One More Chance
Chapter Two
Can We Be Friends?
Gloria and Suzie were all abuzz over Michael and his children’s visit to the toy store yesterday morning. Of course Annie played dumb and said nothing of her visit with Michael and his kids. She wanted it to be their little secret. It made her feel (at least temporarily) that she had something all her own. She snapped back to attention when she heard Gloria say something about Suzie and Michael.
“He seemed very interested in Suzie. He was practically hanging all over her. I took several pictures of the two of them together. Would you like to see them Annie?”
“Sure, I would love to,” she said giving Gloria a tight little smile.
Gloria gave Annie her cell phone and Annie paged through the photos of the visit. She noticed that there were hardly any pictures of the kids. Though there were a few and she smiled when she saw them playing with some of the toys. There was Blanket hugging one of the giant stuffed bears and Paris looking at the arts and craft section of the store. There was one of Prince in the board game section.
Then she cringed inwardly when the pictures of Suzie and Michael appeared. Suzie was hanging all over Michael. She had her arms around him and in a couple of them she was actually kissing Michael on the cheek. He didn’t seem like he was enjoying it—at least from what she could tell. Though he did have a smile on his face, but it could be a fake smile. She thought sadly, she didn’t know if it was possible for Michael to fake a smile.
“Very lovely,” she said as she handed the phone back to Gloria.
“It’s too bad you had to miss out on the visit Annie. I hope your day of leisure was well worth missing out on such an exciting visit from such a famous celebrity. I think I may try to get him to come back before he leaves the city. Rumor has it he is only here for a short period of time.”
Annie said nothing in reply and turned and walked into the back of the store to her office. She had a sick feeling in her stomach after looking at those pictures of Suzie and Michael. Suzie always dressed so beautifully. She felt like an ugly duckling next to her. And of course she looked stunning standing next to Michael. The last comment Gloria had said about how Michael was only to be in New York for a short period of time really bothered her.
Suddenly Annie felt foolish about all her daydreams of seeing him again and that somehow there was some sort of connection between them. After all what could he possibly see in someone like her? She was drab and unexciting next to a woman like Suzie. Though he had said he wanted to see her again. She felt so good when she came back from her visit with him and his kids and now it was evaporating quickly thanks to Gloria’s picture show!
She busied herself in work all morning to try to detract her from thoughts of Michael. At lunch she was still determined to get those art supplies, but then Gloria had some sort of emergency in which she needed Annie to help a customer locate a missing order. Gloria seemed to think it was Annie’s fault. An hour later she found out that it was in fact Suzie’s fault. The wrong address had been entered on the computer when the order was taken. The customer had been ever grateful to Annie. He had even passed on his sympathies when he heard of her father’s passing. Apparently he remembered her father from when he was younger and visited the store with his parents.
“Well mistakes will happen—Suzie is new to the computer system—what she doesn’t know about the computer she makes up in sales especially when dealing with the single fathers!” Gloria boasted. Oh sure, Annie thought, an hour ago it was all about how incompetent Annie was when she thought it was her fault.
And to top it all off she missed her lunch. She would just have to go to the art supply store after work.
In order to go to the store that she preferred she took the subway. She had to stand because it was so crowded, she was lost in thought when she heard Michael’s name being mentioned.
“Rumor has it Michael Jackson is in New York,” a gentleman in a suit said standing next to her.
“No kidding. Go back to where you came from I say,” the other guy standing next to him said. “I always thought he was a bit of a freakazoid—you know what I mean?”
“Hey he was cleared of all charges—though I guess when you have a lot of money and you’re famous you are able to hire a big shot lawyer to get you off!” They both laughed and then started to talk about sports.
Her stop was next and she made it to the store right before closing. She got the supplies she needed and decided to take a taxi home rather than get back on the subway.
Part Two
When she had looked for photos of him on the internet she was amazed at how much information was out there about Michael Jackson. She had bypassed it all and looked only for photos on Tuesday night when she got home from the art supply store.
It was now Saturday evening and she still had not heard from Michael. She was quite anxious—she was hoping that perhaps he may have showed up one morning before the store opened at least to say hello—but there had been no sign of him.
When she returned home from work she decided she was going to delve into the internet again and do some research on Michael. In a strange way she felt guilty about it. Somehow she felt if he knew about this he would be hurt. The overheard conversation between those two guys on the subway had haunted her for the rest of the week. After all what did she know about him? It might be good to garner some information on what he went through in the last few years. She could not stop thinking about him and felt maybe she could learn something more about him and that might make her feel closer to him.
She ate some leftover Chinese takeout directly from the container and sat on the couch with her laptop reading a lot about Michael. She read some good and some bad. She cringed at how ugly some of it was. Especially some of the comments people made after an article was posted. She read articles about his vitiligo, the rumors that he had lupus, the questions about the birth of his kids, his two divorces and she finally bit the bullet and read about the 2005 trial.
She became so engrossed with her subject that she was severely startled when she heard a knock at her door. She looked at the clock—after 9:00pm—usually when it was this late the doorman would call and announce visitors. She closed the laptop and placed it on the table in front of the couch and then walked to the door—she looked through the peephole and was pleasantly surprised to see Michael.
She called through the door anyway—“Michael, is that you?”
He answered, “The one and only!”
She opened the door and there he was standing, hands in his pockets, leaning up against the door frame. Her heart kind of skipped a beat.
“Hello,” he said.
“Hello,” she answered back.
Michael let his eyes sweep up and down getting a good look at her. Once again he was amazed at her beauty. She was wearing a pair of lounge pants that showed off her curves. On her feet she wore a pair of pink fuzzy socks. She had a cute oversized t-shirt with a big smiley face. She had gathered the excess and tied it in a knot at her waist.
He let his eyes slowly lift up to look at her face. Her hair wasn’t in the tight ponytail that he had seen her in at the store, nor was it down around her face like last Monday. This time she had her curls gathered up on top of her head fastened with a big clip. Some of the curls had come loose and were hanging carefree and loose around her face.
She had a pair of glasses on that made her look cute and intellectual all at once. Michael had to hold himself back from literally bursting through the door and picking her up and carrying her to her bedroom. He didn’t want this to be all about the physical—he wanted to get to know her better—but right now his body was telling him that it was all about the physical!
“Can I come in?” he asked shyly.
“Oh sure, yes, please come in,” she said.
“I just put my kids to bed and well, I really wanted to see you so I thought I would have my driver bring me here. I hope I didn’t disturb you. I asked the doorman not to announce me. I wanted it to be a surprise,” he ducked his head bashfully when he said this last part.
She was nervous after she had been scouring the internet for the last several hours reading all kinds of really disgusting stuff about him. She didn’t want him to know that was what she was doing so she was trying to think of something to distract him with.
“I was drawing,” she said. Which wasn’t exactly a lie—she had been working all week on her art and had some lovely sketches of…oh drat, of him!
His eyes lit up immediately. “Wow, you’re an artist?” he said excitedly. “Can I see your work?”
“Well, I went to art school before I came back to New York to work in my father’s store. I am kind of embarrassed of showing you the sketches because…well, because they are of you.”
“Well now I have to see them,” he said laughing.
She couldn’t help but laugh also. “Ok, come on over to my artists nook.”
She led him to the corner of her small apartment that got the most natural light during the day and which she had other lighting set up so that she could work there in the evenings also. She had several pictures that she had printed out of him pinned to one easel and her sketch pad on another easel.
There were several pages of Michael’s face and also some of him dancing. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a pair of glasses and put them on and started to look. He was very thoughtful and intent as he looked at each sketch.
When he was finished he looked at her and said, “They are totally awesome! Do you paint also or use other mediums?”
“Well to tell you the truth I have done some painting, but I have kind of an interest in illustrating—like for a graphic novel or comic book art or my dream would be to illustrate a children’s book. I use pencils and sometimes charcoal.”
“Wow that’s so cool,” he said. She looked at him and thought to herself he is like a big kid. In some ways so innocent and naïve and then in other ways his eyes revealed how mature and deep he was--it was this contrast that seemed to attract her to him.
She snapped back to attention, she had been lost in thought and had not heard him. “I am sorry Michael I didn’t hear what you said.
“I said, can I ask where you got these pictures of me?”
Without thinking she said “Oh I got them on the internet. I looked you up on Google.”
She noticed right away a change in his demeanor. “What kind of other stuff did you see about me on there?”
She looked at him and hesitated for a second and before she could answer him he started to talk again. This time Annie was surprised at the anger and bitterness in his voice.
“So you thought you would do some research on me to check me out. It’s all a bunch of crap about me. So many lies about me have been spread. They never leave me alone. I thought maybe you would be different. I think I should go!”
She stood in disbelief as he turned around and stalked toward the door. “Michael, wait!” she practically shouted.
Annie's apartment was very small and his legs were very long. He was at the door in a matter of seconds. She started to hurry toward the door, leaping over an ottoman to get to there before he left.
She reached the door just as he was opening it. Annie took the palm of her hand and forcefully slammed it shut. The action was so forceful, she startled him and herself!
He stood with his back to her his hand on the doorknob. “Let me open the door Annie.”
“No Michael, I don’t understand, what’s wrong? Turn around and look at me—please,” she said to him.
He slowly turned around. The pain and hurt in his eyes seemed to pierce straight through to her heart. Suddenly the overheard conversation on the subway and all the comments and crap that she had read about him on the internet came rushing at her. This man had to face this kind of pain day in and day out. The lies and the rumors and the constant innuendo had chased him for most of his adult life. And now, she surmised, he was afraid that she would somehow buy into it.
Annie slipped her hand into his and said gently, “Let’s go sit on the couch and talk, okay?”
He didn’t answer her but he let her pull him toward the couch. She sat down and pulled him down next to her. Their knees were touching they we were so close. He would not look at Annie as she talked. He looked straight ahead.
“Michael, if I hurt you or offended you—I am so sorry. I want you to tell me why you were so angry right now, please?” she said softly. She recalled the way he had comforted her a few days ago and she desired to do the same for him.
He turned to look at her and said quietly, “Sometimes I wish that I could meet someone that lived in some sort of country or region that didn’t have television or computers that was so far off the beaten path that they never heard of Michael Jackson. Then they would not have to form an opinion of me one way or another except by their first impression of me and from talking to me. I guess when I met you I hoped kind of that it might be like that with you. I know it’s stupid. Obviously you don’t live in a vacuum and you have heard about me. But you didn’t seem to care that I was famous. You treated me like a normal person. I feel sometimes that whenever I meet someone new they are either thinking about what they can get from me or how they can use me or even worse they are thinking somehow that I got away with something wrong. I guess when I saw that you had read up on me I don’t know I guess I didn’t want your impression of me to be somehow tainted.”
Annie grasped both of his hands in hers and looked into his eyes. “Michael, when I first met you at the toy store and you asked about my father and I told you he died, you offered me kind words of sympathy. And you were so sincere and you had never even met me and you met my father only once before, a long time ago. And then the second time you met me, once again you comforted me and then you took me to meet your kids. The evening I spent with you guys was one of the best that I have had in such a long, long time. This is only the third time that I have actually spent any kind of time with you, but I feel like when I am with you….well...you make me feel so good about myself. I have not felt good about myself in such a long time. And then when I came back from that evening with you and your kids, I was inspired to draw again. I have not touched my art in close to two years!”
“You were right. I don’t really care that you are Michael Jackson. I mean it’s not that I don’t think you are talented. You have a gift from God to dance and sing. But that’s not what you are all about. I just thought if I knew some of what went on in your life, especially the last few years or so, I might feel closer to you. And no matter what I read on the internet about you, it would never change the impression that you made on me so far just by talking to you and watching you with your kids and how you have treated me. Do you understand?”
He nodded his head silently and she continued on. “Michael, I need a friend. I know that you can tell I am lonely, because I think you need a friend too. So if you are willing to be my friend, I am more than willing to be yours.”
Smile
He looked at her. She was not only beautiful on the outside; she was even more beautiful on the inside. “I would like that,” he said quietly. “The only thing I ask of you is that if you want to know something about me—just ask me. If you feel any qualms about who I am or what has transpired in my past…I am willing to talk to you about it, because I feel some sort of connection to you that I have not felt with anyone else, especially someone of the female persuasion, in a long time.” He said this last part with a smile and Annie smiled back at him.
Part Three
It was Annie's turn to be bashful now, “Would you like to look at some of my other artwork? I have a portfolio of some of the stuff I did in school. I am rather proud of it.”
“Are you kidding me, I would love to,” he said. He took her hand and helped her up from the couch and they walked back to Annie's artist’s nook.
She found out that night that Michael was very knowledgeable about art. He seemed to have a vast knowledge of the past masters like Da Vinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo. Michelangelo was his favorite. They both had been to Europe—him on tour, naturally, her to study art. Of course one of Michael’s favorite places was the Accademia di Belle Arti or the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, Italy. That is where Michelangelo’s statue of David stands on display.
After they looked at Annie's portfolio they made their way back to the couch and sat down. He put his arm around her and she put her head on his shoulder and they continued to talk.
“You are so well versed on art. I had to take many classes before I understood as much as you do.”
He chuckled, “Well, I guess it’s because I love to read. I have many books about art and I just have an insatiable curiosity about everything. I love the old masters. Their art has survived for centuries and people like you and me, we are still discussing it and admiring it. I know this sounds kind of like I am boasting, but I’m not really, I guess I always wanted my music to live on like that. Michelangelo said, ‘I know the creator will go, but his work survives. That is why to escape death, I attempt to bind my soul to my work.’”
“That’s beautiful. So do you attempt to bind your soul to your work?”
Michael got kind of quiet and said, “I think I try. I think that there are a lot of people that think what I do is just a bit of fluff and that it has no depth. But I try to write significant lyrics about love and about truth and about human emotions. I like to think my songs are the type that all kinds of different people can relate to—no matter what part of the world they are in or how young or old they are. And I also have written songs about saving the earth. It’s important stuff to me and I guess I want people to get my message.”
“It’s just that….,” he hesitated for a minute, “I have not really talked about this with anybody else…,” he said in a quiet somber voice.
“Are you sure you want to talk to me about it?” Annie said very seriously.
“Yes, I do,” he said. Annie moved her body away from his and sat up on the couch, and gave him her full attention.
“It’s just that after the trial I went away for awhile. I was really mentally and physically exhausted and I stopped performing. It was like I couldn’t stomach getting in front of a crowd anymore. I didn’t have it in me. I took my kids with me and I got really closer to them and I wouldn’t trade that time away from the spotlight for the world. But now I feel like…like maybe I am just some forgotten piece of pop culture. I don’t want people to remember me as some sort of tabloid trash. I worked hard at my music and plus I have been really working hard at writing new music but I’m…,” he looked up at her and his eyes were filled with sadness and trepidation. “I’m kind of scared of what to expect,” he finished.
“Kind of like stage fright?” Annie asked.
He let out a bittersweet laugh, “Kind of like that, at least in some ways. Michael Jackson with stage fright, the media would have a field day with that! I guess I have always had to psyche myself up to go out on the stage. But after not being out there for so long and because I feel a little bit rusty I think I might need to get really psyched to get back out there. I don’t want to make a fool of myself. And I guess I am also not sure if anyone is going to give a damn anymore!”
“That is partially why I am here in New York. I am recording some new tracks. I thought at first that I wanted to mainly release a new album. But lately my kids have been asking me more and more questions about what daddy used to do and why I don’t do it anymore. I feel like I need to get back on a stage again and prove myself all over again and remind people that I am Michael Jackson. I want my kids to be proud of me and I want people to think about my music again. And I want my music to last into the ages, long after I am gone. I want to work on my legacy before I am not able or before I am gone from this Earth.”
Annie moved back closer to him and he welcomed her once more by putting his arm around her. The couple felt very comfortable sitting next to each other and just talking.
“First of all, I don’t think your kids could be any prouder of you than they are right now. From what I can see their love for you is boundless! Secondly, I bet you don’t realize how many fans you have out there that are waiting for you to perform again. What about those women standing outside of your hotel room the other night? I bet you there are a lot more just like them all over the world.”
He laughed again. “Well I don’t know about that.”
“Well, I guess you will never know unless you take the plunge, right?”
Annie stifled a yawn and Michael kissed the top of her head tenderly and said, “I should be going. I know sleep will probably evade me for another couple of hours but you are obviously tired and should get some shut eye.”
He helped her up. “Thank you for listening.”
“That’s what friends are for,” she said smiling.
“Let me call my driver.” He took his cell out and made the call and then took her by the hand and said “What does Annie Walker do on Sundays?”
“I don’t know—sometimes I take a walk—nothing special. Watch old movies on television. I don’t lead a very exciting life I guess. Lately it’s been kind of a rather solitary life,” Michael noticed that her tone of voice had a bitter twinge to it.
“Well, how about spending Sunday with me tomorrow? I am going to bring you a surprise. I probably won’t be here till closer to noon, so if you go out for that walk, do it before then, okay?
"Okay," Annie said, her voice brightening up.
They had arrived at the door and once again he was looking at her in that soft sexy way. He grabbed her around her waist and pulled her closer to him. And looking into her eyes he said—“You dress very differently from when you are at the toy store. You look beautiful in bright colors. No black or grays. I like red and orange and blue and yellow. So tomorrow, wear something bright and pretty for me, please?”
Annie looked into his chocolate brown eyes and thought to myself, where did you come from Michael Jackson? “Is that an order,” she said playfully.
“It’s just a request,” he whispered and then he leaned in and kissed her on the lips. His lips were soft and warm and he was holding her close. So close that she could feel his body pressed up against hers.
Annie took her arms and looped them around his neck and let her fingers thread through his soft long black hair. Once again they were disturbed by a knock on the door but this time they separated slowly from each others' arms.
“My driver,” he said. He reached behind him and opened the door, still holding her hand he said to the guy, “Peter, do you remember Miss Annie Walker?”
“Good evening, Miss Walker,” Peter tipped his hat and Annie nodded her head.
“Are you ready Mr. Jackson?”
“I will see you tomorrow, okay Annie? Sweet dreams.”
“Ok, Michael. See you tomorrow.” she watched them get on the elevator and then closed and locked the door.
Before Michael left that night he spoke to Charles, Annie’s doorman. “Charles is your name right?” Michael questioned him.
“Yes sir, Mr. Jackson.”
“Please call me Michael,” he said. “Charles, anyone in your family a Michael Jackson fan?”
“Well, as a matter of fact, my wife is crazy about you!” Charles said in reply. Michael reached into an inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out a cd. He opened it up and took out the booklet. It was a copy of Invincible. “What’s her name Charles?”
“Her name is Terry.” Michael signed the back page of the booklet, “To Terry, best wishes, Michael J. Jackson.” He then dated it. He placed the booklet back in the cd and handed it to Charles.
“You are probably going to be seeing me around here a lot in the weeks to come Charles. Can we keep it as quiet as possible? I don’t want to draw any undue attention to Miss Walker or any of the other tenants in the building. Okay?”
“Thank you Mr. Jackson, I mean Michael. My wife will go nuts when she sees this. And I promise the utmost cooperation with your driver and your security people. No one will hear from me that you know Miss Walker.”
“Thanks, Charles,” Michael said as he shook his hand. Michael then left the building with his driver.
Part Four
The next morning, Annie woke up early. She threw on a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt and made her way to her favorite nearby deli for a newspaper and a bagel with cream cheese. She sat at her kitchen table enjoying her mini breakfast while reading the paper. But soon her thoughts turned to Michael. She was floating on air. Michael was coming back today for another visit and he was bringing her a surprise! Last night she felt like she got a little bit closer to him.
Annie was not a novice when it came to men. She had relationships in college—nothing very serious though. She wasn’t a virgin either. After she came back to New York to help her father out she had occasionally dated. But like all the other aspects of her life she let herself become absorbed by the toy store and taking care of her father and her love life or lack thereof went by the wayside.
Michael was different from the other men that she had been involved with up to this point. For one he was older. But that didn’t seem to matter. She felt totally at ease with him. He made her feel good about herself. She smiled as she thought about his request to her to wear something brightly colored and pretty today. Maybe she should feel offended at the remark. After all this was the twenty first century. Men didn’t dictate to women what they should wear in order to please them! But with Michael she knew it was different. He wasn’t necessarily asking her to dress up for him. She felt strongly that he was asking her to do it for herself. Because the bright colors would make her feel better and when she felt better about herself her inner beauty shone outwards. This is the type of affect he had on her.
She looked at the clock, 10:30am—he would be here in little over an hour—enough time to take a quick shower and make her decision about what she should wear. She decided on a pair of blue jeans and a very colorful sweater that she had not worn in awhile. It was a combination of red and orange and had gold threads woven throughout. It seemed to bring out the color in her hair and her eyes. She looked in the mirror nervously. He told her he liked her hair down so she left her curls loose.
She went in to the kitchen and anxiously looked at the clock again. It was 11:45am. She suddenly got butterflies in her stomach. What if he didn’t come? And then as to mock her misgivings there was a knock at the door. As she approached the door she could hear Michael saying, “Shh! Shh!” She opened the door and there he stood. Again, hands in pockets. Rocking on his heels. She heard giggles and then three masked faces peered out from behind him. Michael, trying not to laugh said, “Surprise!”
“My surprise is three masked bandits!”
“It’s us Annie,” Blanket said lifting his mask.
Then all three of them came rushing in, the other two lifting their masks also. They surrounded her and started to say hello all at once. She lowered myself to their level and they all hugged and kissed.
“Daddy said we were to be your surprise,” Paris said.
“Did we surprise you?” Prince said.
“Yes you surprised me and it’s a very good surprise!” Annie said laughing. She felt genuine joy at seeing them. It truly was a very nice surprise.
“Tell you what, take off your coats and hats and put them in my bedroom on the bed—the door is right over there.”
They scooted out of sight and she slowly got up and turned to Michael.
“I hope this is okay? You see I’ve been busy at the recording studio and I only get to see them at night for dinner and then its bedtime and so I like to spend all day Saturday and Sunday with them usually. But I really, really wanted to see you again…”
“It’s fine Michael. I don’t think I have ever had this many people in my tiny apartment at one time!”
Michael looked cautiously over her shoulder and then reached out and grabbed Annie, pulling her closer to him. His arms were wrapped around her waist and his face was inches from hers.
“Do you approve of my colors Michael?” she asked him.
He whispered softly in her ear, “Yes, you look beautiful Annie.”
Once again he took a quick look over his shoulder and then gave Annie a quick kiss on the lips. They both heard the kids voices and they reluctantly, but quickly, separated.
“Oh my, I just had a thought, what am I going to feed you guys for lunch? I suppose we could order some stuff and have it delivered,” she said.
“Oh, I forgot,” Michael exclaimed. “No need to worry, the Jacksons came prepared.” He opened the door and carried two large bags in from the hallway.
“What, no Kentucky Fried Chicken,” Annie said.
“Well, I think I should take that as an insult missy,” he said jokingly. “No. I had one of my assistants go to one of New York’s finest delis. We have sandwiches and some salads and some cut up fruit and veggies and some cookies for dessert. All healthy today!”
“Ooh! Sounds yummy!” Annie said.
Michael carried the bags into the kitchen and placed them on the kitchen table. Meanwhile the kids started to wander about the apartment. He looked over at Annie and said quietly, “I can’t really take them out in public, at least not with me, without causing a stir. I hope you don’t mind me coming here with them. They really wanted to see you again also. We don’t have to stay long.”
“Nonsense Michael—I am glad you brought them. We’ll find something for us to do together.”
“Good,” he said, giving her one of his brightest smiles.
“Daddy, look at this!” Paris exclaimed. She had discovered the sketch pad on the easel open to one of the pictures of her father. Paris turned to Annie and said politely, “Annie, may I look at this?”
“Of course kiddo, you may look.”
She carefully took the sketch pad off the easel and brought it over to the couch and sat down to take a closer look at each of the pictures.
“Come look Prince, Annie has drawn lots of pictures of daddy!”
Prince came and sat next to his sister and then Blanket followed suit sitting on the other side of Paris on the couch.
Annie’s apartment was a small one bedroom. It was rather tiny but Annie had surrounded the walls with shelves filled with books, knick-knacks and special mementos of her life. Michael didn’t have a chance last night to take a look around but today he did and he liked what he saw. The main room in the apartment acted as a living room/office/artist’s nook. She had managed to artfully cram a lot of stuff into a small space. He could immediately see that she was a collector like himself and he wanted to explore. Michael believed that a person’s stuff really clued you into who they were.
“Mind if I look around?” he asked.
“Sure, go ahead,” Annie replied. Michael made a beeline for the bookshelves. Being an avid reader and collector of books he was especially intrigued by what she had on those shelves.
There was classic literature—Poe, Shakespeare, some poetry—a collection of Robert Frost poems and Thoreau’s Walden amongst the varied titles. There were art books, which didn’t surprise him considering she was an artist. Next to the art books were some more technical books on drawing, illustrating for graphic novels and comic books which kind of interested him. There were also books about Walt Disney and animation. And right next to that were two books that really interested him, one was a history of Marvel Comics and the next one was a biography of Stan Lee, founder of Marvel Comics. Michael had met Mr. Lee once upon a time and found him to be a fascinating individual.
By now Annie had come and stood next to him. Michael said to her, “Wow, I love comic books. I love the idea of a super hero. Like Spiderman. He is a normal person by day and by night he does all of these superhuman things for the greater good and no one knows who he is. His true identity is a secret and he likes it that way.”
“Is that what you wish for yourself Michael? A secret identity?” Annie said.
He turned to look at her and said, “Michael Jackson normal guy by day and super entertainer by night.” He laughed, “Yeah, something like that might be cool!”
He continued to peruse her collection. The next two shelves were filled with children’s literature. There were several titles by Robert McCloskey, Make Way for Ducklings and Time of Wonder. Annie said, “He’s one of my favorites. He wrote and illustrated. I love his illustrations.”
Michael lovingly handled the books, paging through taking a quick look at some of the pictures. “These are great. I guess I never heard of him before. The kids would probably enjoy them.” He then saw a copy of Maurice Sendak’s Where The Wild Things Are. “I’ve read this one to them a hundred times.”
“Just like you told me that you love the old masters and that we can learn from the old masters, I guess I like the old masters of children’s literature. I feel I can learn from them when it comes to illustrating,” Annie said.
Michael let his fingers trace along the other titles, Alice In Wonderland, Winnie the Pooh, and then one particularly caught his eye. Peter Pan, The Story of Peter and Wendy, by J. M. Barrie. He took it off the shelf and carefully opened it up.
“It’s a first edition,” Annie said.
“It’s beautiful,” Michael said. “You know, Peter Pan is kind of a favorite of mine.”
“So I have heard,” she said teasingly.
Wow, Michael thought to himself, this woman is incredible. He nonchalantly slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her a little bit closer to him. He said quietly to her, “You know Annie, we have a lot of the same interests.” He smiled at her and she smiled back.
Unbeknownst to the both of them, Paris was watching them from behind while sitting on the couch. She nudged Prince lightly and he looked up. She placed her finger on her lips, indicating to him to keep quiet and motioned over her shoulder to Annie and their father. Prince looked and then looked back at Paris-he raised his eyebrows slightly and smiled and Paris smiled back.
Part Five
Paris got up and carefully placed the sketch pad on the easel and said to Annie, “You are so good Annie! How did you learn to draw?”
“Well, I guess I really didn’t learn so to speak. I guess it kind of flows naturally from me. I have an idea and I start to draw it. Sometimes I gain inspiration from real life, like your father,” she looked at Michael when she said this and smiled at him.
“Kind of like writing a song,” Michael said thoughtfully.
“Did you always want to be an artist?” Paris asked.
“I’ve loved to draw since I was your age. I used to make my own birthday cards for my mom and dad and my friends. And sometimes I would draw little mini comic books. My mom kept some of them and I have them packed away somewhere in my stuff,” she said rather wistfully. She had not thought of that in so many years.
“Maybe you could draw us the way you drew daddy?” Paris said.
“I could, if your father approved. Maybe I could get some pictures of you guys before you leave.”
Annie looked over at Michael and he said, “That would be great. I would love to see you draw them.”
“Is this your mom and dad, Annie?” Prince said. He was looking at some pictures that Annie had on display on a separate bookshelf. She walked over and took the picture off the shelf and handed it to Prince. He held it carefully looking at it closer. Paris came up behind Prince and looked also.
“Yes, that’s them. This was taken at my art school graduation. My mom died soon after that. She was sick with cancer but she managed to come see me graduate.” Annie’s voice trembled slightly.
Michael drew closer ready to give her comfort if she needed it. But she seemed to pull herself together. He motioned to Prince to give him the picture frame. Michael saw a loving family. Annie’s mother was quite beautiful and her father had a huge smile on his face. He looked like a very fun loving guy. Looking at the picture it kind of hit Michael that Annie was truly alone now that both her parents were dead.
“They look like they are so proud of you,” he said aloud. He handed the picture back to her. Annie looked at Michael before placing the picture back on the shelf. She heard something in his voice when he said that. She knew he was very close to his mother but it had always been rumored that there was no love lost between Michael and his father. She wondered if he was thinking of his own parents looking at that picture.
“Look at all the toys Daddy!” Blanket said. On the next and last set of shelves that Annie had in her apartment was an eclectic collection of toys. They were from many different eras and there were many different kinds. There were board games, a few dolls, some teddy bears and on the top two shelves were some antique wind up toys. She laughed and came up behind Blanket caressing the back of his head.
“You have discovered my toy collection, huh little one?”
“I guess the one thing my father passed onto me was a love of toys. I remember when I was a little girl my father used to bring home sample toys that he was thinking of selling in the store and he would have my mother and I test them out and grade them. A lot of these I have picked up on my own from when I traveled to Europe when I was going to art school. Some of them were given to me when I was younger—by my mother and father. And then the wind up toys—they are antiques—my father started a tradition of giving me one on my birthday—when I was older.”
“Can we see some of them work Annie?” Prince asked.
“Sure. But they are very old so we have to be careful. They are much older than you guys and even older than me and your daddy.”
Michael laughed, “Wow, even older than me guys!”
Watching them together also provoked another emotion in him. She looked so damn sexy sitting on the floor with his kids! She had this absolutely adorable look on her face of intent concentration and absolute joy. She was so beautiful when she was smiling and laughing. He once again held himself back—but he felt like he wanted to go over there and kiss her like there was no tomorrow! As if she could feel him looking at her—she suddenly turned her head to look at him. She smiled and then winked at him. He laughed.
“Okay guys,” Annie said. “I think I need to put these guys back up on the shelf for another day.”
“I have an idea though, after lunch, perhaps we can play one or two of the board games that I have. I have Life and Monopoly. Or maybe Candyland or Operation?”
“That sounds like fun, could we Daddy, please,” Paris said.
“Sure. Why not—it does sound like fun,” Michael said. He was still trying to recover from watching the sexy Annie perched so cutely on the ground.
Prince carefully helped Annie place the antique wind up toys back on the shelf. “Thanks kiddo,” she said to Prince. She was amazed at how polite his kids were, though she probably shouldn’t be because the father set a very good example.
“How about you guys go wash up and then we will have some lunch. Paris, make sure Blanket washes his hands thoroughly,” Michael said.
“Okay Daddy,” Paris said as they ran to use Annie’s bathroom.
“That was nice of you to show them those wind-up toys. By the way, their father thought they were quite magical also!” he said laughing again. Michael couldn’t seem to wipe the smile from his face.
Part Six
Annie watched as Michael went over to the kitchen sink and washed his hands and then started to take the food out of the bags. She was watching him intently and then he said to her, “Mind if I ask why you are watching me so intently?”
She giggled. “I should take some pictures of this and submit them to the media. The headlines would read, MICHAEL JACKSON FEEDING HIS KIDS LUNCH—WHAT NEXT!”
He started to laugh and then got kind of serious. “If only. They wouldn’t be interested in it. Unless I was feeding them something weird or odd or what they perceived as weird or odd. Like “JACKO FEEDS HIS KIDS CAVIAR—WHAT NEXT!”
Annie walked over to him and slipped an arm around his waist and said, “You know I was only teasing. Seeing you do something I guess as normal as this, I think it even takes me by surprise.” Now it was her turn to quickly look towards the bathroom and then she gave him a quick kiss on the lips.
The kiss ended and they still held each other. He looked intently into her eyes and smiled at her. “Thanks for making me feel normal, at least for a day or two.” They heard the kids coming back and once again quickly but reluctantly separated. The kids came in laughing up a storm. They always seemed so filled with joy, all three of them.
“Let me take a look at those hands Blanket.” Blanket went up to his father and held up both hands for inspection. “Excellent, thank you Paris!” he said as he winked at her.
“No problem Daddy!”
“Okay, lets sit down and have some food,” Michael exclaimed.
“Do we have enough chairs Annie?” he asked.
“Yes, just enough. Good thing there’s only four of you or we would have to go next door to Mrs. Irving’s and ask her for an extra!” Annie replied back.
“Let’s hold hands and say grace. Annie, since it’s your home would you do the honors,” Michael said.
“Oh boy, it’s been a long time since I did anything like this,” she said nervously.
“Just say what’s in your heart,” Michael said, squeezing her hand.
Annie started, “Dear God, thank you for bringing Michael and his three wonderful kids, Prince, Paris, and Blanket into my life at a time when I really needed their company. And dear God please allow my mom and dad to watch over me and continue to give me guidance and heavenly advice on my life’s most important future decisions. And of course, thank you so much for allowing us such a bountiful meal. Amen!”
“Amen,” they all answered in reply.
And just as he did with Paris the other night, Michael turned to Annie and said “Very lovely, Annie, thank you,” and again he squeezed her hand before letting go.
Part Seven
Annie suddenly had an idea. She jumped up from her chair and said, “You guys go ahead and start. I will be right back.” She ran into her bedroom and hurriedly searched through the CDs that Michael had given to her. She found the one she was looking for and hurried back into the main room. She popped it into the CD player and pressed play. “I remember that the Jacksons like music while eating,” she said. Within seconds Michael’s voice emanated from the speakers. The CD was Michael Jackson’s Number Ones and the first song was Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough. The kids started to shout all at once, “That’s daddy!” Michael laughed and ducked his head bashfully.
This meal with the Jacksons, if possible, surpassed the first one. There was the same amount of laughter and singing and joking—but perhaps it was because she was sharing her home and sharing a part of herself with them that made it all the more special.
As the meal wound down the CD ended and Paris said, “Daddy, why don’t you sing a song for us?”
The other two echoed her request. “Please daddy, please!”
“Okay. How about a song that I used to sing to you guys when you were little.”
Michael started singing, “Smile, though your heart is aching; Smile, even though it's breaking; When there are clouds in the sky; You'll get by...; If you smile; With your fear and sorrow; Smile and maybe tomorrow; You'll find that life is still worthwhile; If you just...”
As his voice resonated throughout the tiny apartment, Annie felt a shiver go up and down her spine. His voice was so beautiful! She observed his kids almost entranced. The four of them truly loved each other. She knew in her heart of hearts that these kids must have been such a blessing to Michael these past few years. She was beginning to get a sense from him that it had not been easy after the trial and having them with him must have helped to allay some of his fears and depression.
She glanced back at Michael and was also mesmerized by him as he continued singing. She was starting to feel a different kind of emotion now. Wow, he was so damn sexy! She had watched many video clips of Michael on stage. Michael emoted such an intense, raw sexuality when he performed. But this was a different kind of sexy. Annie thought there’s nothing sexier than a father who’s so devoted to his kids. She was witnessing a regular guy laughing and joking with his kids, making sure that their hands were washed before eating, and cutting up Blanket’s sandwich into smaller pieces because that’s the way he liked to eat it. To her this was way more of a turn on than anything he did on stage. Well….almost anything—after all she was a red blooded woman!
Part Eight
Michael finished the song, and they all started to clap and cheer. “What a lovely audience I have,” he said laughing.
Paris exclaimed, “Annie isn’t daddy a good singer?”
Annie was struck by the innocence and irony of the question. In Paris’s eyes, Michael was the best daddy ever but also happened to be a good singer. However in the eyes of the world Michael was the King of Pop and to most it seemed nearly improbable that he could possibly be a good father.
He looked at her in a shy yet intent manner as though he was awaiting her approval. “It was beautiful Michael!” Annie replied.
He reached for her hand underneath the table. He grasped it and squeezed it and then oblivious to his children looking on he said in a quiet voice, “I think you are beautiful Annie.”
Across the table from them Paris once again nudged her brother Prince sitting next to her. He looked over and they both gave each other a smile.
Dropping her hand and snapping himself out of his reverie Michael said, “Okay guys, let’s help Annie clear this table and then we can play those board games she promised us.”
They all helped clear the table and stacked the dishes and the silverware in the sink. “Should we wash the dishes before we start,” he asked Annie.
“No. I will do them later. I don’t want to waste any of my day with you guys doing dishes!” she laughed.
They laid the games out on the coffee table in front of the couch and sat on the floor and played. First they played Candyland for Blanket’s sake and then afterwards he sat next to Michael and fell asleep on his lap. So Prince, Paris and Annie played a game of Operation. Before they knew it, it was late in the afternoon and Michael said that they should think about getting ready to go.
“I want to take some pictures of all of you before you leave,” Annie said and ran into her bedroom to retrieve her digital camera. She took several pictures of each of the kids individually and then together as a group and then with Michael with them. Since she had met Michael she always noticed that even when he was smiling there was always a hint of sadness and wariness in his eyes, like he was always on guard against attack or something. But she noticed that disappeared when he was playing with his kids. With his arms around them or tackling them on the ground or tickling them—the sadness and wariness disappeared and he seemed almost serene and at peace.
Prince was most curious about the camera and wanted to see how it worked so Annie huddled next to him and showed him how to view the pictures already taken and how to operate some of the features. He was very technical savvy and they both were enjoying themselves off in a corner.
Michael sat with his arms around Blanket and watched them and then Paris came and stood next to him draping her arm around his shoulder. “Daddy,” she said, “Annie is so nice, isn’t she?”
He smiled at Paris, “Yes, she is my lovely one,” he said.
“Do you like her daddy?”
Continuing to smile he said, “Yes Paris I do like her.”
Her brother called from across the room, “Paris, come over here and let me take you and Blanket’s picture.”
Paris leaned in gave Michael a quick kiss on his cheek and said “We like her too daddy!” and then her and Blanket went to get their picture taken by their brother.
Annie walked over to stand next to Michael. “You know Annie,” Michael said in a quiet voice, “The day doesn’t have to end just yet. You could come back to the hotel with us. Have dinner and we can read to them again and you can help me tuck them in and then of course we could spend some more alone time together. What do you think?” He whispered this last part into her ear, tickling her with his breath.
For a fleeting second or two she thought of saying no. A wave of apprehension washed over her. Annie, ever the practical one wasn’t sure what was happening here. She was getting closer to his kids and even more importantly, she was getting closer to him. Where was this going? But then she looked into his eyes and she thought to herself, relax and let it happen, Annie. “Okay, I would really love that Michael,” she said.
“Good. Hey guys, Annie is coming back to the hotel with us for dinner!” he shouted across the room.
“Yay!” all three shouted back.
Prince came up to the both of them and said, “Annie wouldn’t you like a picture of you and daddy together?”
“A good idea Prince,” Michael said. “I am raising a smart boy!”
He grabbed Annie and pulled her toward him. She stood in front of him and he wrapped his arms around her resting his head on her shoulder and Prince snapped several pictures of them together. Annie could feel the warmth and hardness of his body pressed up against her back and it felt absolutely delicious! He whispered in her ear, “Stand still Annie. You don’t want a blurry photo do you?” he teased. She couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Part Nine
Prince handed the camera back to Annie and she put it away in her bedroom. In the meanwhile Michael called his driver and his security personnel on his cell phone. When he was finished talking to them he took her aside and said, “Here’s what we are going to do Annie, because we want to avoid as much problems as possible I will leave with the kids first and then I will send Peter back to get you in about twenty minutes. Okay with you?”
“Of course, that’s fine,” she said gently squeezing his arm. He smiled at her and squeezed her arm back.
"Guys lets get ready to go. Get your coats and say thank you to Annie for entertaining us this afternoon!” They went into her bedroom and Annie followed helping them get their coats on and hugging them and kissing them on their heads as they said thank you.
Paris hugged her extra hard and said to her, “I had such a good time Annie. I am so glad daddy met you. We really like you and I know daddy really likes you too.”
Prince thanked her profusely for allowing him to use the camera. He was so polite and sweet. “It’s really cool. Daddy has promised to get me a digital video camera if I do well in my studies this year. So maybe by summer I will have one. I want to make mini films just like he did.”
She hugged him and said, “The way you learned how to use my camera in less than five minutes I am sure you will be able to master the video one in no time. You are very talented when it comes to the technical stuff kiddo.” He smiled at her and she thought to herself his smiles are even better than the dad’s.
She hugged Blanket and said, “I will see you in a little bit munchkin.” He hugged her back and gave her a quick kiss on her cheek and then ran to daddy. She took a look at all four of them at the door. What a cute little family they make.
The knock on the door signaled Michael’s security guy Bill had arrived.
“Masks on. Let’s go.”
“Bye Annie, see you soon,” they all said.
“Bye guys.”
Michael took one last look at her and said, “See you in twenty minutes.” And then he winked at her and they were gone. She closed the door behind them.
She quickly straightened up a little. She then washed her face and ran a brush through her hair. She grabbed a couple of her favorite books from her children’s book collection to read to the kids before bedtime and by then her cell phone was ringing. It was Peter waiting for her downstairs. She grabbed her coat and made her way down.
She arrived at their hotel room and was welcomed as though she was a long lost loved one instead of having just left them all twenty minutes ago. They ordered food from room service for dinner and then watched a movie together. And then it was bedtime. They picked out one of the books that they all found interesting and once again Michael and she read to them. After they tucked them all in and had goodnight kisses from both her and Michael, they both quietly left the room.
Michael took her by the hand and led her back into the living area of the suite, she started to go toward the couch but Michael pulled her toward a large love seat meant to hold two quite comfortably.
“Let’s sit here. It’s cozier,” he said.
He pulled her down next to him and put his arm around her and let her head rest on his chest. “Annie, my kids are very enamored with you,” Michael said.
“Well the feeling is mutual Michael,” she replied.
“They are such good kids, so loving and sweet and smart too. Prince could have taken apart my camera and put it back together again,” she said lightly laughing.
“That’s a testament to you Michael. You have raised them very well.”
“Thank you. I try to make their lives as normal as possible, but sometimes I think I fail miserably,” he said in a rather melancholic voice.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” she said.
“Before we came back to the states we lived in Ireland for a bit. I loved it there. It was so peaceful and the kids were very relaxed. I could walk around on the street with them and go to the pubs and people treated me like a normal human being. It was so great.”
She pulled away from him and looked into his eyes. “Why did you leave?”
“I wanted to try to jump start my career and I feel like I just have more contacts here that can help me with that. Plus, I missed my mother. I want my kids to be close to her. She had such a positive influence on my life and I couldn’t stand the thought of being so far away from her anymore. So I moved back. We lived in Vegas for a bit and now I want to rent a home in California and try to get them back on a regular schedule and not move them around so much. At least till I figure out what I am going to do career wise.”
“This is kind of connected to what I have to tell you Annie.” His tone of voice was quite serious and it sent kind of a feeling of foreboding through her.”
“What’s wrong Michael, you can tell me anything,” she said trying to reassure him.
“We are not going to be here much longer. I was rather selfish in bringing them here to New York. The producer I wanted to work with has a studio here and I knew it was going to be at least a month if not longer recording and frankly I can’t stand being away from them for too long. They are like my lifeline. But they have been away from their studies for too long and I have to get them back.”
“How much longer are you going to be here,” she said quietly.
“About two more weeks,” he said rather forlornly.
She reached up and caressed his face and said to him, “Then I guess we will have to make the best out of the next two weeks.” She leaned in and kissed him.
Part Ten
He took his hand and cradled the back of her head, gently pulling her closer to intensify the kiss. And she complied. They broke apart momentarily and then he buried his face in the crook of her neck planting sweet kisses along her neck. She then felt his soft breath in her ear singing her name, “Annie…Annie…my beautiful, beautiful Annie.” She smiled and giggled as his hair tickled her cheek. He continued the sweet little kisses along her cheek till his lips met hers again.
This felt so good to Michael. Today he had found out so much about her and he liked it all. They had a lot of the same interests. She was an artist. She seemed to genuinely care about his kids. And she was sweet and kind and smart. He needed her. It couldn’t possibly end after two weeks. He would have to convince her of that. But in the meantime—he would live for the moment—this moment—feeling her soft, sweet lips on his and feeling her hands gently caressing his back. He could hear her emitting these sexy little sighs and moans that were driving him absolutely wild. So he pulled her a little bit closer. He knew he couldn’t rush her—take it slow Michael he said to himself—and for now he was satisfied because it was all good what she was doing to him.
Annie adjusted her position in the chair so that she could more easily loop her arms around his neck. She then copied Michael and buried her face in the crook of his neck and planted tiny little kisses along his neck till she reached his ear and whispered his name repeatedly, “Michael…Michael….Michael.” It sounded like she was meditating—repeating her mantra over and over. She met his lips again and continued to kiss him. She let her fingers thread through his soft hair and then she moved her hands up and down his back gently caressing him and pulling him closer to her.
The two sides of Annie were at war right now. The practical side was telling her to break it off right now. Someone might get hurt—maybe her, maybe him, maybe his kids, or maybe all of them. What was going to change in two weeks except that she would be even closer to all of them and he would be leaving? But her emotional side was saying to her, you need this Annie. It’s been a rough six months and even before your father died you had not been this happy and carefree in such a long, long, time. Take it one minute—one hour—one day—at a time. And for now enjoy the moment because he’s making you feel so good right now and there’s nothing wrong with that.
So for now Annie’s emotions ruled and she relaxed and concentrated on the feel of his soft warm breathe tickling her senses and awakening feelings in her that had been dead for way too long.
After several minutes they separated. They both were breathing rapidly. Their faces were flushed and their lips were red and swollen from all the kissing. She buried her face in his chest inhaling his sweet scent and sighed softly, sounding like the purring of a contented cat.
He wrapped his arms around her securely. He kissed the top of her head several times and then rested his chin there and said, “So it’s settled. We spend as much time together as humanly possible in the next two weeks.”
“Sounds heavenly Michael,” Annie replied.
He squeezed her a little tighter and said to her, “So what do you want to do now Annie?”
She let out a little laugh. “Well, truthfully….”
He placed his finger under her chin and lifted her face up to his so he could look her in the eyes, “Always the truth Annie,” he said in a half joking half serious manner.
“Well, I would like to just sit here and snuggle with you.”
He smiled and said, “Sounds like a nice way to end the day.”
They held each other and relaxed back in to the comfy chair. After a few minutes Annie said quietly, “Michael?”
“Yes my sweet,” he said.
“Would you sing to me?”
He took his finger again and tucked it under her chin lifting her face back up to look at him. “Girl, haven’t I insulted your hearing enough today with my vocal chords?”
She smiled up at him and said, “Please?”
“Any requests madam?”
“No. You pick.”
He repositioned her so her head was resting comfortably on his chest. “Here’s a song that I’ve been thinking about a lot for the past few days for some reason. It’s one that I used to sing with my brothers."
Then Michael started to sing softly, just for her ears this time:
“You and I must make a pact, We must bring salvation back, Where there is love, I'll be there, I'll reach out my hand to you, I'll have faith in all you do, Just call my name and I'll be there…Let me fill your heart with joy and laughter, Togetherness, well that's all I'm after, Whenever you need me, I'll be there, I'll be there to protect you, With an unselfish love I respect you, Just call my name and I'll be there…..I'll be there, I'll be there, just call my name [Annie], and I'll be there...”
When he finished he whispered to her, “What do you think Annie, do I have what it takes to make the big time?”
She laughed. “I think you have possibilities!”
Then she looked up at him and gave him a quick kiss on the lips and said, “Thank you Michael.”
He squeezed her a little bit harder and then they both sat quietly for a period of time. It didn’t seem necessary to say anything. Just the feeling of being in each others arms was enough. Annie regretfully had to break the reverie though. “I hate to do this but I have to get up early and go to work tomorrow. I should be leaving.”
“All right,” he said and he got up and then helped her get up. He took her by the hand and led her to a little table with a pack of the hotel stationary notepaper and a pen on it.
“Here, let me write my cell phone number down for you and you do the same. Then we can get a hold of each other if we need to.”
He wrote down his and gave it to her and she did the same.
“I will call Peter whenever you are ready and he can come up and escort you down.”
“Oh Michael that’s not necessary, just tell him to meet out on the street. I will be fine.”
She went to retrieve her coat. “Can I take a peak at the kiddies before I leave?”
“Of course you may,” he said. Wow, she never stopped impressing him.
He watched her as she quietly opened the door to the kids’ room and peaked in. She stood there for a minute watching them and then he watched her as she blew them a little kiss and then she closed the door quietly. She came over to him as he ended the call with Peter giving him instructions to wait for Miss Walker on the street, she was coming down momentarily.
They both stood at the door like two shy teenagers, till he grabbed her and pulled her into a tight embrace. He kissed her gently on the lips and then she kissed him again.
“So how about I call you around 6:30. You will be home from work by then, right?”
“Yes, that sounds great,” she replied.
He continued, “Then we will finalize our plans. I don’t want to let you go. I had such a great time today.”
“Me too,” she said.
He kissed her one last time and then they separated and he opened the door and watched her as she walked to the elevator. She pressed the down button and the elevator seemed to come almost immediately.
She turned to him and waved and blew him a kiss, “Pleasant dreams Michael,” she said as she got on.
“You too,” he yelled back at her as the door closed.
Michael closed the door and locked it. He was so happy. And when Michael Jackson was happy he danced. He twirled around twice and raised his arm up and let out one of his famous shouts, “Aooow!”
But he did it as quietly as possible hoping not to wake the kids! He peaked in on them and saw that they were still sleeping peacefully and he shut the door quietly and danced his way down the hall towards his bedroom.
When Annie arrived back at her apartment she was once again too keyed up to sleep so she decided to look at the pictures she had taken of the kids and start to plan out some preliminary sketches of them. She looked at the pictures she took, some separately, some together, and then some with their father. She saw the pictures that Prince took of his brother and sister. Very good. And then she saw the pictures he took of her and Michael and broke out in a big smile. She was glad that Prince suggested it. It was nice to have some pictures of them together.
She saved the pictures to a disk and then enlarged some of them and printed them out. She pinned some of them onto her easel and started to sketch. The act of creating calmed her down and soon she felt tired enough to hit the bed. She reflected on her day with all of them and before she fell asleep she did something that she had not done in a very, very long time. She said a little prayer blessing all of them and thanking God for allowing them to come into her life. Michael and his kids must be wearing off on her she thought—all in a good way!
Part Eleven
Meanwhile in another part of Manhattan, that same night, Suzie Alvarez sat at the bar of one of New York’s most exclusive restaurants, alone. But she knew not for long. She could feel his eyes on her. She nonchalantly turned on the bar stool pretending to adjust the strap on her $800 pair of Prada high heels. She wore a slinky, black skirt that slit up to the thigh and in the way she moved she allowed him to get an eyeful of her long, tanned and toned legs. In contrast she wore a stark but elegant, white silk blouse which was slightly unbuttoned. As she bent down to adjust the strap this allowed him to get a glimpse of her other asset.
She slowly straightened up and coddled her almost finished drink and within a half minute later the bartender was handing her another martini stating, “Compliments of the gentleman at the end of the bar.”
She turned her head and slightly nodded her thanks. He was not her usual type, for one he wasn’t old enough and secondly, didn’t appear to be of the wealth class that she preferred, however he was extremely good looking and tonight she needed a release which she felt strongly that he could assist her with. He pointed to the stool next to her and she seductively pushed the stool toward him.
He picked up his drink and came and sat next to her and introduced himself. “I am Jerry Stone. I am a news photographer,” he stated, holding his hand out to shake.
She shook his hand and introduced herself, “I am Suzie Alvarez, currently I am….,” she hated admitting to anyone that she actually worked at a toy store, so she said something clever instead, “I am a bored debutante.”
He laughed. “Might I add a very sexy, bored debutante?”
She replied, “Of course you may.” Suzie was good at flirting; her mother had taught her well. Her mother was forever trying to get her married off to wealthy, older men. That’s how her mother acquired her wealth, by marrying rich, older men with health problems. Who eventually kicked the bucket and invariably left all their money to her mother. Her mother had developed criteria. She researched her subjects thoroughly. She liked to make sure if at all possible to pick men with no children. That got messy after they died. Inheritance issues. She tried to pick men that may have a suggestion of health problems down the road and she preferred them to be much older than her.
That’s why Suzie could never figure out why she married Walker. He was not glamorous, he was not much older than her mother, and he did not have a great deal of wealth and had a daughter. Her mother was obviously not expecting the man to drop dead. He was a picture of health when she married him. For some odd reason that Suzie could not figure out, her mother seemed totally enamored with running the toy store. Even when Mr. Walker was alive her mother was making her moves to take over the operation of the store. She even loaned him a bundle of cash to make improvements to the store. Her mother did not need the money. She had plenty of that. It seemed as though she enjoyed being in control or something like that. Suzie could never figure it out and wasn’t exactly deep enough to come up with any kind of intelligent assessment of the whole thing.
She really had no problems with the idea of marrying a wealthy old coot, but she complained to her mother about what were you supposed to do about having sex? Her mother would then say, “Suzie dear that is why you marry an old wealthy coot, especially one with health problems. You are free to have sex with any man you want—most of the time he won’t even be aware that you are. And some of them will even encourage you to go out and have affairs because they feel guilty about not being able to please their young, sexy wife so in order to keep her happy they allow for extra marital affairs for the sake of the marriage.”
Suzie was excited about this guy. He was from Los Angeles and because of his profession he apparently seemed connected to the entertainment industry. Suzie always wanted to move to California and become involved in the business in some way. Perhaps to act or model, she didn’t have much of a voice, so singing was out. But she obviously had the body for it. And with the advent of all of these reality shows on television now she didn’t see why someone as attractive as herself couldn’t make the big time. She just needed some connections. And that is one of the other reasons her mother was always trying to marry her off to a rich man—a rich husband could easily fund such an endeavor for Suzie. But Suzie always thought if she could just make the right connections, she could still use her body to get ahead, and maybe not have to marry some old sick guy in the process.
She and Jerry continued their drinks and conversation in Jerry’s hotel room. After they had sex the conversation continued. She found out that Jerry was in between assignments and was picking up some extra cash by following Michael Jackson around while he was in New York. It had to be a special kind of photo though. Not the usual ones of Michael coming in out of a store or the recording studio—that was too mundane. You needed to capture him doing something bizarre, illegal, or compromising. These types of photos sold big time according to Jerry. She was about to tell him that she had been introduced to Michael Jackson just the other day but then suddenly bit her tongue. She suddenly had an idea. What if she could somehow get this guy to promise her something in return for somehow assisting him in getting that compromising picture of Michael Jackson? If he had connections to people in the entertainment business and he was from LA, perhaps he could hook her up with some of them. Maybe it would be like her big break!
She turned to him and said “Jerry, what if I told you that I know Michael Jackson?”
“How so,” he said.
She went on to explain that her mother managed a toy store in which Michael Jackson’s kids had a private shopping spree a few days back. She said perhaps she could see if her stepmother could arrange a chance meeting or something along those lines.
“Well, that sounds intriguing, but again it has to be something sensational—something outrageous, you know the stuff he’s known for, walking around in his pajamas, putting masks on his kids—that sort of thing,” Jerry said.
“I’ll tell you what—I’ll give you my card when were through here and you keep in touch. You said your mother said something about maybe trying to get him back again before he leaves, for perhaps another shopping trip—those could be good—the kids with masks on sell well also—but not as big of a payoff. You give me a call if you think you have any kind of a lead and I’ll make it worth your while.”
“But for now baby why don’t we continue where we left off at?” he said as he grabbed her and pulled her down onto the bed.
“Sounds fine to me,” she said.
One hour later….
Jerry kissed her on the lips and slapped her behind playfully. “Okay baby, give me a call if you hear anything.” He closed the door. He thought to himself not too bad. Even if she doesn’t come up with anything she was still a good lay!
Jerry was not actually a news photographer. Jerry Stone was a member of what is called the paparazzi. He stalked celebrities all over the world and took their pictures and then sold them to news agencies that published the so called tabloids all over the world. The one iota of truth that he told her was that yes, the more sensational the better. Those pictures paid very well and he had been itching for many years hoping to get one of Michael Jackson in such a situation. Michael Jackson tended to have big security guards around him a lot of the time so it was difficult at best to get pictures of him period. But every guy out there amongst his colleagues were hoping for the big payoff.
Often he would enlist any kind of help he could get and if indeed this girl did have some sort of connection to Jackson—maybe he might have hit pay dirt and all he really wanted to do was have sex with her. He of course had no such connections that he boasted about that could help her. And when the time came to exchange the favors – he would make sure he was long gone and far away once he got his photographs.
Suzie almost immediately recognized a change in Annie Walker. Annie was dressing differently. Suddenly she was wearing bright, vivid colors whereas before she always tended to wear a combination of gray, brown or black. Annie seemed happier. She was humming as she left for lunch and had this nauseating blissful smile all the time. And then at 6:00 as soon as the store closed Annie was rushing out—in the past she was the one that always locked up because her mother and she had to get to an appointment or an event in a hurry.
After Annie’s father had died Suzie remembered that Annie was quite depressed and sad. Suzie would come in the back office to make a cell phone call and see her sniffling, unsuccessfully trying to hide the fact that she had been crying. It was all very uncomfortable for Suzie but her mother had insisted upon her working in the toy store after Walker died. She said it might give her opportunities at meeting men and give her some responsibility in life. “After all,” Gloria said, “I can’t support you forever Suzie.”
Suzie surmised right of way that it must be a man. It would explain all the out of character behavior. She didn’t even want to guess what kind of nerd she picked up. What other kind of man would such a mouse attract?
After she made this deduction she pretty much ignored Annie for the rest of the week, after all she had to try to come up with a way to somehow run into Michael Jackson nonchalantly. Maybe she could get her mother to help. She looked over at her mother at the other counter in the store waiting on a customer. But somehow she knew her mother would be against what she was doing. It was okay to marry an old rich guy and wait out the inheritance but what Suzie planned to do—somehow trap or catch Michael Jackson in some sort of lewd and lascivious behavior and have Jerry get pictures of it—was something even her mother would probably think of as mean spirited.
And besides that she was also busy helping her mother make arrangements for her upcoming birthday party. Every year her mother threw her a big time birthday party. It was actually a charity event combination birthday party for Suzie. Her mother donated all proceeds to whatever her pet charity was that year. This year it was the Lupus Foundation. There would be excellent food, music and dancing and there would be a silent auction of goods donated by different corporations and retail outlets. However this year Gloria had arranged for famous rock stars and athletes to donate items like Jimmy Page donated a Les Paul guitar from his collection which he autographed and an autographed basketball from Wilt Chamberlain. Gloria would invite as many of the wealthy and well connected that she knew. She always invited plenty of rich old geezers and other eligible bachelors for Suzie to flaunt herself at. Her mother usually held it at one of New York’s prestigious hotels. This year she had actually been able to book the Waldorf. It was a black tie; extremely formal evening and Suzie usually reveled at the event.
Part Twelve
On another day she answered her door only to find Michael standing there sucking on a lollypop. He reached into his pocket and pulled out one for her. The flavor was grape, her favorite.
Needless to say, the kisses that night were not only sweet, but grape flavored!
One day he presented her with a drawing that he had done. A picture of Mickey Mouse in Michael’s Bad outfit. He dated and signed it. “I just wanted to show you that I can draw also. Though I am not as nearly talented as you are,” he said bowing down to her. “This is so cute, Michael! You are multi talented.” He gave her one of his famous aw shucks looks and she reached up and kissed him. She placed the picture in her bedroom in a safe place till she could get a frame for it.
Some days he would go to her apartment after he put his kids to bed and some days she went to the hotel for dinner with him and his kids, and it became a ritual to read to them and tuck them in. Then they spent time together alone, talking and watching movies.
Before they knew it, the first week was over. That Sunday morning, the hotel had graciously allowed Michael to use the hotel pool for a private party for Michael and his kids. Michael invited Annie but he also invited the staff people that had been traveling with him, including the nanny that Michael had employed here in New York to take care of the kids while he was at the recording studio, security personnel, and his driver.
Michael liked to do something special for his staff to thank them for their hard work and so that they could have some down time from the stress of working for him! He also invited the young producer that he was working with. He brought a very lovely girlfriend with him.
Michael had told her that when they moved to California from Gary he and his brothers loved their pool. It was like they really felt that they hit the big time when they found out that they were going to have a pool in their backyard because where they grew up in Gary that wasn’t the norm. That was when his fascination with the water really started. So naturally he has instilled the same love of the water in his kids.
Annie felt nervous about her bathing suit. She decided not to go with a bikini—she didn’t think she could pull it off. Michael had told her repeatedly that she was beautiful but she was still rather shy about showing him her body. So instead she wore a cute black and yellow plaid one piece suit that made her feel more confident.
She hoped he liked it. She came out to the pool area and saw Michael already in the water romping around with all three of his children. Annie’s heart skipped a beat—seeing Michael for the first time, his chest bare. It took her breath away. His skin was smooth and almost translucent and was glistening from all of the water dripping off every part of his body including his hair which hung down, jet black, dripping wet. Momentarily Annie daydreamed about what it was going to feel like running her hands across that very smooth but firm chest. She snapped back to attention, when she heard the kids shout, “Hey Annie, come on in!”
She looked at them and smiled and waved. Then she casually looked over at Michael. He was staring at her intently and she felt her entire body turn warm—she wondered if he could possibly read her mind and knew she had been fantasizing about him just minutes ago. He winked at her and then shouted to her also, “Yeah Annie, come on in.”
So Annie gracefully as possible jumped in. Michael couldn’t keep his eyes off of her. She looked magnificent. She had an absolutely beautiful body. And now with that cute little bathing suit on he was able to really get a better look at some of those delicious curves on her.
Baby Be Mine
He swam over to her before the kids got to her and whispered in her ear—“You look good enough to eat!” She turned her face toward him and before she could say anything, he quickly grabbed her around her waist and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.
Michael and Annie had grown somewhat bolder in the way they showed affection with each other in front of the kids. But they had not really shown much affection around anybody else—including all the people that were at this little gathering. She said, “Michael!” But he just laughed and swam away. By then the kids had swam over and they greeted her enthusiastically.
Part Thirteen
The little gathering was a great idea. She watched intently as Michael interacted with his staff. They all seemed to really love him. He introduced her to his young producer and she could tell he had a lot of respect and admiration for Michael. Michael had arranged for a light breakfast buffet to be served in an adjacent room, so after swimming some of Michael’s guests gathered there to eat something before they went on their way. So there was swimming and a lot of frivolity in the water followed by a quick bite to eat if they desired.
They had a really fun and relaxing morning. Michael was a real prankster picking her up and throwing her into the pool along with each one of his kids. They enlisted her help in getting back at him. She knew Michael was well aware of their “secret” plan but he gladly went along with it and allowed his children to push him into the pool pretending mock outrage. They all jumped in after him and reassured him with hugs and kisses.
Soon all of Michael’s guests had left, leaving the pool to just Annie and his kids. Michael was still splashing and playing with his children when he glanced over and saw Annie resting on the edge of the other side of the pool. She was sitting, letting her legs dangle over the edge gently swirling the water with her feet. Her head was down, lost in thought.
Michael reflected on the past week with her. They had definitely grown closer. He had revealed things about his life to her that he had to no other person. And she had done the same with him. With each passing day Michael desired her more and more. He wanted her to know how much and decided that he needed to let her know. She glanced up at him and Michael furrowed his brow when he saw the look on her face. It was kind of sad and pensive. He left the kids to their horseplay and swam slowly over to her.
Annie too was reflecting on their week together. Michael had made her feel like a fairy tale princess. He had courted her with several small romantic mementos. And each night they talked and laughed for hours and then he had wooed her some more with beautiful words and ardent kisses and caresses. She forgot about the real life problems that had been plaguing her life a month ago, before Michael. Her father’s death, Gloria’s persistence in taking over the toy store and the general malaise over her life seemed a distant memory.
But once again Annie’s practical side was rearing its ugly head. She also felt like all week that she was in some sort of protective glass bubble. It wasn’t that Michael was spoiled—just isolated. It was a world where he and now herself, was driven from his hotel to her apartment in a black sedan with tinted windows. He had assistants that got everything for him upon his request. There were people that surrounded him for the sole purpose of pleasing him. It was also a world where Michael had to have a security guard, sometimes several, depending on the situation, follow him around and constantly monitor his every move. Michael couldn’t leave the hotel with his kids unless they were masked. They couldn’t go to a restaurant or walk in Central Park. These things weighed on her mind. What would life be like if she was with him, all the time? They had one more week to go and then he and his children needed to return to California, what did that mean for them? It wasn’t that she didn’t desire him, she did, strongly!
She looked up and saw him swimming toward her. He looked like a statue of a Greek god come to life moving toward her. Because of his vitiligo and the treatments he had undergone, his skin had an alabaster sheen to it. But he was beautiful as far as she was concerned. He smiled at her and as usual her heart started to beat rapidly. He approached her slowly.
Part Fourteen
He swam up to the wall and said “Jump down here in the water, girl.” She obeyed by sliding into the water right in front of him. “What are you thinking about?” he asked her quietly.
“I was thinking about how one week is over and there’s only one more week before you have to leave.” She looked into his eyes and once again her emotions won out—she didn’t want to reveal to him her doubts and her fears because she didn’t want this to end and what if he she told him and he became upset.
He grabbed her around the waist and she lost her balance. She reached her hands up to steady herself and found them splayed flat on his chest. When she touched him she could feel the slight intake of his breath. As usual when she was around Michael her palms were warm and sweaty. They felt good against his cool, wet skin. His chest was as smooth and firm as she had fantasized it would be. She relaxed and let her fingers gently play across his chest.
Michael closed his eyes. He loved the feel of her hands on his bare skin. And her fingers lightly playing across his chest was sending electric shocks throughout the lower extremities of his body. She watched him react to her touch and it gave her a strange sense of empowerment over him that she had never known with any other man. Once again he made her feel so confident and alive without really even trying.
Eventually she continued to smooth her hands across his shoulders and then looped her arms around his neck. This was his signal to pull her even closer. He opened his eyes and whispered sultrily in her ear, “I want you so badly Annie.” For emphasis he thrust his hips forward slightly, practically pinning her against the wall of the pool, and continued, “Do you feel how badly I want you Annie?”
The combination of his bare chest pressed so close to her breasts and his hardness pressing into her stomach was sending electric shocks to her lower extremities! “I…I feel it Michael. I want you too…but I…,” her words faltered as he moved his hands up to caress the small of her back.
At the same time he was nuzzling his face in the crook of her neck and making his way back to her lips for another kiss. “No buts Annie!”
“Please Michael, your children are right over there, I am not sure this is such a good idea,” she said, although what he was doing to her with his mouth was making her lose control of all reasonable thoughts.
Michael slowly pulled away from her, but continued to hold her and gave her a few more gentle kisses. “You are right Annie. I think they are too busy roughhousing over there to notice us, but I don’t want them to think their father is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” He smiled at her and she laughed. She took her hand in the water and splashed him and he did the same and soon they were doing a little bit of roughhousing of their own.
Meanwhile on the other side of the pool, the kids were paying attention to what was going on. “What do you think Prince?” Paris queried. “Maybe daddy will get Annie to come back to California with us, wouldn’t that be great?”
“She makes him happy. He needs that,” Prince said seriously.
“Yes, he does,” Paris answered back.
“And we like her too,” Blanket chimed in. They saw the two of them start to splash each other and all three of them swam over and joined in the fun.
Part Fifteen
Later on after they had left the pool they spent the rest of the day together playing video games and watching movies with the kids. Michael had a member of the hotel staff go and retrieve food from Kentucky Fried Chicken for lunch. Paris ran and got a blanket off the bed and they spread it on the floor and then they all sat down and had a picnic. Music abounded throughout the suite once again, this time Michael had put on a Smokey Robinson and the Miracles CD.
Michael got up and started to sing using a plastic fork as a microphone. “The tears of a clown, when no one is around….,” he sang and then performed a couple of his famous twirls. He then started to do his famous moonwalk and insisted that Annie get up so that he could teach it to her.
He tried pulling her back as she slid her feet in an unsuccessful jumble and instead ended up falling backwards into his arms.
“I gotcha. Don’t worry Annie, I would never let you fall,” he whispered in her ear.
It was an innocent enough comment but it made Annie feel warm all over. Before he released her from his grip he gave her a gentle squeeze around her waist. All three kids were laughing hysterically by now.
"All right, stop laughing at me! I would like to see you guys try,” she said sitting down trying to catch her breath.
Of course all three could do it, with Blanket taking the lead as the best. He looked just like Michael the way he intently concentrated as he performed the step to perfection. Michael hugged him affectionately and said beaming, “That’s my boy!”
Later on that evening for dinner they ordered Chinese take out and Annie felt proud teaching them all how to use the chopsticks.
She remarked to all of them, “At least I am coordinated enough to do this!”
After dinner, they all had fortune cookies and Michael insisted they read them aloud to each other.
“The youngest first, Blanket what does your say,” Michael questioned.
“It says…be mis..ch…,” he leaned over and showed it to Annie, “mischievous,” Annie said, and then Blanket continued, “…mischievous and you will not be lonesome.”
Michael burst out laughing, “That fits our little one to a tee, and he is our little mischievous one.”
He leaned over and kissed his youngest on the forehead.
“My precious Paris is next,” Michael said.
Paris said in a clear voice, “You will witness a special ceremony.”
“What do you think that means daddy?"
“I have no idea—sounds mysterious. Perhaps we will find out in the future,” Michael said using a spooky voice like a fortune teller.
“Now my oldest, Prince, read us yours son.”
Prince cracked open his cookie and read “You should be able to undertake and complete anything.”
“That sounds like something you always tell us daddy that I can be anything I want to be.”
“I have always said that to you guys, it doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you strive to be your best at it. Hey, maybe I should be writing these fortunes,” Michael said and they all laughed.
“Now me, and then the lovely Annie,” Michael said leering at her.
“Mine says, “Ideas are like children; there are none so wonderful as your own.”
Michael looked at his kids and said, “Wow, those Chinese sure are wise—my children are wonderful!”
Then in the most natural way Prince looked at his father and said, “We love you too daddy and think you are wonderful.”
“Thank you my most honorable son,” he said bowing his head towards Prince. Prince giggled in delight.
“Now last, but certainly not least, the lovely Annie, please read yours,” he said looking at Annie with the most endearing look ever.
“Gee, I am a little nervous about what mine might say,” she said, as she split the cookie open and carefully took out the fortune. She read it aloud, “There is no limit to love’s forbearance, to its trust, its hope, its power to endure.”
Michael reached over and squeezed Annie's hand and said, “Very beautiful and so very true.”
"Lets clean up here and then watch another movie before bedtime,” Michael said and as usual they all obediently started to gather the empty boxes and paper plates for the garbage.
After everything was straightened up they went into the main living area and cuddled together on the couch and watched Star Wars. Michael and his children loved Star Wars. As they watched the movie Michael glanced at Annie. He knew something was bothering her. She was no less attentive to him or his kids. But he kept recalling that pensive sad look she had at the pool. She had said it was because they were leaving in a week. That had Michael rather sad and pensive also. He wanted her to come to California with them but he wasn’t sure how to approach the subject and he wasn’t sure what her reaction would be. He had one more week to work on her. She looked up at him. It was as though she could feel that he was thinking about her. She smiled at him and he smiled right back.
Part Sixteen
Later on that night, after they had read to the kids and tucked them in Annie and Michael watched yet another movie together. This time Michael suggested they watch in his room while lying on the bed. They watched a Fred Astaire movie called Bandwagon. They had discovered that a love for Fred Astaire was yet another thing they had in common. Michael loved Fred's film Bandwagon because the one dance sequence that Fred does was the inspiration for Michael’s Smooth Criminal sequence in Moonwalker.
The movie ended and they talked quietly with each other. “I don’t think I have ever watched as many movies in one day as I have today with you guys,” Annie said laughing.
Her head lay on his chest and his arms were wrapped around her. “My father used to take me to a revival house somewhere in Manhattan; I can’t even remember where it was because I was kind of young. They showed old movies all the time and he especially loved the old musicals. I guess he turned me onto Fred.”
“I loved that picture of you and your parents in your apartment. You know the one you showed us? They were at your graduation.”
“He loved you a lot—I imagine they both did,” Michael said.
Annie started to talk about her father then. “I discovered after my mother died that she was the one in charge. I guess I thank God that she died when I was an adult because I don’t think my father would have been able to handle the every day problems of a little girl, like making sure my lunch was made or permissions slips were signed or that my pigtails had the proper ribbons. But if I needed someone to make me a balloon animal or teach me how to use a yo-yo, he was the man.”
“How do you know—maybe he would have been better at it than you think,” Michael said.
“When I took my children and left the states I did a lot of it on my own. I didn’t really have a nanny during that period. And I wanted them to know who I was—and since I wasn’t really working we got really close. Maybe your father would have done the same thing.” Annie felt strongly that Michael had not revealed a lot of this to anyone else.
She pondered that through for a minute and then said, “I don’t know. When I came back to New York after my mom died he was filled with so much grief. He couldn’t seem to function. I mean I was grieving too, but I felt like I had to take care of him. Maybe that is part of my problem with Gloria. In some ways I was jealous of the way he treated her. For the longest time it was just the two of us and then she came along.”
Michael tightened his grip around her and said, “But she loved him, right?”
“I think she did. At least I want to believe she did,” she replied.
“Can I ask you a question Annie—and if you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to.”
She looked up at him and said, “Shoot Michael.”
He smiled. “All right. Why do you work for your stepmother?”
She separated herself from him and sat up. “It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me. I am sorry if I upset you,” Michael said as he gently rubbed her back.
“No, it’s all right. It will be good to talk to someone about it,” she said quietly. She proceeded to tell him what had transpired right before and then after her father died.
After she was done she laid back down against the pillows next to Michael. He turned towards her and said, “Do you want to take a larger role in operating the store?”
She buried her face in her hands and said “I am not sure. Maybe—I don’t know. It’s just that it was my parents’ store. Especially my father’s store. I am their only child. I feel like I am obligated to carry on the family business.”
Michael felt like he was walking on eggshells here but he kept pressing her. “Do you think she does a good job in running the store?”
She looked up and into his eyes. She wasn’t sure what he was getting at. But suddenly she didn’t want to talk about Gloria or the toy store or her father anymore. She wanted to explore her feelings for him more. So she stated bluntly to him, “I don’t want to talk about it Michael.”
He reached for her and pulled her into his arms. “So we won’t then Annie.”
Part Seventeen
Michael was wearing a pair of silk pajamas and his shirt was partially unbuttoned. She was having a flashback to earlier in the day when they were in the pool together and she had caressed his bare chest and she wanted to touch it again. She unbuttoned the rest of the buttons and using both of her hands she began to lightly caress his chest. It was smooth and warm. She could feel him react to her touch and that instilled in her confidence to continue.
She moved her hands lower to caress his stomach and she could feel him inhale sharply the closer her hands got to his waistline. She looked up at him—his eyes were closed and he was licking his lips. She then moved up closer so that she could kiss him. She started by kissing him on the lips and then she slowly kissed him down along his neck till she got to his chest and then she continued her way down stopping so that she could rest her ear on his ribcage to listen to his heartbeat and then she lovingly kissed him there.
She then kept going, giving him gentle sweet kisses all the way down to his belly button. She stopped right above his waistline again. From this vantage point she could clearly see how aroused he was by her touch. She looked up at him again and he opened his eyes, they were dark and intense, filled with longing. Suddenly he grasped both of her arms and flipped her over so she was lying on her back and he hovered over her. “Now it’s my turn to explore Annie.”
He took his finger and lovingly traced her face while looking intently into her eyes. He kissed her and then buried his face into the crook of her neck. His hair tickled her face and she couldn’t help but giggle.
“I am trying to make love to you here Annie and all you can do is giggle,” he said in a kidding tone.
“So sorry Michael, but you are tickling me!”
He continued tracing his lips lightly across her neck. She was wearing a button down blouse that also had the first few buttons undone. He proceeded to unbutton the rest and then opened it up to reveal her sexy lace bra.
He lifted his head back up to start to kiss her all over again but first whispered in her ear, “You are so sexy and beautiful Annie.”
She closed her eyes and felt her heart start to beat a mile a minute. She felt a delicious sensation coursing through her body like liquid heat. He kissed her on the lips and then once again buried his face in the crook of her neck and then continued to kiss her lightly on her neck and on her throat and then down to her cleavage.
She could feel his hot breath on her and she closed her eyes. She took her hands and caressed the back of his head, encouraging him and she let her fingers thread through his silky hair while he continued to kiss her down past her chest to her belly button.
He swooped back up and just started to kiss her on the lips again when they both heard a small voice yell out, “Daddy! Daddy!”
He froze and then immediately rolled off her. They had purposely kept the door slightly ajar. He stood up and tried to steady his breathing. He then said in a calm voice, “It’s Blanket. He probably wants a drink of water or he just needs to see that I am here. Sometimes he gets scared when he wakes up. I will be right back.”
He left the room and made his way down the hall. She glanced over at the clock and groaned; it was past midnight. Michael was such a good father--and poor little Blanket had unwittingly aided her in making a quick decision. Since she had to work the next day she knew she had to get up or risk being there for at least another hour or maybe even longer. And she wasn’t prepared to do that, not yet at least.
She got up quickly and with trembling hands re-buttoned her blouse. Just like Michael, she tried to steady her breathing. She started to run her fingers though her hair when Michael came back in.
“Oh man!” he exclaimed. “I was gone just a minute—d’oh!”
Ever the joker! Annie laughed, “I guess you missed your chance!”
And then in a more serious voice, “I am sorry, it’s just that it’s so late. Is everything all right with the little one?”
“Perfectly okay. Like I said sometimes he gets scared—I just need to reassure him that I am here.”
He came up behind her and put his hands around Annie’s waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. “That’s all right Annie. Tomorrow night I can come to your place, okay,” he whispered in her ear, gently kissing her on the neck below her ear.
“Yes. That sounds lovely,” she answered back.
Michael separated himself from Annie and she continued to run her fingers through her curls. “So, have you been working on your art?” Michael questioned her.
“Yes, in between seeing you every night,” she said this in a light and airy manner but when she turned around to look at him she noticed he had a very serious expression on his face.
“It’s just that I think you are really talented. You know when someone has a gift as great as yours it’s important to pursue it,” he said.
Between the conversation about Gloria and the toy store and her father, Annie was somewhat stressed out—and this kind of hit a nerve. “What are you my mentor Michael?”
He looked hurt by her remark. “No, I just think that you have a gift from God and you should not let it go to waste. You told me you got your inspiration back and I think you should pursue it with as much ardor as possible.”
Annie looked at him and said again in a rather uptight tone, “We can’t all be like you Michael. I mean you have had the luxury of pursuing your dream since you were ten years old. Besides, maybe the toy store is important to me also. Maybe my “role” in life is to continue to work at the toy store and continue the legacy that my mother and father started. Maybe my art is just like a hobby. You know something to relieve stress.” They stood facing each other now.
She could tell he was angered by what she was saying. “I wish that I had the luxury to pick what I wanted to do Annie. I begged them to put me in the group because I was a little kid that wanted to sing with his big brothers. But that was short lived. It was forced upon me at an early age to realize my talent, or else. There was no going back. Do I regret it—no, because I came to the realization that I couldn’t stop creating music and entertaining people even if I wanted. I feel sometimes like I am a vessel. God provides the music and the words and I am just like some kind of conduit for him. I also discovered in the last few years that I can’t hide from it—though I tried for a while.”
“I don’t think you really think of your art as a “hobby.” What you do is much more important than that. And besides that, I would say that you need to rethink the importance of your parents’ legacy next to the importance of pursuing what you want.”
“I don’t need advice from you Michael. I am a big girl and I have succeeded so far on my own. My father is dead. I don’t need another father figure in my life.”
Michael came toward her like lightning speed. He grasped her face with both of his hands and said “I am not looking to replace your father.” And then he pulled her closer to him and kissed Annie.
The kiss was the most passionate one they shared up to that point. His lips took possession of hers and she could feel his tongue swirling around hers inside of her mouth. It was so fierce and controlling it was like he was trying to imprint himself onto Annie’s soul.
Because she was still angry at him for some reason that she couldn’t comprehend at the moment, Annie tried to resist. She held her arms straight down by her sides, her fists clenched. But eventually she gave in to him. Annie reached her arms up slowly and looped them around Michael’s neck and moved closer to his body and proceeded to kiss him back.
His hands moved down from her face to caress her back and then he looped his hands around Annie’s waist pulling her even closer if possible. She could feel the hardness of his body against hers. Their hips met and it was such a sensual sensation that Annie got weak in the knees. The kiss finally ended. They pulled away from each other, both breathing heavily, and continued to stare intently at each other.
Finally after what seemed like forever he said. “I will call my driver to take you home.”
Still feeling that she needed to assert some sort of control over the situation Annie said, “That’s not necessary Michael, I can take a taxi home. I can take care of myself.”
She turned from him grabbing her jacket off the chair where she had placed it earlier that evening and walked out of the bedroom and toward the front entrance of the suite.
“Annie, c’mon. Let me do this for you,” he said walking up behind her and grabbing her arm.
She opened the door and turned around and said “Goodnight Michael.”
He in turn said, “Goodnight Annie.”
Annie closed the door quickly. She didn’t want him to follow her. She had a feeling he might. But he didn’t. She made her way down the elevator to the lobby and then on to the street.
There was Michael’s driver, Peter, waiting on the sidewalk in front of the hotel. “Mr. Jackson said that I am to take you home Miss Walker.”
“Peter, thank you. But please tell Mr. Jackson, I am taking a taxi home.”
In her toughest New Yorker stance she strode to the curb and lifted her arm and proceeded to hail a cab. Deep down Annie prayed one would stop immediately and not leave her hanging. With a sigh of relief one pulled up to the curb almost immediately. She got in and made her way home.
Part Eighteen
As soon as she closed the door he reached for the doorknob ready to wrench it back open and run after her. But then he hesitated. Instead he hurriedly retrieved his cell phone from the bedroom and called Peter.
“Peter, Miss Walker is coming down in the elevator as we speak. She will be in the lobby in minutes. Please hurry around front and see if you can catch her. She needs a ride home. Thanks.”
He ended the call and then headed for the kids room to look in on them. As he was closing their door quietly he could feel his phone vibrating in his pocket. He walked down the hallway towards his bedroom before he answered it.
“She did huh? Okay. No Peter, it’s not your fault. Please don’t worry. You did the right thing and thank you for calling me back. I will see you in the morning.”
He headed into his bedroom and collapsed on the bed. He didn’t mean to make her so upset Michael thought to himself. He just wanted her to realize that she had an amazing talent. She had other options besides the toy store. He admired her love and respect for her father. But would her father have wanted her to give up her dreams in order to fulfill his? He only had the pleasure of meeting him once so long ago before he even knew Annie existed so he couldn’t tell for sure. He groaned and sunk down into the pillows. Who was he to psychoanalyze her relationship with her father when his own relationship with his was dysfunctional at best?
Michael thought to himself, she was everything he could ask for in a woman. Smart and lovable and sexy all rolled into one. And most importantly of all, she was real, not of the Michael Jackson celebrity fueled world. He was in love with her but had not had the courage to tell her. Michael believed wholeheartedly in love. He felt strongly that it had the power to heal the world’s problems. He told his kids all the time that he loved them because he felt, sadly, that he never heard it enough when he was growing up. He also had told complete strangers that he loved them. Yet he had not told her yet.
He thought about her today at the pool and then laying here in bed with him how she had been so physically bold with him. It made him feel sexually aroused just thinking about it and he turned his face into the pillow where her head had lain just minutes ago and inhaled her scent. He almost picked up his cell phone off the table and called her, but changed his mind. He would let her cool off and get some sleep. Then he would call her tomorrow and apologize for being so overbearing and hurting her feelings. And then when he saw her later he would take her in his arms and hold her and kiss her and make her eyes light up and her cheeks glow and then he would tell her loved her!
In the comfort of Annie’s own apartment, laying in her bed, she thought about what had just transpired. It was our first fight, Annie thought to herself. It was probably the only fight she ever had with a man that had the most intense kiss of her life smack dab in the middle of it. She touched her lips with her finger—they still felt tingly!
Why did she get so angry with him? He obviously hit a nerve. She was still so confused by what she wanted out of life. Did she want to pursue her art? If she left the toy store would that mean that she was betraying her father? Her art was important to her but she was still timid about showing it to the world.
She groaned as she sank into the pillows. And then there was Michael. She felt so comfortable with him. He was like an enigma to her. He could be so sweet and shy one minute and then so sexy and in command the next. He made her feel sexy—something she never really thought she was! He was intelligent, well read and he made her laugh. He loved art. And he was such a good father. His kids were terrific too. And she knew kids from working at the toy store. His kids were as sweet and loving as he was. On the other hand he was Michael Jackson. How could she fit into his life?
The more she thought about it—the more she realized that she was falling in love with him and it scared her. Neither of them had used the “L” word yet. She closed her eyes and ran her hands over her own body, imagining his touch again on her. She inhaled and recalled his scent and she grew restless, tossing and turning in her bed, squeezing her legs together tightly. She never recalled feeling so sexually attracted to any other man before. She almost called him and then decided she would wait till morning. Tomorrow she would apologize for acting like a child and hurting his feelings. And then she would take him in her arms and hold him tight and tell him that she loved him!
By Scrantonmjfan
5 comments:
Another beautiful chapter. Great job!
Michael's presence in Annie's life has saved her in some ways, but complicated things in other ways. He's certainly given her a lot to think about. Should she pursue her own dreams and give up on keeping her father's spirit alive at the toy store? I think that is why she stays there. By her working there it's like a piece of her father is still there and she's able to remain close to him. If she were to leave all of that would be lost. Annie needs to see that there are other ways to honor her father without having to give up her own desires.
It's understandable how any normal, average person would feel that they couldn't survive in Michael's world, but “There is no limit to love’s forbearance, to its trust, its hope, its power to endure.” I'm sure that this statement will prove to be very true in the future for Michael and Annie. :)
I am loving your comments. Thank you my dear. I am so happy that you are liking it!
I just finished re-reading the second chapter. This is actually when I fell in love with the story. I love how their relationship blossoms while they are both active with their own responsibilities during a two week period.
Both handle their daily activities during the day. They then have "family dates" which I loved reading about. Later they have their alone time to connect as a couple.
Annie is connecting with him and his children on personal/emotional level first which I think is very important if they are going to have a long lasting relationship. It would be very tempting to drop everything and go straight to the physical (it is Michael Jackson LOL!) but, I like that they showed restraint.
I actually loved that Michael was pushing her to make a choice about pursuing her art or running the toy store. He seems to have already decided he wants something long-term and a bicoastal affair won't do.
I am just.....Speechless! I truly believe that if Michael actually had someone like Annie in his life, how differently his life would have been. Just beautiful, my dear. Wonderful escapism at a time when I need it the most....the dreaded upcoming trial! :o(
Absolutely Beautiful! There maybe anger but the love they share is deeper and they are just starting to realize it . Love reading this so much!
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