over the phone because he had heard you were… unwell… and wanted to know if he could talk to you. And I told him that he couldn’t.”

Unwell. Yeah. She had been a mess, back then. And maybe Michael could have been a good friend.

“You didn’t even ask me what I thought of it. That was unfair.”

“Like a said, you were a minor.”

“Yeah, but I wasn’t four, mother. I was – like you said – weeks away from my eighteen birthday. At the very least I had the right to know. And he had the right not to be lied to.”

Priscilla stayed quiet for a while, and Lisa just listened to her light breathing over the phone.

“So it’s him, right? He’s the guy you met at that carnival. I should have known.” Another pause. “I seem to recall he’s about to leave for his tour, but that he’s on hiatus right now. That is not a man you can count on. He’s erratic and older than you. And… odd.”

Lisa rolled her eyes. She had accidentally given her mother the ammunition to know who her new friend was. The problem was that she didn’t care at all. She was willing to let Priscilla know and think whatever she wanted. She was an adult now, and she would do whatever she felt like doing. Such as seeing Michael at his rehearsals.

Lisa arrived at the Pensacola Civic Center not really knowing what she was supposed to do, who she was supposed to ask what, and feeling all in all a bit awkward. She had the phone number of Michael’s room, at his hotel, but nothing else. Putting on her sunglasses, she walked over to the entrance, where at least five huge, suit-wearing bodyguards were keeping watch. Their faces did not betray any emotion.

Lisa cleared her throat.

“Hey… ah, hello. My name is Lisa Presley. Mister Jackson is waiting for me.”

But was he, really? It was very possible that he had forgotten all about their meeting and was busy on stage, unbeknown of her presence out there. She felt she was making a fool out of herself and was glad she was there on her own – because Leigh’s reaction when Lisa had told her who her new friend was had been quite embarrassing to observe. Lisa’s ears had buzzed for minutes after her friend had finally stopped shrieking in excitement. Well… time to let go of any Pindaric flights. Michael probably didn’t even remember having talked to her.

“Oh, yes… Please, follow me. Mister Bray told me you would come.”

Wait, what? Lisa’s eyebrows sprung up, and she glanced up at this giant of a man with a thick black beard and a top hat.

“Oh… OK?”

Before she could say anything else, the man had ushered her inside the building. He started walking in front of her at a slow, steady pace. It was like watching a mountain moving. Around the corner of a long corridor, Lisa was met by a middle-aged guy wearing a fisherman’s hat. The man had gentle eyes that reminded her of Michael’s, and a fatherly appeal that immediately struck her in the most positive way.

“Miss Presley?” The man smiled and held out his hand. “I’m Bill. Welcome. Michael will be so happy to see you. He hoped to see you.”

“Hi… Please, call me Lisa. Was he really waiting for me?” As she watched the gigantic bodyguard with the top hat disappear back toward the entrance, Bill squinted his eyes at her and kept smiling.

“Of course. Come with me. He was just taking a break. He told me you would probably come, but was not clear about the time.”

“That’s because I wasn’t sure I could make it.”

Or that I would really be up to this at all. But now, all of a sudden, she was glad to be there.

“Well, Michael sure will be happy you did.”

Very gently, in a polite manner, Bill touched her back as he opened the door to Michael’s dressing room, after having knocked twice. It was apparent that, whoever Bill was in Michael’s life, he was very close to him. Lisa suddenly realized that she didn’t know much about her new friend and, as she stepped into the room, the image of Michael as a kid replayed in her mind for a quick instant. And then it was gone, overlapped by the blinding smile of the man he had become.

“Oh..! Hey, Lisa Marie…” His hand was still on the telephone as if he had just ended a call. “Thank you, Bill.”

“Mike… You got about five minutes, and then you’re due back on stage. That’s what Frank told me.”

“Sure. No problem.” Michael’s eyes remained on Lisa. “Lisa… Please, take a seat. Can I get you anything? Water? Soda? Coffee?”

“No, I’m good. Thanks…” Feeling shy and out of place just like she had felt when she was nothing but a kid, Lisa sat on a small armchair near the door. “You look…”

“Sweaty? I know. Sorry.” Michael laughed and grabbed a washcloth, dabbing his face. “I was rehearsing, but then my mother called, so…”

Oh. A mamma’s boy who jumped off stage because his mother was on the phone? Cool. He seemed happy to be mentioning her.

“I see…”

He put the washcloth down on a small table and stepped closer to her.

“Hi, Lisa. I’m so glad you came.”

Holding out his hand, he waited for her to take it, then pulled her back on her feet and, before she could even realize what he was doing, he gently hugged her. It didn’t feel awkward nor provocative in any way. He just wrapped his arms around her and held her for a moment. Almost in an instinctive reaction, Lisa closed her eyes and rested her cheek against his chest. His heartbeat was strong and steady, maybe a little faster than she would have expected. Behind her closed eyelids, images of Michael on her TV screen, hugging… well, pretty much everyone, appeared. Maybe it was just his thing, but sure it felt wonderful.

Lisa stepped back and took a breath, sitting on the armchair once again and feeling a tad bit flustered.

“Yeah, I’m happy to see you too. How’s your mom?” She tossed her hair in a very nonchalant manner. Michael didn’t seem to notice, and his eyes stayed gentle and fixed on her.

“She’s good. She was checking on me, and I told her about us meeting again…” He sat on the chair facing the huge mirror but kept his whole body turned to Lisa. “She remembers, you know? When we first met, all those years ago. Because I had told her, of course.”

“Isn’t she worried you’re hanging out with Elvis’ wild child?” Lisa tried to sound defiant; however it came out a bit weaker than intended. That was her way to deal with her own insecurity. Dropping the bait, hoping to be disarmed.

Michael’s eyes narrowed.

“You don’t look like a wild child to me. I think you’re sweet.”

She let out a dry chuckle.

“You don’t even know me, Michael.”

“That’s true… But I’d sure love to. Get to know you, that is.” He leaned back into the chair. “My mother was happy, anyway. She’s always happy when I’m happy. And I told her I was so glad we met again. Especially because I’d be leaving in a few weeks. And then I have to fly back to L.A. in a couple of days, for a wedding.”

“Oh, you’re getting married? Who’s the lucky girl?” Lisa winked at him and Michael laughed. The moment she said the words, however, she realized that they weren’t just meant to be a silly joke, but more like a way of fishing for information. Why was she doing that? If anything, the focus of her attention should have been Danny. Only, when Michael was around, Danny and any other man ceased to exist in Lisa’s mind.

“Nah, not me. My lawyer, John, is getting married and I’m gonna be his best man. I, well… I don’t even have a girlfriend, so…” He shrugged his shoulders and studied her in a quite subtle way.

Lisa blinked.

“John? John Branca?”

“Yeah. Do you know him?”

“I’ve met him a couple of times. He’s my mother’s lawyer. And she and I too are invited to his wedding.”

“Really?”

Well, now Michael seemed surprised. It made Lisa feel good, to be able to shake him just a tiny little bit. She needed the scale to be a bit more even than this.

“Really. I was actually supposed to go back to Los Angeles today but then, you know, something else came up…”

He gestured, vaguely, around the room.

“This, came up?”

“Yeah.” She couldn’t help but chuckle. “This, and you. My mom wanted me to be back home later today, but I chose differently.”

“And I’m so happy you did…”

His voice dropped in tone and Lisa bit her lip. She wished she could say that Priscilla was as understanding and supportive as Michael’s mother, however that was far from the truth. Time to change the subject, before she really started to feel uncomfortable. Either because of the sheer difference between her own family and Michael’s, or because the only thing she could think about now that they were face to face again were his lips on hers. Kissing her.

“Oh, hey, before I forget. Would you and Alan like to have dinner with Leigh and me, later today? She’s all excited about your friend. And you, of course.”

“About me? Why? She and I barely spoke.”

“Because… Well, because I told her who you are. Was it a mistake?”

Michael smiled what looked like a sad smile.

“Oh, no. It’s fine. I just wish people would behave normally around me. You know… like you do.”

“You think I treat you normally?”

“Well, so far so good, right? I mean, you treat me just the same, whether I’m wearing my disguise or not.” He laughed and Lisa, too, had to smile.

“You’re something else.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“So?”

“So, what?”

“About that dinner.”

Michael squinted his eyes, his expression playful once again.

“Only if you promise me you’ll dance with me at John’s wedding. How about that?”

She snorted.

“I’ll think about it.”

“Fair enough. Come on…” Glancing at his watch, he stood up again and, for the second time, held out his hand. Michael was a bundle of energy. “I gotta go back on stage, but I’m almost done for today. Come with me? It’ll be fun to have you there.”

And so she went with him. She followed him through a labyrinth of corridors and finally to the stage, and sat in one of the front seats, being treated with the amazing and rare sight of Michael rehearsing pretty much his entire performance.

The following two hours were a blur of emotions and sensory experiences. Despite Michael wearing regular clothes and looking pretty much like the guy’s next door, he was far from ordinary. He was unique. It was almost as if Lisa could see the music seep through him in colors and lights, taking shape, becoming a tangible presence in the atmosphere. Watching him sing and dance was something she was not entirely prepared for. Of course, she had seen the man on TV before – who hadn’t, after all? – but this was different. This was intimate. And his eyes, big and dark, gazing at her every now and then as he sang, as if he wanted to make sure she was still there, were the ultimate seduction.

Michael was everything Lisa had imagined him to be and yet something completely different from the man she thought he was. The situation forced her to wonder if she was so struck by him because he was who he was or just because, somehow and beneath those gentle, polite layers, he seemed to embody the kind of man she had always been attracted to. The type of man she had never really found.

The answer, however, was simple. Lisa had never been impressed by fame and, if anything, celebrity was a concept that bothered her more than was probably healthy for her own mental sanity. After all, celebrity – and the people it carried along – was what had taken her father away from her. Celebrity was that thing that forced her to wear an invisible mask when she interacted with people, always asking herself what they wanted from her. Her name, her face, so similar to her father’s, were also some of the reasons why so many men had always gushed over her. As if she was some kind of trophy. As if she was some kind of prize. As if she wasn’t even a human being but only a notch to be carved into the bedpost. A body to be fucked, and then discarded and forgotten.

Michael didn’t seem to be that kind of man.

He was different from the superstar she had always seen on TV but also from everyone she had ever met. Despite not knowing him well yet, he exuded uniqueness. And then, well – then there was that other aspect.

There was a masculine, virile, sexually-charged streak about him that hit her, mixed with that soft nature she had already discovered. The way he had held her, in the boat, as they kissed. The solid grip of his hand holding hers, as they walked over to the bench. The way he danced, as if his energy was also made of fury. As if flames were hiding under that placid water.

Later that night, she was back at Leigh’s place and they were setting up the table, waiting for their guests to arrive. They had even tried to cook something, but the result had been less than impressive and eventually they had decided to have the entire dinner delivered.

“Do you think we should tell them?”

Lisa glanced in Leigh’s direction as she tried to choose a bottle of wine from the rack. Her friend surely loved French red, while Lisa was more like a beer kind of girl. But maybe for tonight she would make an exception. Wild child or not, she sometimes loved playing by the rules and show everyone that she very well knew how to be classy, refined and maybe, yes, even seductive in a different kind of way.

Seductive? Is that what you wanna be tonight? Do you want to seduce him? Or do you hope he will seduce you?

“Lisa?”

“Sorry, what?”

“I asked you if you think we should tell them that all this stuff comes from the deli around the corner.”

Lisa laughed.

“I don’t think they care, Leigh. They’re guys. As long as it’s eatable, I’m sure it’ll work. Besides, I’m positive Alan isn’t really interested in the food, but more like the host.”

“What about your Michael? Don’t you think he, too, could be… you know… pretty hungry?” Leigh winked at her and Lisa felt her cheeks redden just a tad bit. She grimaced.

“He’s not my Michael. I barely know him.”

“But he asked if you wanted to go back to his hotel with him… didn’t he?”

He sure had. Lisa’s eyes turned back to the wine rack as she finally brought herself to pick a bottle. After she had watched him rehearse for a couple of hours, during which time itself took a knee as he entangled her in his web of magic and charisma, dancing and singing, Michael had finally come back to her. Sweaty and a bit breathless, a big smile on his face, he was more than gorgeous and more than alluring. He also smelled amazing. Still!

He had asked her if she had appreciated the performance. Of course, the words didn’t seem to hide any particular undertone or double meaning. No reading between the lines necessary, unless… well, unless Lisa needed to get to know him better before forming an opinion about his flirting style. His MO. Anyway, he had also asked her if she wanted to go back to his hotel room with him, so that they could both drive to Leigh’s place together, “later that evening”.

Lisa had blinked, just staring at him, trying to scan his eyes.

Michael looked and sounded sincere. Innocent. Unless he was trying to bait her, get her in a place where he could try to nail her. Her profoundly rooted insecurity was there to remind her that men were not to be trusted. Not even when they came in such a stunning package, like Michael.

And so she had refused and he had just nodded his head, grinning at her. Studying her with those eyes, big and almost black.

“Then I guess I’ll see you later tonight?”

Lisa had just shrugged her shoulders, vaguely.

“The invitation is still open if you’re up to it.”

“I am. Can I at least walk you back to your car?”

Lisa had smiled, fighting the urge to reach out and take his hand, because he was just so sweet. And trying very hard to keep her calm facade intact. Self-preservation was becoming more and more necessary. Who was this man?

“I don’t think you can. It’s outside the gates. You’d get swarmed.”

“Oh, shoot…”

“Well, shit is a way more appropriate term, if you ask me.”

That had made him laugh. Her potty mouth. Mister Polite and Sophisticated surely hid a way more relaxed side under all those layers of flawlessness.

“Right… Well, I’ll walk you back to the exit, then.”

They had walked side by side, in silence. He still had a towel around his neck. She eyed him as he dabbed his forehead and he noticed, smiling at her, causing butterflies to take off in her belly. This was so unsettling.

Michael stopped in front of the closed emergency door and turned to look at her, taking a deep breath.

“I can’t wait to see you later.”

“Yeah… It’s gonna be fun.” Lisa did her best to keep her tone as neutral as she could. The truth was that she couldn’t wait either.

She stared at him as he cocked his head to a side and, once again, looked as if he was trying very hard to scan her thoughts.

“Can I kiss you?”

She didn’t know if she was prepared or not for that question. However, she just nodded her head and stood still as he moved a step closer, almost entering her personal space. He was quite tall and bent his head, his warm lips touching her cheek, close to her mouth. He pulled back ever so slightly, just hovering an inch above her skin, waiting for her to decide what would happen next.

Lisa’s hand came up and rested on the side of his face and she moved his head ever so slightly, then kissed his lips. Without any hurry, in soft, gentle pecks. At first, Michael stood still, just allowing her to do what she wanted to do, enjoying the kisses, then started to reciprocate them. Once again, it was all chaste.

But intense enough to make Lisa feel as if she was floating in the air as she finally pushed the door open, a minute later, and walked over to her car.

“Well… This is…”

Michael made a funny face and Lisa burst out laughing again, then pushed her palm over her mouth, trying very hard to stifle her laughter. The noises they were hearing were more than telling and it was all hilarious and embarrassing at the same time.

“Hilarious,” she said, clearing her throat and trying very hard to regain some sort of composure.

“I was leaning more toward embarrassing… or awkward… but…” Michael chuckled and blushed, then gulped down his wine and that made Lisa crack up again. The feeling of being so in tune with him was exhilarating. However, this time Michael was the one trying to cover her mouth with his hand and Lisa reacted by pushing his arm away lightly.

“Lisa! You’re so bad! Love isn’t laughing matter!”

Of course, he too was far from serious, but she was more than willing to keep playing with him.

“But this isn’t love, Michael. This is…” She narrowed her eyes and listened carefully. “…More akin to some nature documentary on TV.”

He shook his head and poured himself some more wine, then tilted his head in her direction.

“Go ahead. Please.” Lisa nodded, still giggling.

“Not sure you should be drinking. How old are you, again?”

“Go the fuck ahead, Michael! I’m thirsty!”

This time they both chuckled and then leaned back into the couch, staring right ahead and listening to the noises coming from the other room. Every time they glanced at each other, they started to laugh.

Dinner had gone well. The guys had arrived right on time, with a couple of wine bottles and some pastries. Alan was delighted and looked head over heels enamored with Leigh, and she too seemed enthusiastic to have him finally there, to the point that Lisa had started to wonder why in the world she had organized a double date, given how obvious it was that she and Al had their own thing going on. However, seeing Michael at the door had done a number on her too. He looked…

“You look beautiful,” he had told her, stepping into the apartment and scanning her discretely, from head to toe.

“Thank you.” Lisa was not going to tell him that she had chosen her outfit just for him. “You don’t look too bad yourself.”

Understatement of the year. He looked terrific in his electric blue shirt, black tie and black jacket with leather lapels. Classic black pants, shiny boots with silver details. He could have been the poster boy for how-a-guy-is-supposed-to-look-to-seduce-you-just-by-standing-there. But anyway, she had downplayed the effect he had on her as best as she could.

They had all spent the following few hours sitting at the dinner table, chatting and just enjoying each other’s company and Lisa had been amazed at how well-behaved Leigh had been around Michael. Of course, she was starstruck, but her attention was so focused on Alan that not even the King of Pop mattered that much in the grand scheme of things. And Michael seemed glad not to be at center stage, for once. Especially in collective situations like that one, he acted much shyer than he had been when he and Lisa were talking privately. The idea that this humongous public figure could experience a bit of social awkwardness had never really touched her, as she had always only seen him on stage on TV, however, it hadn’t been shocking either. She, too, often felt anxious when too many people were around.

After dinner, the quartet had moved to Leigh’s spacious living room and they had joked and chatted as they distractedly watched a movie. Then, after a bit, the conversation had quieted down and Leigh and Alan had started flirting, whispering to each other, their words intimate and hushed. At one point, Leigh had declared that she was going to show Alan her photographs – photography was her passion, after all – and they had disappeared into the night area of the apartment. Lisa strongly suspected they would be doing much more than watching pictures in a bit and, of course, she was right.

When Alan and Leigh didn’t come back, it became pretty evident that they were spending some quality time on their own. And then the noises coming from the bedroom had started. They could not be confused with anything else.

At one point, Michael had turned his head slightly in the direction of the corridor and had raised an eyebrow.

“Are they…?”

Almost out of her own volition, Lisa had grabbed a cushion and hugged it, as she tucked her feet under her body, on the couch.

“Yep… They’re fucking. Or about to.”

Snorting, Michael had shaken his head and rubbed his forehead.

At first it had been a bit unsettling, to hear their friends getting it on in such close proximity – albeit beyond the wall. Then it had become slightly funny. Eventually, it had turned into the most hilarious event of the night and Lisa and Michael had started joking about it, and at one point Lisa had even thrown her cushion at him. That had caused some sort of pillow fight and now, finally, they seemed calm again. They were also a bit tipsy.

Michael had already removed his jacket and now tugged at his tie, loosening it around his neck.

“Well, I guess we won’t be leaving anytime soon…”

Lisa laughed, then rested her head in her hand.

“I guess not. Would you want to?”

“What?”

“Leave. Go back home.”

This time he turned to her fully, and his knee brushed hers.

“No, not at all. I mean, hearing your friend screw in a stranger’s house has to be the highlight of everyone’s night, right?”

“Right…”

They chuckled and Michael watched her, still grinning.

“No, but seriously. To be honest, I’m glad we can spend some time alone… you and I. Today I was way too busy, and I couldn’t be around you like I would have wanted.”

“You would have wanted to be around me?” Lisa could not suppress the hint of incredulity in her voice, and his eyebrows sprung up in genuine surprise.

“Of course. Why not?”

“I don’t know, Michael… Because.”

“Because…?”

“Because I must be the least interesting person you hang out with. I mean, you’re around the likes of Brooke Shields, Sophia Loren, Liza Minnelli…”

“That’s different, Lisa…” This time he turned serious. “And it’s also very much part of my work. Public relations. But this… This feels genuine. Real.”

She closed her mouth and seemed to weigh up the words.

Genuine. Real.

He was right. How incredible it was that she felt just the same way with a man that pretty much everyone in the world considered theirs, as well.

“You don’t think so, Lise?”

Lise. She realized she loved the nickname. Or, at the very least, the way he pronounced it. It almost sounded like a melody hummed in his velvety, yet deep voice, so very different from the one he used in public.

“No, I do, it’s just…”

It was just that she really was all jumbled up inside. Because hearing Leigh and Alan fuck in the other room was funny but also caused her to think how Michael sounded, when…

“And you know what else felt real and genuine?”

His voice, now, had dropped an octave and his eyes were pulling her into their darkness. Again. She didn’t even try to resist. She had already realized that when Michael turned the charm on, there was very little she could do.

“What?”

“Your kisses…”

“Yours felt real too. And genuine.”

“That’s because they are…”

He was doing it again. Being all seductive with her and Lisa was his most willing captive. However, at the same time she didn’t like how he always was the one setting and ruling the scenario. It didn’t matter how sweet and gentle Michael was, she once again saw the fire simmer beneath the surface. She had felt it on his lips, in the touch of his hands. She had seen it in his eyes. And just like that, she became daring and defiant – the intense need of having him touch her again dangerously mixing with the sudden necessity of being just a bit more in control.

Lisa rose onto her knees and moved closer to him.

“Well… Then maybe we should do it again…”

Her heart pounding in her chest, she kept her poker face intact while feeling scared shitless inside. Terrified of being rejected. Or not being rejected at all.

Michael just watched her intently as she came to sit astride him and instinctively he leaned back against the backrest, stupor now clearly painted on his face. Oh, good! He wasn’t expecting her to make the first move. Well, this man would soon realize that she wasn’t so predictable after all. She might be only twenty, but she sure as hell was the maker of her own destiny.

Her hands closed on the collar of his shirt and she leaned in, barely touching his lips with hers. When she felt she was going to burst, when the scent of his aftershave and the wine in his breath started to make her feel lightheaded with desire and anticipation, she kissed him.

At first Michael stood perfectly still, just allowing her lips to set the tone, the rhythm and the mood of the kiss. Then, when Lisa gently nipped at his bottom lip, touched it with the tip of her tongue, his control seemed to snap. He grabbed her by the waist and kissed her back. And this time, their kiss wasn’t like the ones they had shared before.

This time it was passionate and when it was his turn to seek entrance with his tongue, she parted her lips right away and let him in, welcoming him, allowing him to light the fire. She heard him sigh against her lips, and the mere act whipped her into a frenzy when she realized that she wanted his kisses more than anything else. Her body started to tingle. Her ears buzzed and her hands moved up his neck, then on the sides of his face, feeling his light stubble. Finally, her fingers closed into his hair. It was soft and he smelled amazing.

She felt his hands ran up and down her back with a slow, yet very determined motion and knew, right then and there, that she wanted them to keep going. And so they kept kissing for minutes on end.

Michael straightened his shoulders and pulled her closer to him, his chest adhering to her breasts. Lisa found herself moaning into his mouth and broke the kiss for a moment, just staring at him, panting slightly. His eyes shone in the dim light of the room.

“God… You are so beautiful…”

He whispered the words as his hands caressed her arms, from her shoulders down to her fingertips.

Swallowing, she interlaced her fingers with his as they stared at each other. Both somehow marveled at what was going on. Such an intimate gesture, almost odd, given the circumstances. Trying very hard not to think about the meaning of it all, about this guy who so obviously wanted her but at the same time seemed to care about her, Lisa dove headfirst into the moment. They once again kissed and kissed.

When Michael’s lips started leaving a trail down her neck and reached her exposed collarbone, she let him and arched her torso against him as he kept holding her by the waist. Instinctively, he pushed up and she felt it. He was aroused. He was crazy sprung. The rush of heat she experienced almost stunned her and she reacted by holding his head close to her, letting him know, without words, that she wanted what was happening.

Then, as if suddenly insecure, Michael raised his head and leaned his forehead against hers.

“Lisa… Are you sure… Maybe we shouldn’t…”

“Shush… Don’t say anything…” She placed her finger over his lips and he kissed it. Lisa removed her finger and found his mouth again. “I want this…”

“Oh, fuck it…”

Within minutes they were lying down on the huge couch, making out like teenagers, Michael half on top of her. The soft moans he let out when she started exploring his body – discovering his muscular back, his sides and stomach under the thin fabric of his shirt – thrilled her beyond belief. Whatever she was doing, he was totally into it. They were now on an even ground. Equals, for once.

Besides, once again he was so different from every guy she had been intimate with. He seemed totally in tune with her, passionate and yet respectful. He caressed her body but paid attention not to reach dangerous areas… Until she simply took his hand and rested it over her breast. Because she wanted him to touch her. Because she needed it.

This man had such huge, strong hands and her small breast felt perfect in his palm. Michael pulled back slightly and stared at her as he slowly started to fondle her and Lisa once again arched against him, seeking his mouth again, undoing a couple of buttons of his shirt and loosening his tie further, trying very hard to maintain some measure of control. When her fingers started tracing a route down his torso, he lifted his body slightly. And when she reached his belt, he covered her hand with his and brought it down gently, letting her know that he, too, wanted her as much as she wanted him.