Alpha – Chapter 4

I remember now

Michael’s ranch, Santa Ynez Valley – February 6th, 1989

Michael

I was beyond exhausted, and, for once, I hoped sleep would come easily. After spending the afternoon and evening dancing and rehearsing some new routines, I finally entered my private quarters and threw myself on the bed. Face down, my arms wide open, I felt like I was nailed to a cross—which sometimes I felt I was.

That night, I meant serious business. I wanted to doze off immediately and wake up after twelve hours, minimum. Maybe that way my mind would finally get rid of the barrage of events that permeated my life on the regular.

It had been over a week since wrapping up my tour, and I still hadn’t been able to relax. It was incredible how adrenaline would keep flowing through me for weeks on end and how I could barely go back to my day-to-day life whenever I was back home after a set of concerts. This had happened throughout my entire existence, and I was starting to wonder if the issue was that I had no regular life at all.

My day had started around noon, getting acquainted to my brand new private dance studio at the ranch. Considering that I had bought Neverland months earlier, it was weird how little time I had spent there. Weird, but unsurprising given the whirlwind that my previous year had been.

After kicking off the US leg of my tour in Missouri, I had flown to the Big Apple and I had not had a moment of peace since. First I had to attend the conference to preview my new four-part story – the new Pepsi commercials. Then it had been time for the damn Grammy ceremony, which I was still sour about, ‘cause sure as hell I had finally realized that not only the press loved to put me down, but that also my own industry had decided that the black boy from Indiana had to be taken down a notch or two after breaking the glass ceiling. Despite four nominations the night hadn’t gone the way I expected, but at least I knew my performance had been a success – judging from the collective standing ovation. Cool, of course. But it could have been cooler. It should have been.

I had asked my staff to record the ceremony, knowing it would air on CBS.

Watching myself on TV the next day, I had been stunned to notice that my disappointment was palpable. I could read it on my face, and I didn’t like to think that my public, perpetually collected mask had dropped to that extent. For everyone to see. However, it was done. I had a lot of stuff to do and think about – and the three shows at the Madison Square Garden, which had finally ended with a bang  – had taken pretty much every minute of my time and every bit of my energy. Since then, I had felt like a pinball shooting from one place to the next. Maybe it was simply too much stuff for one single man to handle. From the release of my movie, Moonwalker, to several award ceremonies, I had barely had time to sit down and regroup.

Right now, it was almost bizarre to think that I was finally on my own, in my house. Having the luxury to really chill out, before going to the Cleveland Elementary School the next day. Now, that was something I really wanted to do. To cheer up those kids who had been forced into a tragedy they should have never been part of.

I rolled over, coming to rest on my back, and stared at the ceiling for a long moment. When my mind finally drew a blank, all that appeared on that white slate was Lisa’s face.

Man… I had been barely able to keep her out of my thoughts since our night together at my Hideout. And that fact that we had spoken over the phone a couple of times since then – as friends, of course – certainly didn’t help.

I knew I was not in love with her, but at the same time I randomly missed her presence. Her eyes looking at me, her voice – comforting me. Or maybe I just missed her body, and that amazing physical connection we seemed to share. That comfortable silence we seemed to be able to immerse ourselves in when we were together.

That night in Westwood couldn’t have been any more perfect. After making love to her in the shower, I had picked her up and carried her back to my bed and taken her again. Lisa had fallen asleep afterward, her head resting on my shoulder, her arm draped over my chest. I hadn’t been able to doze off and so I had turned on the TV, hoping to distract myself and finally get some rest. I had kept the volume very low not to wake her up and I had started watching an old classic: “It’s a Wonderful Life”.

I had seen it before, obviously, and I was quite shocked that they would air it despite Christmas being long passed. Still, I loved that movie, and so I simply put the remote back on my nightstand and sighed, relaxing under the bedsheets. Loving the feeling of Lisa’s weight on me and, for a second, imagining what it would be like to experience this kind of serenity and fulfillment every night of my life. Well, one day I would have that. A serious, all-consuming, loving, stable relationship. Hopefully, with someone as sexy as this girl – and who understood me like this woman seemed to do.

For a while, I simply got lost in the movie. It centered on a good man who had a crisis on Christmas Eve and started to wish he’d never been born until a helpful angel showed him what the world would have been like without him. It was sweet—and, of course, it made me think.

After about half an hour or so, I felt Lisa stir and then her weight on me changed. She was lithe, but at that point she had started to feel even lighter. I knew she was awake, yet I stayed quiet and simply kept playing with her hair.

Then, after a bit, she turned her head, and her eyes met mine. I almost felt like drowning in those aqua pools.

“Oops… Hey… I didn’t want to wake you up.”

She smiled one of those tiny, crooked smiles I had already come to know—and like a lot. It was a mixture of mischievous and pleased.

“I don’t mind. I usually don’t fall asleep so easily… But I guess you put me through quite the exercise. I feel like a truck ran me over.”

I didn’t think I could feel proud of myself for such a stupid reason, but I did. It was weird. All had been weird about my night with her.

“Sorry, I guess…”

She laughed and kissed my chest.

“Don’t be sorry… I haven’t been this relaxed in quite some time. So thank you for that.”

Once again she rested her cheek against my chest and, for a while, we just watched TV together. Snuggling. Until at one point she spoke again.

“I think I remember now…”

Her voice was low and soft. I kept playing with her hair, trying to suppress the feeling of tenderness – mixed with lust – that was blooming inside me.

“What?”

“You.”

It was my turn to shift and search her eyes.

“Me? What do you mean?”

Lisa shrugged.

“From back then. Remember what you told me at the lounge bar? That my dad took me to see you and your brothers?”

“Yeah…”

“Well, that.” She stayed quiet for a bit. “I don’t know, I think it just came back to me or something.  I was half-asleep, listening to that old movie… and then all of a sudden I could recall your face from back then. I think you might have said hello to me.”

I smiled. I sure had.

“I did…” I tapped my finger on the top of her head. “Hey… look at me.”

Giggling, she turned and our eyes met. Hers were especially shiny, I couldn’t tell why. Was she moved? Remembering an event that included her dad… had it touched her so deep inside? Probably. Almost certainly…

“I am glad you finally remember.” I brushed her cheek with the back of my fingers. “But I’m even more glad that you’re here now…”

Lisa’s face got serious and she stared at me. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking. Then, without adding another word, she moved and came to straddle me. The sheet slipped down, revealing her perfect naked body. She sat up in my lap and raked her fingers through her long, tousled hair. I knew having her on me caused all kinds of reactions I couldn’t control – and she knew it too.

She leaned in and we kissed. Her hand slid down, holding me. A minute later we were moving together once again. We simply couldn’t get enough of each other, and that night seemed endless.

But it wasn’t, and eventually it had to finish.

As a matter of fact, after we fucked for the umpteenth time I finally managed to conk out – exhausted. When I woke up the next morning she was no longer there. However, before leaving my apartment she had made coffee and left a little piece of paper under my coffee mug, on the kitchen counter. She had scribbled down her phone number and a few words.

“Hey,

I had to go and I didn’t want to wake you up. You don’t look like the kind of guy who rests as much he should.

Here’s my number, in case you wanna talk every now and then. No pressure at all. I just like talking to you. And if you can’t call because you’re busy with your music and all that jazz, I understand. It’ll be fine anyway.

You’re cute when you sleep.

PS: Coffee is ready. Enjoy it.

Xxx

Lisa”

Fucking hell…

I still had that note somewhere in my bag. I didn’t know why I hadn’t thrown it away. Well, that wasn’t true. I did know. I wanted to call her – if anything, so she could have my number, just in case.

And so I had indeed called her once, a couple of days later. Just to ask her how she was and make sure she was okay. And then she had called me again, the next day. To tell me something about an old movie she had watched. They were both nice, warm calls.

Then, after that second conversation, which, like the first one, had been totally friendly, communications went mute once again. I was busy and I guess she was too. However, tonight I missed her voice – her ability to make me laugh and see things from a different perspective. Missed her presence.

Maybe, deep down, I still hadn’t gotten used to being home. Part of me hated touring because of the stress it put on my body and mind, but at least that was something I was accustomed to. While in times like these, when I was back home between one commitment and the next, I often didn’t know what to do with my time. I wasn’t comfortable not being busy every hour of the day. Realizing that work absorbed pretty much all my life, and how much I felt the need to go back to the studio to record my new songs was the only plan I had in mind, was jarring.

How long since I had truly taken some real time off? Some time for myself? How long had it been, since I had prioritized my private life?

Putting aside the steamy night I had spent with Lisa Marie, those were questions I didn’t have an answer to. But maybe for tonight – just for tonight – I could simply focus on something that wasn’t my new record or the stuff I had to do the next day. Or maybe…

An idea popped up in my mind, pretty much out of thin air. It was crazy. And it was tempting on so many levels.

Glancing over at my watch, I decided that I could attempt a late-night call. After all, if Lisa wasn’t home or was busy doing something else she wouldn’t pick up and my call would go straight to her answering machine. No big deal at all.

Lisa

When the phone rang, I gasped. I was so engrossed in the horror movie I was watching I had almost forgotten where I was.

In my bedroom, lying down on my bed – wrapped up in a soft blanket. I was tired and bored, and I had decided to stay home. Even though I knew my mother would make me feel like shit for not wanting to entertain her guests, downstairs.

I truly hoped I could soon move to my own place. I needed to distance myself from mom, who kept circling around me like a hawk. At times, I felt like I couldn’t even breathe. Besides, I really didn’t want to live with her. We had completely different habits and our routines weren’t compatible. That much I knew. In fact, I had known for the longest time.

I swore under my breath and picked up the phone from the nightstand. Eleanor, our live-in maid, told me that someone was looking for me. And not just someone. It was Michael.

It was hard to explain the joyful, almost giddy feeling I experienced knowing it was him. It was almost foreign to me. Since fucking, he and I had spoken over the phone twice and I didn’t even know why it had happened. It wasn’t like me to leave my number to the guy after a one-night stand. Or to a fuck buddy, for that matter. Usually, after the deed all I wanted to do was up and leave.

Yet, all had been different with him. I had pretty much spent the night in his bed, and not just because he had exhausted me in a way that I didn’t even think possible. I wanted to stay there for a little longer than initially planned. Just relaxing next to him, watching him sleep. Hearing him breathe. It had been all so very odd. And it had felt so right.

Maybe that was the reason why being friendly with him had been so easy. Feeling comfortable with someone wasn’t a given for me – and maybe it wasn’t for him either.

“Hello?”

“Lisa Marie?”

“Hey, Michael…”

“I am sorry for calling so late. Did I wake you up?”

I once again slid under the cover, smiling to myself. I liked the sound of his voice. It was so soothing. I suddenly remembered how nice it had been, to talk to him over the phone. Just about trivial stuff. How comfortable and at ease I had felt. As if I could be myself with him, instead of having to wear my usual armor. It was so heavy to live like this, at times.

“Oh, no. I was watching a movie… you? What are you up to?”

“Not much. I danced pretty much all day and I’m finally lying down on my bed.”

I raised my eyebrow. Imagining him on a bed wasn’t something that exuded friendly vibes. Thankfully, I would be over him soon, and the memory of his body on top of mine would vanish from my mind, replaced by what no doubt would be friendly conversations over the phone. Or so I hoped. I couldn’t risk getting too entangled with a man whose life was busier and more complicated than I could even fathom.

“You’re spending the night at home?”

“Yes. I plan not to get up until I get at least…… uh… eight hours of solid sleep.”

Lisa laughed.

“That’s impressive…”

“It really is, given my usual schedule. But as a wise woman once said, I am not the kind of guy who rests as much as he should, so I’m trying to fix that.”

“Well, whoever this lady is, she’s definitely wise. I agree with her. So be good, and get under the blanket.”

I heard Michael giggle, then some rustling of sheets. He was being compliant, apparently, and that made me smile.

“Where are you, by the way?”

“Believe it or not, I, too, am in bed.”

“Mh… So no wild night out for Miss Lisa?”

“Nope. Just my favorite comforter and a cup of tea.”

“Sounds fun!”

It was my turn to giggle.

“It is…”

I didn’t specify that having him snuggle under the blankets with me would probably be even more fun. Fantasies were just that, and they didn’t hurt anyone. As long as I could keep them for myself.

“Hey, Michael?”

“Yes, Lisa Marie?”

“Did you call me so I can lullaby you to sleep?”

Another cute, little giggle. During our torrid one-night stand, I hadn’t had much time to explore that aspect of Michael. How funny, endearing, and quick-witted he could be.

“No, although it’s not a bad idea at all… Actually, I called you to ask you if you’re free tomorrow…”

Well, this surprised me. When I had scribbled my phone number on that little piece of paper, before leaving Michael’s apartment, I didn’t really think I would see him again. Not so soon, anyway. I was convinced that whatever we had shared was nothing but a very brief parenthesis in our lives, and that we would both soon move on – and maybe speak again at some point in the future. Instead, this was our third phone call in a handful of days, and now he seemed to be asking me if I would be willing to see her again.

Don’t overthink stuff. He hasn’t said anything yet. Maybe he just wants to send you flowers… or something.

Yes, because usually the guys who fucked me would send me flowers afterward. Not really.

“Yes. Nothing major going on tomorrow, for me. Why?”

Michael sighed.

“Did you hear about that guy who opened fire on kids, at that elementary school in Stockton, a few days ago?”

Of course I had heard. I knew exactly what Michael was talking about. The news had been talking plenty about the young man who had parked the car behind the school, then approached the playground where children were playing and unloaded his semiautomatic rifle on them.

“I did…”

All of a sudden, my giddy mood was nowhere to be found. Five kids aged six to nine had died in the shooting, and some thirty people were injured.

“Well, I’ll be there tomorrow. To comfort the kids and offer my condolences to the families. And maybe help, if I can. And I was wondering if you’d be willing to go with me.”

And so, the next day, I found myself in one of Michael’s cars, guarded by some men straight from Michael’s security detail, and about to switch vehicles to travel with him. A complex and convoluted mechanism that involved godforsaken streets in LA I had never seen before and that, no doubt, was necessary to protect him and give him a bit of privacy. Right then and then, it took me about two minutes to realize that what had happened at the Essence had been an extraordinary event, and that usually Michael needed some elaborate plan just to get out of his house, otherwise he’d be swarmed. I had imagined it, of course, but never experienced it firsthand. Back when my dad was still alive, he would drive me around Memphis on his golf cart and nobody would ever bother us.

Times had changed.

But anyway, whoever had planned the trip to Cleveland Elementary School that morning had excellent strategic skills as we somehow managed to reach our destination without any major ruckus. And before we got there, of course, there had been the car drive with the man I didn’t think I would see again anytime soon, and certainly not in such unexpected circumstances.

When I opened the door of the black Suburban—something I did by myself, much to the chagrin of one of Michael’s people—he was sitting in the back seats, waiting for me. That day, he wore a military-style outfit that looked amazing on him, and I could only hope I wouldn’t make him look bad with my tight jeans, military boots, and leather jacket.

“Hey…”

“Lisa… hey…”

The moment I sat down, he took my hand. The contact was comforting, warm. Then he leaned over and kissed my cheek sweetly. He lingered there for a moment, too, allowing me to breathe in his scent. Forcing me to relive the sensory experience of having him much, much closer than this. And without any clothes on.

Thankfully, it lasted very little as he sat back and smiled at me.

“I’m so happy to see you… I didn’t think you would come!”

I had to laugh.

“Why not? I told you I was free today!”

He shrugged.

“Yeah, I know. But still, doing charity work with me… especially in such horrible circumstances… is not something I take for granted from anyone. So thank you for being here.”

My eyes narrowed and I stared at him for a moment. Nope. He wasn’t shitting me. The man was serious. I squeezed his hand.

“You’re welcome. Thanks for inviting me.”

“Alright. You ready to go?”

I hoped I had the willpower to face what was about to come. I had never done any of that stuff before, and I had no idea how having to be immersed in such a tragedy would make me feel. But somehow, I thought I would get through it. At the very least, I liked children and I knew how to behave around them. And even though this wouldn’t be a walk in the park, the most important thing at the moment was to convince Michael that was absolutely sure of myself.

“Oh yeah. Let’s do this.”

And so we went. I soldiered up and walked into the school after glancing over at the yard where the tragedy had happened, wanting so much to reach out and take Michael’s hand to get some measure of comfort. He had no idea how difficult all that was for me. Not because of the setting in itself, but mostly the circumstances. I loved to live my life privately, I wasn’t used to being out and about, and I was only happy he would be the center of attention – not me. This wasn’t a fully public event, but it was still an official one. And the truth was that I had no idea how to manage that.

The best thing I could do was stay quiet, disappear in the background, and interact with the kids – especially since I had no idea how the day would pan out. Was Michael supposed to give some grandiose speech or something? Would we be in the auditorium, scrutinized by cameras and whatnot?

Nothing of that sort.

Once again, Michael managed to surprise me. There was no grand entrance or presentation, no auditorium and no big speech. We went into the classrooms and simply spent some time with the people in there.

And it struck me again. Whoever this guy was, the press had it all wrong. He was down to earth and very approachable, humble, sweet and absolutely polite and thoughtful toward everyone. The teachers, the staff, the children and their families, which in some cases were there as well. He was just there to offer solace and support – not to show off. He genuinely wanted to help, and the fact that he was in that frame of mind changed my mood as well. For the better, making everything easier.

Everything went remarkably smoothly, and at some point, I just found myself kneeling down and speaking with the kids as if it were the most normal thing in the world. Loving – absolutely adoring – to do it, my heart opening and taking in all their emotions, whether they were joyful surprise at seeing us – well, Michael – there or barely concealed anguish, fear and grief.

This little girl sitting at her desk, a second-grader, reached out and took my hand as if she had known me forever.

I smiled at her.

“What’s your name?”

“Mei.”

“Wow. It’s a beautiful name.”

She looked shy, but there was a light in her eyes that I never forgot.

“Are you his girlfriend?”

“Who?”

She just pointed her finger at Michael, who was speaking to a teacher. I smiled again.

“I’m his friend. And yours, too. Are you okay?”

She didn’t look like it. Not completely, at least. And I hoped she would be, very soon.

I was just about to tell her that, when Mei got up from her little chair and went straight into my arms, hugging me the same way she would have with a big sister. Or simply an adult that was supposed to protect her, instead of hurting her. I closed my eyes and held her close, knowing well that my visit, today, wouldn’t make any difference in the grand scheme of things, but still hoping that it would bring some relief of sorts, at least for the time being.

I heard a shuffle but I didn’t move, especially as Mei was still holding onto me. When I opened my eyes again, Michael was crouching down next to me, one hand on my shoulder, the other rubbing the girl’s back. Mei pulled back, stared at him for a moment, then stretched out her little arm. Before we knew what was what, both Michael and I were hugging her.

And it felt so very right. To be doing something for those who were struggling? Yes, definitely. Right then and there, I was no longer preoccupied with the day. Just happy that he had wanted me with him.

Michael

Lisa was tired, I could tell. After all, the day had been longer and much more eventful than I had initially planned, when I had made my impromptu night call and asked her if she wanted to go with me. Which was the truth, but also an excuse to spend some more time with her without having to mention a real that.

Well, the part where we truly spent time together hadn’t been accomplished yet, as we had been busy all day. After a few hours at the school, we drove straight to the nearby Central United Methodist Church, where some of the children who had been injured during the shooting still were. It was too soon for them to go back to school, and I was happy to shower them with toys and attention.

And then we went to the San Joaquin General Hospital, where other little patients were. I wanted to do the full tour and not leave anyone behind, yet I hadn’t realized that, in doing so, I would necessarily have to neglect Lisa.

Thankfully, she didn’t seem to mind one bit and got immersed in our charity work like a professional—a talented natural professional, at that, someone with the genuine empathy and compassion to do good by others, to bring some positivity to them, some hope, just by being there.

As I looked at her surreptitiously while she chatted with a mother and her still bedridden son, I realized the absurdity of this entire situation. Lisa and I had only spent one night together – having sex again and again, no promises, no nothing. And now, during the day, we were doing… this. At times, it seemed to me we were sharing moments that were just as intimate as some of our touches and kisses during our little escapade at my Hideout. If not more.

It was strange in a way, but it also made a lot of sense. And I couldn’t even tell why. I couldn’t pinpoint what had prompted me to have her with me in this, knowing well that I wouldn’t be able to pay attention to her at all, instead of simply asking her out for a drink, for lunch, or for another round of solid fucking.

Maybe, deep down, what I wanted to share with Lisa today was more than a bed. What I wanted to show her was that I was so much more than a one-night stand or some sort of cartoonish image in the magazines. Which she knew, of course, but I felt I needed to reiterate it, just in case. Just because way too many people around me, at times, didn’t seem to realize that I was an actual human being, with actual feelings.

But she does. She saw your human side, over and over again. She saw plenty of that in the very little time you two have spent together.

Sighing to myself, I glanced over at her in the car. She seemed lost in thought, staring outside the window – and she looked otherworldly beautiful. We were finally driving back, and the sky had already turned dark, like it would usually happen during winter afternoons. We hadn’t even had lunch and we had barely had the time to speak throughout the whole day. I suddenly realized I didn’t want our little meeting to end like this, like it was some professional task we had to accomplish together.

Right on cue, or maybe simply sensing my eyes on her, Lisa turned and we stared at each other for a moment. Yep. Glazed-over eyes and a bit pale. She was definitely tired.

“You look exhausted. You need some rest, huh?”

She smirked, her face relaxing.

“Dude, I need some real food! Yummy, oily, greasy soul food! I’ve been starving for hours! And then a few hours of sleep, possibly, yeah…”

I laughed, thinking about the little appetizers we had munched on from one destination to the next. Not much for sure for little Miss over there. And I hadn’t even noticed!

“Man… I’ve been such a bad host. I didn’t even feed you properly. I’m so sorry about that.”

I was being honest. It made me feel a bit guilty to realize how she had found herself trapped in the whirlwind that my life was and how unable I had been to tell her how the entire day would go down beforehand. So maybe, in a way, I had taken her a bit for granted. And I wanted to make up for it.

“Don’t be sorry, Michael. It was a beautiful day. Exhausting, but beautiful…” She took my hand and squeezed it for a moment before letting go of it. “I didn’t think it would be such a wonderful experience.”

“Yeah?”

I was surprised, to say the least. And even though I had noticed how good she was at comforting the kids, at times Lisa would be unreadable. Her eyes held secrets that I wasn’t able to unlock. To have her confirm that she was happy to be there, with me, doing one of the things I loved the most, felt incredibly rewarding.

“Yeah!” She laughed again and, immediately afterward, we both shared a moment of comfortable silence. Just looking at each other, the skyline of the city passing by in the background.

And just like that, I didn’t want this day to end. Just like I hadn’t wanted our only night together to end. What the heck was wrong with me? Maybe my heart was just too soft. I could only hope Lisa Marie wouldn’t crush it like a pesky bug.

“Cool. Oh, by the way… you got plans for the night?”

“Why? You have other commitments to fulfill and still need my company?” The smirk was still on that gorgeous face of hers. Her eyes shiny in the dim light of the car. Oh, I needed her company alright.

“No, it’s because I feel I gotta amend for not taking care of you properly.”

“Not taking care of me properly?” She laughed.

I felt my cheeks go up in flames.

“Not feeding you, I mean.”

She snorted.

“Oh, I see. You think?”

“Yeah. How about I show you my ranch? The chefs are there. And the kitchen is open 24/7.”

“Every damn hour of the day? Poor chefs!”

We laughed again, and I sensed a bit of embarrassment in both of us this time. Maybe we were both wondering what would happen next, as we were in a pretty undefined territory together. Our friendship was just blossoming, but given that we had sex – wild, intense, extremely pleasurable sex – during our first encounter, things could get murky really quickly if we didn’t pay attention. And I could tell we were both cautious, unsure of how we had to navigate this.

“I gotta tell you, though… If you say yes, it’s gonna be another couple of hours before we get there.”

“Holy shit! Where is this ranch?”

I wasn’t going to tell her how funny that foul mouth of hers was to me.

“Los Olivos.”

“Oh, nice!”

“Well, you’ll judge by yourself, and then you’ll tell me what you think of it. How about that?” I blushed again, and I didn’t even know why. Maybe because what I was about to say had some implications and I didn’t want her to think bad of it. “You can also stay there for the night, if you want. As long as you want, in fact. I have plenty of bedrooms in the main house and two bungalows ready… you know, for the guests. So you will have all the privacy you need. But if you wanna go back to your mom’s house after we have dinner, I totally understand… and I’ll have my people take care of it, no problem.”

Lisa looked at me. She really stared at me for what felt like forever and I could almost hear the wheels turning in her head. She was considering my offer, and likely wondering what it entailed. What the hidden meaning behind my words was. None, really. But I was open to seeing how the night would progress… that was for sure.

“…Alright.”

My eyebrows sprung up.

“Alright?”

“Yeah, alright. I mean, I would have asked you to stop at a diner, but this sounds even better.” Was she the one, now, blushing a bit? Wow!

“Well… Deal, then.” I leaned forward and opened the privacy curtain, intercepting the driver’s eyes in the mirror. “We’re going home, Oliver.”

“To the ranch?”

“Yes, to the ranch.”

“Sure thing, boss.”

Lisa

The next thing I remember about that evening is Michael gently touching the side of my face. Opening my eyes, I found myself leaning against his shoulder, immersed in the dim light of the car – and surrounded by a scenery I had never seen before. Even though it was already dark, I could clearly see the outline of the trees and the valleys, the intense greenery, just outside the car window.

Slowly, it all came back to me. Michael asking me if I wanted to see his ranch, in Los Olivos, me agreeing and telling him how hungry I was. My decision had been an easy one: I didn’t want to go home to my mother, and being with Michael sounded more than tempting. Way more than an easy way out not to face the person who should have loved me the most, unconditionally, and instead watched me with barely concealed disappointment every single time.

And then what had happened was that I had fallen asleep like a whole fool, likely collapsing against him on our way over to his newly purchased home. The ranch. Yes, I had read the news somewhere, back in the day. I knew he had bought a big piece of land. But I had no idea this place was so otherworldly beautiful.

“Lisa? Lisa Marie…”

My eyelids felt heavy, my body was fully relaxed. I moved – or he moved, I’m not sure – and his unique scent reached my nostrils. Michael smelled good, which was something I had noticed during our only night together. He smelled clean and manly and his scent was an extraordinary mixture of aftershave, vanilla and something else that I couldn’t really pinpoint, but I was pretty sure I would recognize anywhere.

“Mh? Are we there, yet?”

“Yes. Time to get out of the car. Wake up, sleepyhead.” I heard his little giggle and I squeezed my eyes shut for a second, then opened them again. Everything coming back to me finally. What a doofus I was!

I pulled back slowly, noticing his arm around me, holding me protectively.

“I think I fell asleep…”

“Yep. You can very well say that. You were out like a light.”

“Did I drool on your jacket?”

Another one of his little laughs.

“I don’t know. Probably.”

“Sorry…”

“It’s OK. I’m actually glad you could rest for a bit… You looked exhausted earlier.” Tilting his head, he did this thing I did not expect. He reached out and pushed a strand of my hair behind my ear. Something he had done just once before, after making love to me in his apartment. “Still hungry?”

“I’m starving.”

“Amazing. I am too. Which is weird, as I usually don’t care about food.” He gave me a little lopsided smirk. “Looks like we worked up an appetite today, you and I.”

“Yeah, it sure looks like it.” Food wasn’t the only thing I desired, when I was around him. But he didn’t need to know that.

“Let’s go then. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes.”