Arcana | 10 – The Hermit

Arcanum 10 – The Hermit

This card often symbolizes a crisis that cannot be avoided, a profound change that needs to be confronted and accepted. It evokes the idea of a teacher, a therapist, or a guide. But in a crisis, there is an equal possibility that The Hermit will renew himself or die. He therefore also refers to poverty, solitude, and even decay and degeneration. He can be seen as a “vagrant” or even an alcoholic who is hiding a quart of red wine in his lantern. This Arcanum is the most human and coldest counterpart of the great paternal archetype of Arcanum XVIIII. In this way he can depict an absent father, or one who is taciturn, remote, or has vanished. He also refers, for the subject of the reading, to an inner solitude, to the secret and dark space where a spiritual transformation is prepared.

Memphis, April 16th, 1988

“Hey… How do you feel? Are you nervous?”

Lisa gently touched Michael’s hand and he turned to look at her, giving her a strained smile.

“No, I…” He sighed. “Yeah, a bit. I’m a bit nervous, yeah.”

She couldn’t help but smile at his funny-looking discomfort, but it was also evident that she, too, was as tense as a violin cord. This was an extraordinary day – as Lisa and Michael had been invited over to Graceland for lunch. With Priscilla. Per her explicit request.

Which had come as a bit of a surprise, considering that Priscilla’s first reaction to Lisa and Michael’s relationship had been less than ideal.

The morning after the Grammy Awards ceremony, they were still in bed when the phone had rung. It was the concierge, informing Michael that Mrs. Priscilla Presley was asking to speak with her daughter.

“Oh, shit!” Still half-asleep, completely naked, her hair a mess, Lisa had rolled over and sat up, and she and Michael had exchanged a look. Michael had covered the receiver by pressing it against his chest.

“How the hell does your mom even know that you’re here?”

“Really? Would you know where to find me, if you wanted to?”

Michael had stayed quiet for a moment, then had just shrugged his shoulders. He looked perplexed.

“What do you want me to do? Tell her that… we left?”

“No… She would keep going like a damn hound dog, sniffing around until she finds me…” Sighing, she had taken the phone from Michael’s hand. “Hello? I’m Miss Presley. Yes, sure. Of course, I take the call. Thank you.”

As she waited for the call to be transferred to the suite’s phone, she had given Michael a peck on the lips. Just a tiny moment of solace before the storm. Just a second to remember that no matter what the rest of the world thought, what she and Michael had was worth all the effort. Even though earlier that night, after declaring their love to each other in the shower and deciding to be together, they both had acknowledged that the moment was less than ideal. And they had agreed that the best thing they could do right now was to give it a try and see how it went. Aware as they were that there would be ambivalence between their actions and other people’s reception. Yeah – they were both still guarded. Too many scars still fresh enough to pulse and bleed if rubbed too hard.

“Lisa Marie.”

Over the phone, Priscilla’s words intruded the silence. An iceberg would have felt warmer.

“Mother… Good morning.”

“Well… so you really are there. In Jackson’s suite. Good morning. Mine was nothing but an educated guess, but I suppose I was right.”

“Indeed you were. How are you on this wonderful day, mom?”

“Good God… I don’t even wanna know where you are inside that room.”

From the tone in her mother’s voice, Lisa could tell how disappointed and upset she was. However, she could not care less. At the moment, she was still thoroughly intoxicated by Michael’s aura, by his words of love, by the new definition that their relationship seemed to have taken. Despite everything. Despite them being very much aware of the difficulties waiting for them just outside the door. Eventually, Michael had admitted that he knew very well what the industry’s problem with him was. And he had warned Lisa, telling her that she would be targeted as well – because of her association with him. That nobody would believe what they had was honest. He had looked at her with somber eyes and had seemed surprised – and relieved – when she had told him that she did not care. That she loved him, and that was all she knew. It was all that mattered.

“Mom, I am fine. Isn’t that what matters? That I’m OK, safe and sound? I don’t know why you’re calling and I have no idea why you sound so distressed.”

“Distressed? I turned on the TV last night and I saw my daughter at the Radio City Music Hall for the Grammy Awards ceremony, holding hands with Michael Jackson! The last time you and I spoke, he was somewhere on tour and you were in Los Angeles taking care of my business. Or, if we really want to be precise, of your father’s business. You never even told me you were flying to New York. So forgive me if I interrupted your beauty sleep.”

“You didn’t interrupt anything… I did everything I had to do in L.A., so don’t you worry about dad’s business.” Lisa had raked her hand through her hair, not really wanting to have this conversation at the moment and knowing well that she could not avoid it. “And then I left for New York, because…”

“Because you and I wanted to be together,” Michael had murmured, quietly, by her side.

She had closed her eyes and smiled, ever so slightly. Why deny it any longer?

“…Because I wanted to be with Michael. And he wanted to be with me.”

Priscilla had sighed into the phone.

“So that’s it, Lisa Marie. I guess it’s a done deal. Are you two in a relationship, now?”

“Yes, mother. Michael and I are in a relationship. I am sorry you were taken by surprise, it wasn’t my intention to upset you or anything. This is also so very new for us, and I would have told you anyway… in due time. Just not now.”

“You and I should have talked about this beforehand.”

“No, mom. Michael and I are the only two people involved in this. Not you, nor anybody else. I’m asking you to respect that… Please.” And back off, Lisa had thought, but then she had bitten her tongue. She wanted desperately to remain civil. She didn’t want her mother to poison her first day as the partner of a man she was utterly head over heels in love with.

Priscilla had stayed quiet for what had felt like forever, to the point that Lisa had thought the line had gone mute. But no. Of course not. It would have been so unbecoming.

“Fine. But when you come back, we’ll have to talk about your role at EPE.”

“What do you mean? What’s there to talk about?”

“This is not a matter to be discussed over the phone. Just let me know when you’re back in L.A. or Memphis, and then we’ll meet.”

Lisa had recognized her mother’s tone. It was the same tone she usually used with her employees. It was cold, professional, detached. However, Priscilla was right about one thing: business wasn’t something to be discussed that way. And Lisa knew that Priscilla would need some time to get acquainted with the idea that her daughter had made a decision that was going to affect her entire life – because it was her right to do so. And so she had just told her mother that she would indeed let her know when and where they were going to meet. Something she could not do at the moment, as she and Michael had made zero plans for the near future: how were they going to navigate this, all this? God… Everything looked so different, now that they were no longer cloaked into the privacy of the night. Now that the external world was starting to intrude.

“You aren’t?”

Michael’s voice brought her back to the present and she squeezed his hand.

“I’m a little bit nervous too, yeah.”

“Everything is going to be OK. As long as you and I are a solid unit, we can face anything.”

He was probably right. Their relationship had started about a month and a half earlier, but despite having braced themselves from the get-go, Lisa and Michael were only now starting to really understand what they were up against. And that wasn’t even half of it, as so far they had somehow managed to keep the press at bay. Of course, their apparition together at the Grammys had created a frenzy, and the next day their faces were all over the tabloids. Speculations abounded. Wacko Jacko and Elvis’ wild child and all that crap. The mocking and the joking. For now, they had decided not to pay too much attention to the press and they had managed to fly under the radar, not confirming nor denying anything. They had been trying very hard to live in a bubble, hoping nobody would spoil what they had, at least for a little longer.

In this case, Priscilla Presley was not the issue, as she wouldn’t say a word to the media. Why should she? Certainly she was not going to be the whistle-blower letting the paparazzi know what was going on between Michael and Lisa. Too bad their world didn’t only involve Priscilla Presley.

Michael’s entourage had been stunned, noticing that Lisa was still around. Anyone who was in the loop obviously had a fair grasp over the recently blossomed relationship. Some of them had been happy – Bill, for example, was quite content. Some others were indifferent. The management and several people gravitating around Michael, however, were less than impressed. They loved to have his undivided attention and Lisa was a nuisance, a plus one they had not envisioned nor invited to their party. After a few days, some of them had started to pressure him a little more than usual. Frank had even sorta-kinda scolded Michael, reminding him that he was on tour and could not allow himself to be distracted by anything. Or anyone. That chicks didn’t allow a man to focus.

“Chicks? What are you talking about? What chicks?”

“Well… Lisa, of course.”

“Lisa ain’t a chick. She’s my girlfriend.”

“Yeah, that’s exactly the point, Mike. I mean, I got nothing against the lady, but you gotta understand…”

“No, Frank, it’s you who gotta understand.”

Michael had told his manager that he needed to chill and let him do his job, that he knew what he was doing, and that what he did in his free time was nobody’s concern. So far, Dileo seemed to have backed off and Michael had also noticed that he had done his best to warm up to Lisa. Maybe his actions were not entirely genuine, but at least he had been trying not to side-eye her every other minute.

Michael was aware of how sensitive Lisa was, of how perceptive she could be. She didn’t need any useless stress – the situation was complicated enough as it was.

She had been there for his shows in New York before flying back to Los Angeles. Half-heartedly. He didn’t want her to leave and she didn’t want to go either. However, she was also still looking for an apartment to buy and Michael had chimed in, suggesting her a place in Century City.

Michael had told her about his idea the night before she left, while they were in bed after his last show at the Madison Square Garden. They had just finished making love and Lisa was still breathless. Lying on her stomach, she had been wondering how in the world he could always be so energetic after performing for hours. Mysteries.

“Oh, hey… There’s a place you might wanna see once you’re back in L.A.,” he had told her as he lay down by her side, tracing her spine with his fingertips.

“What place?” Lisa had watched him with languid eyes and he had found himself entranced by her long eyelashes. By those perfect lips.

“Aren’t you looking for an apartment? To live on your own? Unless I can shackle you to me forever…”

She had giggled.

“You make it sound so enticing. But yeah, I am looking for a new place to stay, of course. I told you.”

“Cool… Then you should totally book an appointment with my friend Bernard. He is a realtor and might have something interesting for you in Century City.”

Lisa had scrunched her eyebrows.

“Century City… Isn’t it where your apartment is, as well?”

“Yeah, my Hideout.”

She had given him one of her sexy smirks.

“My, my… You’re starting to sound a bit controlling… Wanting me to move close to your place…”

“Or shackle you to my bed…” Smiling, he had kissed her lips. “…Hope you don’t mind me wanting to take care of you…”

“As long as you don’t mind me doing the same with you…”

Their words whispered in between kisses.

“I love it…” He had stroked her hair, letting the long tendrils slide between his fingers. “So… will you talk to Bernard? See if he can help you?”

Lisa had pulled back, biting her lips, tasting him on her skin, then had caressed his cheek.

“Yeah. Of course. Thank you, babe.”

At first, lunch with Priscilla went beyond Lisa’s best expectations. She and Michael walked into Graceland hand in hand, like an average couple, and met her mother in one of the salons inside the main mansion. Lisa knew that Priscilla was a shrewd professional and was sure that she would handle this meeting accordingly.

About that, she had been correct.

Priscilla had been pretty warm to Michael, welcoming him to their “family home” and telling him that it was a pleasure to finally have the chance to speak to him face to face. “Given the last, unexpected developments”, she had added surreptitiously.

As usual, Michael had been pleasant, polite, a perfect gentleman. He had carefully avoided mentioning how Priscilla had rebuffed him, when he had tried to introduce himself a few years earlier. Lisa could tell that he was also a bit shy and that Priscilla made him feel on edge, and she could not blame him. So far, her mother had done nothing to make herself genuinely lovable. If anything, she had tried to derail him in any way she could. No wonder he was wary of her.

However, during lunch the atmosphere seemed to relax a little and despite Lisa not letting her guard down, she had to admit that the whole situation was a bit surprising.

Then, at one point, the vague and general conversation had been put aside and Priscilla had zeroed in on what she had wanted to know from the get-go. Of course. How predictable.

“Michael… You and I have something in common. We both know how the business works.”

“Yes.” Michael put the fork back on his plate. Not that he had eaten much.

“Then I’m sure you will understand my concern.”

“About what, if I may ask.”

“Sure, you may. I need to make sure that you haven’t engaged in a relationship with my daughter because you’re somehow more interested in what she has to offer than in who she is. If all this has more to do with business than personal life.”

Lisa saw him set his jaw and opened her mouth to ask her mother what the fuck was wrong with her and why she was being such a cunt to Michael all of a sudden. However, he threw her a glance and she just sighed, refraining from speaking.

“Mrs. Presley…”

“Priscilla, please.”

He smiled, half-heartedly.

“Priscilla… I understand your concern. And I get why you might think that. I do know what Lisa has to offer.” He stared at the table for a moment, lost in thought. “She has beauty, and intelligence… A sick sense of humor which I adore. The ability to make me laugh and relax… She knows how to take care of me. She has the talent to get me, which is not an easy feat. So, to answer your question… That is the only thing I am interested in. I love your daughter. She is my friend first and foremost, but I am also in love with her. That’s why I want her to be with me.”

Lisa melted inside. Priscilla, on the other hand, didn’t even flinch.

“So you’re telling me you’re not at all interested in all of this?” She made a vague gesture with her hand.

Michael glanced around, then squinted his eyes. He looked sincerely clueless.

“All of this, what?”

“Everything you see here belongs to Lisa Marie. Everything that was her father’s, will be hers very soon. His assets, his music, his money. Everything. I have to make sure whoever clings onto her doesn’t do it because of the benefits that come with it.”

He just kept looking at her, his face a calm mask.

“I understand that too. With her dad no longer around, you are looking out for her.”

“Of course I am. I’m her mother. So… you’re telling me that you don’t care about her inheritance?”

“I really don’t. I don’t need Lisa’s money. I’m doing pretty good all by myself.”

“And you’re telling me that you don’t even think being seen around with Elvis’ daughter is a good PR move.”

Of course, it didn’t sound like a question and the doubt was clear in her voice.

Michael sighed.

“Not everything I do is a PR move, Priscilla. I know it might sound hard to believe, given how much commitment I put into my art, given how focused I always am on my work and everything… However, I would never engage in anything like this with a woman, if I weren’t sure of my feelings for her.”

“Which are?”

“Mother.” Lisa raised her hand. Her head was starting to buzz. Ants crawling underneath her skin. She recognized all the signs. She was about to lose her temper and she didn’t want to make a scene. “He has already told you. Stop with the grilling. Please, just stop.”

“Lisa Marie,” Priscilla turned to look at her. “One day you too will be a mother. And you will understand that no matter what, your children need protection.”

“I don’t need you to protect me from Michael.” You should have protected me in the past, she thought, and then she forced herself to stay quiet. “Don’t treat me like a child. And don’t talk to him as if he’s a user.”

Michael was stunned – in the best possible way – by his own resilience. The day had been… odd to say the least. And exhausting. But for no reason in the world he would have bailed, nor he would have let Lisa face all this alone. Talk to her mother about the relationship she had with him and why she was having it and all that jazz. He wanted to be there, stare right into Priscilla’s eyes and guess her game. Which wasn’t that difficult of a feat, all things considered.

Now, at least, everything was as clear as day. Too bad it had only confirmed his first impression. Things hadn’t changed much since he had first spoken to Priscilla over the phone, a few years earlier.

Oh, Michael knew that she didn’t like him. Not one bit. In a way, she was no different from the many people in the industry, forced to tolerate his presence because he was on top and it was way too hard to ignore the man who was on top. Better to deal with it. At the same time, their contempt always managed to seep through the cracks of their fake smiles, fake courtesy, fake concern.

Through the years, while his public persona started to become larger than life, Michael had somehow learned to spot those people. Lisa would have called them the “vampires”.

As a matter of fact, she had already used that term once, a couple of weeks earlier, when she had noticed Stephanie buzzing around him a little too much for her taste. Lisa had told him that she didn’t like that woman. To her, it was obvious that Steph wanted, no, expected Michael to make a star out of her son.

Michael had laughed Lisa’s words off, telling her that not everyone was out to get him. That most of the time, normal peeps like Stephanie and her kid were not the kind of folks that concerned him. Those were mostly people coming from the same pond he swam into: the entertainment industry. And that was why he preferred to surround himself with regular people.

Lisa had just stared at him, a dubious expression on her face, then she had scoffed.

“Do you know how many regular people, as you call them, were around my father? Do you really think they didn’t want anything from him?”

“Probably they did, but those were different people, Lisa. Not everyone is the same.”

“Sure, I agree with you about that. However, vampires are always flocking to people like you, or my dad. Generous people. People who have plenty… and who don’t mind sharing.”

“Well, this really ain’t the case.”

She had tilted her head, then had asked Michael how he could not see that Stephanie was smitten with him. Not only she wanted her son to become a star through Michael’s connection, but she likely hoped to become Mrs. Jackson, one day. Or at the very least she prayed for a roll in the hay.

“She can’t wait to hoover your dick off, Mike.”

“You think? Yeah, well… It’s not gonna happen.”

Michael had chuckled. This was seriously funny. Him? With Stephanie? Was Lisa joking? Not for a second he had thought about Jimmy’s mother that way. Yes, she and her son were a bit clingy, sometimes slightly stalkerish, but he was well aware that at times trying to force his hand and follow him around was the only way to get his attention a tiny bit. He was so busy, and often forgot all about anything that wasn’t his job. And even with Lisa, sometimes, it was hard. He wanted her around, but at the same time he needed to do his thing on his own. She was a distraction. A beautiful, sexy, alluring distraction… the most exciting diversion he had ever encountered in his one-man show.

He would never admit it out loud, but conjugating his job and his relationship was way harder than Michael had initially fathomed. He knew that he and Lisa hadn’t spent much time together since that night in New York. He knew she deserved more than that. More time, more attention.

He also knew that she was not keen of that family of “parasites”, as she had called them, following him around all the time, doing their best to stay in the loop – to the point that, eventually, he had acquiesced and allowed Steph, her husband and her son to spend some time on tour with him, while school was off.

He knew that Lisa was right. Deep down, he also knew that the reason why that family wanted to be around him was that they loved the glitz and glamour of his celebrity status. He was not blind. He had tried to explain how he, too, got something in return: the impression of having something remotely normal surrounding him. A regular existence by proxy. Make-believe, he knew, but still…

For what it was worth it, Michael had also told Lisa that it had never crossed his mind to consider Stephanie anything more than a friend. And that there was another woman who had hijacked his thoughts, his body, and his heart. That, and a series of kisses that had left Lisa breathless, had seemed to do the trick.

However, Priscilla was a different animal. She was one of the external forces they had to pay attention to. Some of the people from his staff, like Dileo, Michael could handle. He knew Frank, he knew how he operated. But Priscilla was Lisa’s business and Michael could only do so much. He didn’t want to create friction between Lisa and her mother but, at the same time, he was also intentioned not to let the lady cross his path any longer. And playing it cool was usually the best strategy.

Defy them with kindness.

That was why he had agreed to have lunch with Priscilla and that was why, later that evening, he had agreed to spend the night at Graceland, in Lisa’s old room – instead of booking a suite in that lovely hotel downtown Memphis, which he would have preferred. Just to spend some time in private with his girl in a neutral place, instead of this utterly cockblocking environment.

And now, as he lay down next to her in her huge bed, he glanced around the dimly lit room and wondered if he would be able to sleep at all. Graceland sure did not induce relax, as he didn’t exactly felt welcome there.

“Maybe it would have been best if we had booked a room someplace else…” Propped up on her elbow, one hand stroking his shoulder, Lisa observed him with calm eyes. And obviously read his thoughts. “There’s a nice hotel downtown.”

“No, it’s fine. I know you love this place. Besides… this is your room. I’m sure it’s packed with beautiful memories.”

Lisa pushed him back until he was lying on his back and then her head came to rest over his chest.

“Yeah… and they all come from before my dad passed.”

Biting his lips, Michael stroked her hair and stared at the ceiling. For a moment he had forgotten that this was the place where Elvis had died. He had also forgotten that Lisa was in the house when it had happened. And that she was just a child.

“I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine. This was such a happy place for me, you know? My father… he wasn’t strict at all. He gave me free rein. I was such a spoiled little princess.”

He smiled and tilted her head up, kissing her lips gently. Lisa pulled back and stared at him for a moment, her eyes shiny.

“And now being here with you… It kinda makes me feel safe again. It puts the world back on its axis, somehow.”

Michael just watched her, quiet for a moment. She was so beautiful. And she loved him. He could see it in her eyes. Did she understand how much he loved her too? Sometimes he wondered. It was all still so very new. Their inner solitudes blending had been creating a space that, in a way, was still secret and unreadable to both of them.

“You didn’t feel like that… afterward? Safe, that is.”

“Well… It was different. But… this is definitely one of the places that matter the most to me. One of the places of my heart, you know…”

“Yeah…”

Lisa blinked, her gaze lowering.

“I never felt really safe in… you know, my other bedroom. At my mother’s. Because my dad wasn’t there, but also because…”

“Because?”

She shook her head and rested her cheek back on his chest.

“Nothing.”

“No, for real…” There it was again. The same feeling that had gone through him like an electric shock that very first night at his ranch. When she had started talking about feeling uncomfortable with men, but then had refused to elaborate. Alarm bells had gone off in Michael’s head, and he had ignored them. And now it was happening again. “Lisa… talk to me. What happened? In that room…”

He had raised his head from the pillow, but she stayed put. As a matter of fact, she stayed quiet for a very long time and snuggled more into him, as if looking for shelter, to the point that Michael thought she was not going to say a word.

He was wrong. When she spoke again, her voice sounded colorless and flat.

“You aren’t the first Michael I met, you know…”

He heard her take a deep breath.

“There was another one, before you. A very long time ago. He used to date my mom and lived with her… Well, with us. At the house.”

Michael swallowed and stood perfectly still.

“I didn’t think much of him, I didn’t really care. Teenagers never do. However… It was all cool until he started coming into my room at night and… You know… Lift the covers and stare at me.”

He fisted his hand into the sheets and set his jaw. When he spoke, his words came out a bit strangled.

“What else did he do?”

“He…” Another long sigh. “Nothing, Mike. He would just move the sheet away and stare at my body. I would pretend to sleep… Until he would leave.”

“How old were you, when it happened?”

“I don’t know… thirteen, fourteen maybe.”

Thirteen. Fourteen. Michael closed his eyes for a moment, rage flooding his sight.

“Is there… I mean… ”

“No, baby. There really is nothing else I feel like saying about this.”

And he really hoped she didn’t have anything else to say because nothing else had happened. It was already horrible as it was. He rested his lips on the top of her head, just lingering there as he stared into space.

“OK,” he whispered. “OK…”

“It’s fine, you know… It happened a long time ago.”

It wasn’t fucking fine at all, but at the moment the words were strangled in his throat. So much to say. Too little the air in his lungs and he just nodded his head. He wondered what Priscilla’s reaction had been, if she knew about the whole thing at all, and where the man was now. He wondered, but could not voice his concern.

“Lise… Baby girl… Just let me hold you tonight. Let me hold onto you until you fall asleep…”

“OK…”

He pulled her closer and waited and waited, listening to the tick-tock of the clock on the wall until her breathing finally deepened and he was sure that she had fallen asleep. Of course, he was not able to rest at all.

During the night Lisa moaned and whimpered, then tried to pull away from him, pushing him off her in her sleep. It seemed to Michael that she was having a nightmare. As delicately as he could, he kept holding her close until she was able to relax once again. It was the only thing he could do and even though he knew it was not enough, it felt good knowing that he could be there with her, for her. Protecting her and allowing her to protect him too, in a way. Something she did so very well, and yet something he had never acknowledged out loud with her.

He couldn’t imagine than only a month later they would have to step back, part ways and start to realize that, sometimes, love was not enough to make a relationship function. That sometimes, jumping head-first into a love story without really assessing the magnitude of what you were doing could create something that you were unable to foresee or prevent, let alone fix.

However, the next day everything was OK, or at least so it seemed at first. The problems were just behind the door of Lisa’s old bedroom at Graceland, but she and Michael didn’t know that yet. Not when she had woken up and had snuggled against him and they had taken all the time in the world to cuddle, just reveling in each other’s presence. They knew their time together was limited, as long as Michael was on tour, and they had kind of made it a point to turn any moment together into a quality moment.

“Morning, gorgeous…”

“Morning…” Lisa felt soft and warm and pliant, her voice was drowsy and her eyes were still closed. “…Love you.”

Michael had smiled and inhaled the scent of her skin.

He had not been planning in any way, shape or form to do anything sexual with her at all, as long as they were in her family home. That was why he was a bit surprised when, later that morning, she entered the bathroom and stared at him as he finished shaving. The last time he had seen her, after their breakfast in bed, Lisa was going downstairs after having been summoned by her mother. Alone.

He hadn’t liked not having control over the whole situation but, of course, he had let her go and had stayed in the room instead. She came back about thirty minutes later and, when he felt her arms around his torso, her lips kissing his back, he smiled to himself. Lisa seemed relaxed – which meant that everything was fine, right?

“You know what I was thinking?” She just stood there for a moment, her voice muffled.

Distractedly, Michael dabbed his now smooth face with a towel and stared at his own reflection in the mirror.

“No, what were you thinking?”

“That I really want to show you something before we leave. Come with me.”

Taking his hands, smiling in that Mona Lisa way that always managed to raise the temperature in the room and pique his interest, she dragged him out of the bathroom.

Michael followed her, intrigued. He followed her down the stairs, glad to notice nobody but some very prim and dignified staff members were there, then out in the vast garden, and finally toward a smaller, tree-covered area. It was full spring and the trees, huge ginkgoes and cypresses, created a delicious oasis of shade and peace.

Lisa guided Michael toward an impressive oak and glanced up.

“Can you see that?”

He squinted his eyes against a ray of sun filtering from the leaves.

“What is that? A treehouse?”

“Not a treehouse. That’s my personal treehouse.” Lisa smiled and turned to look at him. “Are you up to this?”

Hey. For real? Of course he was. Michael winked. Or tried to.

“Are you kidding me? Let’s go.”

He let her climb up first, not only because the delicious sight of her perfect little ass right above his head was always a feast for the eyes, but also because he wanted to make sure he could catch her and help her, if only she needed it. But no: Lisa was very much capable of climbing up a tree all by herself. It was apparent that she had done this countless times before and it was probably the very first time that Michael witnessed this more tomboyish side of her. He loved it, found it tantalizing. To have a woman that was sexy and playful at the same time. A woman that was fearless and fierce. And all his.

The treehouse was not at all high on the tree, stable and very spacious, to the point that Michael and Lisa could stand up straight without fear of bumping their heads against the roof. It was apparent that, whoever had built it, had put maximum commitment into every single detail. Wide and comfortable, still very well-kept, the little wooden house on the oak felt like a space you didn’t want to abandon even when your childhood was long gone. And given the atmosphere at Graceland and Lisa’s memories of it, for her to bring Michael there was not that surprising, all things considered.

He glanced around. Lisa’s eyes, however, stayed on him.

“Do you like it? You have no idea how much time I spent up here. Reading, listening to music… Sometimes yours, too.”

Michael smiled.

“I love it. To be honest, I thought it would be way more basic than this…” He laughed. “But you really are a princess…”

He turned her body and pulled her close, her back adhering to his chest, and rested his chin on her shoulder. He closed his eyes for a moment when her hand came up and tangled in his hair.

“I know we gotta go, but I wanted you to see this, first. I wanted you to see who I used to be.”

“Who you still are.” His voice was hushed now. His heart bleeding for her because he knew, he felt and could see that something, inside of Lisa, was broken. It had been broken a long time earlier and Michael knew he had no way to fix the damage. But he could try to make the pain more bearable. “You are and can be whoever you wanna be. It’s up to you… and nobody else.”

Those were the words he would keep repeating to himself through the years. When he too was broken, bleeding, hurting.

Lisa stayed quiet and he didn’t know if what he had said had hit the bullseye or had been dodged, like a very dangerous bullet. He was very much aware that, sometimes, misery could be as comfortable as a blanket, and the idea of emerging from it scarier than anyone imagined.

He turned her and faced her, taking her into his arms again, just wanting to relax for a moment, but something he had not fathomed at all happened. Lisa immediately kissed him and he was defenseless against her unexpected attack. Not that he wanted to reject her or anything. Not that he could. It was just that he didn’t feel exactly at ease and…

“Lise…”

Her hands rubbed his chest and dipped down. One on his ass, pulling him closer to her body, the other grabbing him through his pants, stroking him. Her lips on his neck, her tongue caressing him. She bit down on his skin, lightly of course, but it was enough to make him jump and shiver.

“Shit…”

Lisa pulled back and stared at him and there was something in her eyes. Something that Michael was not sure he had seen before. And there was also… arousal? Need for confirmation? For reassurance? Her lips were slightly parted and her cheeks were flushed. Her hand kept caressing him, in a slow and yet firm manner, and he became hard under her touch – just like that. In a matter of seconds. There was absolutely nothing he could do to prevent that. Or nothing he would do. He was getting used to the power she so obviously had over him.

“Lisa… baby girl…” He plundered her mouth, kissing her hard, trying as best as he could to regain some measure of control both on her and himself, but he did nothing to still her movements. So good. Too good. “Stop… What are you doing…”

“Mike… Fuck me…”

“…Here? Are you sure…”

“Yeah… I want you so much…”

He blinked. Her gaze was glazed over and her grip on him tightened and something, inside of him, just snapped. Had he ever made love in a treehouse? No, never. But there was a first for everything.

His fist closed in her hair, hard, and he pulled her head back a bit roughly. The spark in her eyes told him that she loved his reaction, and that she wanted to be taken that way.

Kissing her again he guided her movements on himself, covering her small hand with his own bigger one, as they both started to pant. The miniature ecosystem of the treehouse becoming incredibly hot, sizzling almost, all of a sudden. He allowed her to unzip and unbutton his pants and her hand dipped into his briefs.

Realizing that he was hurling toward the point of non-return, like a bullet locked in the barrel of a gun, suddenly Michael broke the kiss and pushed her against the wall, causing her to whimper. He dropped onto his knees and raised her leg wordlessly, placing it over his shoulder.

The day was quite warm and Lisa wore a leather jacket and a lovely, sexy dress and he just pushed the light fabric up, his hand running over the smooth skin of her thigh. He moved her panties to the side, the urgency too strong to allow him to do much more than that.

His mouth closed on her hot center and Lisa stifled a moan, her hands immediately on his head, holding him to her, her pelvis rocking against his mouth. She was more than primed and she came violently in a matter of minutes. Michael’s head started to spin. He loved her so much. Her body, her taste, her heart. Damn!

He too was being forced to test his own endurance and knew that this was not the time nor the place for slow, languid lovemaking. They sure loved those quiet, sweet moments, but their chemistry and connection during sex had been growing exponentially and the more they made love, the more they knew what they liked. What they wanted. What they needed.

Getting up on his feet again, on the verge of combustion, Michael barely had the time to breathe before she kissed him hard, reversing their positions. Then Lisa crouched down in front of him, freeing him and reciprocating his treatment, taking him into the warmth of her mouth. Michael yelped and almost stumbled, his back colliding with the wall, making him shiver. It stunned him how her hands on his hips were enough to make him feel stable again. She moaned against him, purred almost, the vibrations of her vocal cords reverberating into his nerve endings, taxing his body even more.

“Oh, fuck… Shit…” He raked his fingers through her long hair, wanting to see her face, her eyes looking up at him. He needed to watch her as she did this. “There you go… Like that… Such a good girl…”

The words elicited another moan from Lisa, louder this time, and he knew what she needed. What they both needed. Slowly, his hips started to engage in the dance. Unable to stop, Michael shook his head. It was all so instinctive. It felt so forbidden. And so damn brazen and hot.

“Wait… wait… Stop…” With extreme difficulty, he pulled back, breaking the heavenly contact. It was so hard to stop right there and then, and not allowing her to push him to the finish line. Never in his life a woman had been able to make him feel like passing out only using her lips and tongue. “Come up here…”

“Yes, sir…” She smiled at him and it was the sexiest thing he could imagine. She truly got off on this. And – oh, God, he did too.

Gruffly, he grabbed her under her arms and pulled her up, kissing her like a madman, her perfect body rubbing against him, the contact heating up their skins even more.

“Turn around… Hands on the wall…” He was breathless, as if he had just run a marathon. Another kiss and he guided her movements. Of course, Lisa complied. “Open your legs a bit… Yeah… That’s it, princess. That’s it. That’s how I want you.”

Kissing her shoulder, her neck, he once again pulled up the fabric of her dress. He pushed her panties down her legs, until they pooled at her feet and Lisa stepped out of them. Unable to resist to such perfection, he stroked her ass and, biting his lip, slowly guided himself inside her body. Knowing the contact would be shocking. And he was right. That first hit – it always managed to make him feel as if he could not breathe.

He stood perfectly still for a moment, swallowing hard, enjoying the heat and the tightness, both on his cock and his heart.

“Oh, damn… Babe… You feel so good. So good.” Lisa breathed out the words in a sigh, her head dropping forward. Holding onto her waist, Michael started to move in hard, well-delivered jabs that forced her to push back, trying as best as she could to counterattack that lovely, irresistible assault.

“God… Oh, shit… Lise…” Michael tossed his head and bit down on her neck. “I don’t think I can last long…”

“It’s OK… Just give it to me…” Lisa turned her face and spoke right against his mouth, before nipping at his bottom lip. “Give it to me hard… Hurt me, baby…”

“God damn it…” Once again he kissed her and his movements picked up speed. The treehouse filled up with their sighs and moans and whimpers and Michael forgot where he was. He forgot all about his shyness, and everything but the love and desire he felt for this girl was put aside for a moment.

When they reached their peak, it happened simultaneously and it was beyond intense. He thought he was ready for that onslaught of pleasure, but he was wrong. Every time felt like the first time and the last time – all at once. His heart burned in his chest, his vision was blurred and her hand reaching back, holding onto the small of his back, grabbing his belt and trapping him inside the heaven of her body, only managed to amplify the magnitude of his otherworldly experience. Her heavy breathing told him that she was there with him and she loved this as much as he did.

Michael closed his eyes as his thrusts finally slowed down and hid his face in the crook of her neck, panting.

“I love you… I love you so much, Lise…”

Her other hand tangled in his hair and she kept holding him close, not wanting to let him go. Yeah, he had noticed this about her. Those moments right after making love, when they were both floating down from the clouds. The way she always wanted him to stay where he was, which was the sweetest seduction imaginable.

“I love you too, Mike…”

They stayed like that for several minutes, just letting that tiny ray of sun filtering through the wooden boards ran all over their bodies, just reveling in that close, intimate contact. That sheltering solace, that private, privileged refuge.

When finally Michael withdrew from her body, Lisa turned and hugged him, her arms coming around his torso, her cheek resting on his chest. Of course, he held her, but noticed the weird quality of her behavior right away. This place, for Lisa, was both heaven and hell and she had been full of mixed signals since they had crossed the gates of the property.

“What happened earlier, when you left? When you went downstairs to speak to Priscilla…”

She took a deep breath and pulled back. When she looked up at him, her eyes were serious and even.

“My mother told me that my duties at EPE have been greatly reduced. I am no longer managing anything, and I won’t as long as…” She pursed her lips and shook her head.

“As long as you’re with me, right?” Michael’s stomach sunk. He didn’t need her to confirm anything. He knew it was the truth. “Lisa…”

What was he supposed to say? What was he supposed to do?

“Michael – I know what you’re thinking. Before you say anything…” Her hands came up and framed his face. She stared at him. “…I don’t care. I will step in the moment I turn twenty-five anyway.”

“But that’s five years from now… You…” Out of sheer instinct, he covered her hands with his own. “…All your plans…”

“I love you. And that’s all that matters to me.” A strained, humorless laugh appeared on her lips. “And if this is the small price I gotta pay for loving you, I’m down… I mean, bring it the fuck on.”

He felt he could breathe again. And yet he knew that was not a small price to pay. He knew that Priscilla depriving Lisa of her relatively small power at EPE was a well-delivered jab at him too.

Priscilla had taken away Lisa’s purpose. She had undermined her self-esteem and, at the same time, had managed to keep him at a relatively safe distance from everything that belonged to her daughter.

Sycamore Ranch, California – May 10th, 1988

That evening, Michael and Lisa were in the library, and they were getting ready to go out for dinner. He had finally been able to take some days off after his shows in Minneapolis and it would be about a week before he had to leave again, for Cannes, this time.

Of course, he had planned to spend that time off with Lisa, after not having seen her for several days. She had flown to Texas at the end of April, just to be with him for his concert in Dallas. She had stayed with him for a couple of days, but then she had gone back to California because she wanted to take care of her move personally. Eventually, she had ended up buying an apartment close to his Hideout after meeting with his friend, Bernard, and Michael was very pleased. He was only sorry he could not be with her and baptize her new place, room after room.

But anyway, in the meantime he had been able to finish the first series of concerts all over the US and could not wait to see her. When he had arrived at the ranch, a couple of days earlier, and had found her there waiting for him, smiling at him, his heart had taken a leap in her direction. He had missed her so much, and it was not surprising that they had not been able to sleep for the following twenty-four hours.

Later that evening, they had planned to enjoy a private, intimate dinner at the Ivy, a nice restaurant downtown Los Angeles. They were just fooling around a bit, trying to steal some more time before leaving.

It was already dark outside and they sat on the couch, the yellowish light of the lamp on the coffee table projecting their long shadows on the walls. They had stayed home all day, and they had spent the entire morning in bed, making love. In the afternoon, they had enjoyed some private time – and a frugal picnic – at one of the lakes on Michael’s property. Everything had been nothing short of perfect.

At the moment, Lisa was sitting in Michael’s lap and was applying eyeliner on Michael’s eyes. It was intimate and sweet and he felt perfectly at ease, allowing her to have such an up-close and personal look at his face. Because he saw what was in her eyes. Because it felt right with her, and easier than he would have imagined.

He had been pretty much “au naturel” for the entire day, and Karen was not around. So he had tried to take care of his own makeup all by himself, after he and Lisa had taken a shower together. Lisa had observed him for a bit, and then had asked him if he needed any help.

Out of habit, and maybe even more so out of shyness, at first Michael had almost given her an automatic response. Telling her that it was fine, that he had done this before and he would be ready in a minute. She had not insisted and had just said that she’d be waiting for him in the library, in the main mansion.

Of course, once he had gotten there, the idea of keeping his appearance completely unspoiled had clashed with the reality of facts: whenever they were alone, he and Lisa would always, always cuddle. And cuddling meant making out like teenagers – if not making love. Well, not in this case – although when he had closed the door behind his back and had seen her there, sitting on the couch reading a book, her beautiful legs crossed, the sight had done something to him. He had been this close to call their night out off, just to spend the night with Lisa in that room. Talking about… culture. Or whatever.

He had walked over and kissed her silly, making her squirm.

“Stop it! You’re gonna mess me all up!”

“And that would be bad because…?”

Laughing, Lisa had tried to hold him at arm’s length.

“Because we planned a night out. And you promised.”

It was the truth. However, he had been able to steal a little time just to make out with her, on the couch, and after a bit their kisses had turned heated, their hands roaming, caressing, seducing. When they had finally been able to stop, they were both a bit of a mess.

And so she had offered. She had combed his hair and fixed his shirt and then she had told him that she could take care of his eyes, if that was OK with him. And Michael had relented.

Lisa was applying the eyeliner pencil on his upper eyelid, slowly lining the lid from the inner edge out, right along the area just above his eyelashes. Then someone had knocked at the door. Neither Lisa or Michael had moved until she had finished going over the lines a few times. Then she had pulled back, cocking her head to a side, just staring at him from one eye to the other.

“All good?”

“Yeah.” She touched his face. “You are so handsome. Don’t ever doubt that.”

Michael smiled, feeling his cheeks go up in flames. He pulled her close, kissing her slowly, savoring the moment, forgetting about whoever was waiting just outside the door.

Until they knocked again.

Lisa broke the kiss and bit her lip, her eyes still drowning into his. Michael hadn’t looked away.

“Come in.”

It was Klevon, one of his bodyguards.

“Boss?”

“Yes?”

“Mr. Dileo is here, and is waiting for you outside. He says it’s quite urgent, and that he needs to see you right now.”

Michael frowned and sighed when Lisa rose from his lap, moving over to the bookcase, pretending to be choosing a book. It was pretty clear that Klevon’s sudden intrusion had embarrassed her. She was very comfortable when Bill was around, while the rest of his staff and security detail still got the guarded, distant version of Lisa.

“How come he’s here? Shouldn’t he be calling, first?”

“He said he did call, boss, but you never picked up the phone and… ah… It’s urgent.” Obviously, Klevon did not want to get caught in the middle of any drama. Something in his eyes told Michael that the reason why he had never picked up the phone was the lithe woman currently pretending to be interested in… Greek architecture? Well. Klevon was indeed correct.

“Alright then… Lisa?” Michael rose from the couch.

“Yes? Of course. I’ll be waiting for you. Go, do your thing.”

He smiled.

He had no idea how the meaning of those simple words – I’ll be waiting for you – would change after what looked like a pretty meaningless event in the grand scheme of things.

Both Michael and Lisa would soon realize that the grand scheme of things was indeed made of a never-ending string of apparently meaningless and seemingly unrelated little details. Like domino pieces, creating a work of art that could easily be destroyed, if only one piece fell at the wrong time, in the wrong place.