They had fallen asleep in each others arms, naked, with the white silk sheets and white fluffy down comforter strewn messily around them. Amanda stirred from her sleep, and wondered what time it was. She figured it was probably about three or four in the morning. Amanda sat up in the bed and reached over to the white wood nightstand to turn on the gold lamp. With Amanda's movement Michael woke up to see Amanda turning the light on. He watched her as she stood up and stretched. She was still naked and Michael smiled as he marveled at her perfect body.

"What are you doing, beautiful?" Michael asked drowsily.

Amanda jumped. "Whoa you scared me," Amanda said as she turned around quickly and put her hand over her heart. "I'm looking for my clothes. I don't remember where I left them."

Michael chuckled as he watched her walk around to the other side of the bed. There she saw a trail of clothes leading from the bed to the trophy case. Amanda laughed. "I found them," she announced as she put on her pants and then following the trail she put on the rest of her clothes.

Michael got up as well and followed her lead and picked up his clothes off of the floor. Amanda was straightening up her hair with her back turned towards Michael when he came up to her and hugged her from behind. "You going somewhere?" Michael asked her devotedly.

She turned around, still in his arms. He kissed her on the top of her head. "I'm going home, silly. It's got to be five in the morning, at least."

Michael smiled. "Oh no you don't. I wouldn't want you getting so tired that you'd have to pull over in front of some stranger's house. I can only imagine what can happen."

They both laughed. "Jealous, are we?" Amanda gave Michael a big smooch on his lips.

"No, really. It's not safe. Stay here for tonight. You can go home in the morning."

"I guess you're right. You going to stay with me?"

Michael held Amanda tight. "Of course. I'm not going anywhere."


It was ten in the morning when they finally awoke, they were still laying in each others arms, Michael hugging her from behind.

"Mmmm..." Michael moaned. He kissed her hair as she stirred from her sleep. "Don't go."

Amanda turned around so she was facing him on the bed. "I have to. Do you know how many assignments I have waiting for me when I get home?"

She gave a peck on the frown that was forming on his face. "You're so cute when you do that," Amanda said.

Michael laughed. "Well I guess you really gotta go then."

They got up and got dressed, picking up their clothes that were strewn in the same pattern as before.

Michael held her hand as he walked with her out to the front of the mansion to her Kia that was in the driveway. Michael stopped and grabbed Amanda's other hand. "Have a good day, sweetie. Study if you can." Michael laughed at his own joke.

"Yeah, thanks, I'll try."

"I love you, Amanda." He kissed her gently on the lips.

Amanda stared at him. She still couldn't believe that he loved her. He was so genuine and she loved it. She gave him a big smile. "Goodbye, Michael."


On her way home, Amanda grabbed a hamburger and fries at a fast food joint. It was noon, and she hadn't eaten anything so she was starving. She arrived at her home and walked in and walked straight into the office. It wasn't really quite an office per se, but it was an area that Amanda had destined for studying. She turned on the computer on the desk and sat down in her swivel chair and started munching on her hamburger while the computer started up.

And so Amanda spent her afternoon trying do to research for her assignments, but as Michael had predicted, she wasn't able to concentrate very well. Her mind kept wandering off to last night. Michael's kiss. Michael's touch. Michael's breath on her body. Michael's warmth. Michael's love.

'No, no, no!' Amanda thought shaking her head as if she were to shake out her thoughts with that movement. 'Stop thinking about him!'

She got up and went into the bathroom to take a refreshing shower. When she was done, she wrapped a towel around her and another on the top of her head and walked into her bedroom. She changed into a white tank top and a comfortable jean skirt. She towel dried her hair as she walked back into the office, she walked past her cell phone, fighting the urge to call Michael. She hung the towel on the back of her chair and sat down starting to type away at the computer. She hoped now she could concentrate better. Taking a shower always helped her clear her head.

The doorbell rang. Amanda got up and ran to the door. 'Who could it be?' she thought. She wasn't really that surprised when looking through the peep hole she saw Michael on the other side of the door. She had learned that with Michael to always expect the unexpected.

She opened the door with a wide grin on her face. "Michael!"

He stood there carrying two white plastic bags, one in each hand, smiling. "I couldn't stand to be away from you. I know you have stuff to do, I don't want to bother you, but I know you have to eat, too. I brought you some dinner."

"Oh Michael, that was so thoughtful of you. Come in, please," she said, taking the two bags from Michael and setting them down on the dining room table.

After closing the front door behind him, Michael followed Amanda into the dining room. "You are so sweet," Amanda said giving Michael a quick peck on the cheek.

Michael emptied the bags and set the food containers on the table. "Where do you keep your plates?" Michael asked.

"Oh I'll get them."

"No, I'm going to serve you. Where do you keep them?"

Amanda blushed. "In the kitchen in the first cupboard. Don't tell me you made this food?" she asked, looking at him quizzically.

"Of course I did," Michael called from the kitchen. He came back in the dining room with two plates, two forks and two glasses.

He served on each plate what looked like a mixture of potatoes and greens, along with a salad of some sort. He also took out a plastic pitcher of juice that had a spill proof lid on it.

"What is it?" Amanda inquired, " it looks delicious."

"This is sauteed greens with potatoes and rosemary. This is a type of caesar salad that I invented, and this is freshly squeezed lemonade. I would have brought a bottle of wine, but since you are still underage, I opted for the lemonade."

Amanda laughed and said, "How very thoughtful of you." Michael served lemonade into the two glasses and they started to eat. "This is delicious. You really make this?"

"Yeah, I'm glad you like it," Michael said with a proud grin on his face.

'He is so cute,' Amanda couldn't help thinking, seeing him smile at her like that. His smile could melt anything, let alone her heart which was already weak for him.

"You know my kids really want to meet you," he said, changing the subject. He looked up at her with his intense eyes waiting to see what her reaction would be.

"I'd love to meet them," she said as she continued eating her dinner. "You haven't spoken much about them, but I know they must be big part of your life."

"Yes, they are wonderful children. I love them to death. They are my life. Prince is five and Paris is four," Michael boasted as any proud father would. "I've told them about you, and they want to meet Daddy's girlfriend."

Amanda reddened and quickly changed the subject. "And what about the rest of your family? Do you see them much?"

"Oh yeah, the family gets together every so often, and as you saw with Jermaine the other day, they like to come by and visit when they can. It's hard for me to get out a lot."

"That's why you've been out everywhere with me, because you can't get out a lot!" Amanda pointed out sarcastically. They each had finished their dinner. Amanda piled the dishes together to take them into the kitchen later.

Michael covered his face with his hand and laughed shyly. "Well I'll have you know I only got out today because I was disguised."

"But you're not disguised now."

"I know. Actually I was disguised. The things I do to spend time with you, Amanda." Michael said sarcastically. He continued, "but you'd be surprised at how many people are hiding in the trees and behind bushes waiting for me to come out and follow me. I usually disguise myself as a worker. I took my costume off in the car."

"How'd you get here? You don't drive."

"My driver brought me. He's disguised too." Amanda looked out of her dining room window where she could see a man siting in a white utility van parked in front of her house.

"You came in that?" Amanda said laughing. "You're so crazy." They laughed some more together.

"Yeah I know. Like I said, the things I do to spend some time with my girl." Amanda beamed.

"So is he just going to wait for you until you're ready to leave?"

"Yep. And I might not want to leave, either," Michael teased.

"Michael!" Amanda pushed him softly on his chest, laughing. 'God knows, I wish you wouldn't leave,' Amanda thought.

Michael got up and went into the living room where he had seen a stereo, and Amanda followed close behind. He looked to the side and saw a stack of CD's. He picked out Kelly Clarkson's new CD 'Thankful'. He took the CD out of its case and put it into the CD player. 'A Moment Like This' started, and he pulled Amanda close to him for a slow dance.

As the music was playing slowly, Michael held Amanda's hand with one hand and with the other he held her waist closely to his body. As they started to slow dance, she put her head to his chest and pressed her ear to his heart and felt his heart beat. He smelled the sweet fragrance of the shampoo she used on her hair.

Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this
Some people search forever for that one special kiss
Oh, I can't believe it's happening to me
Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this

Amanda's heart could have exploded from the love she felt in that instant. The perfect song, at the perfect time, with the perfect man. Could life get any better than this?

"You know, I meant what I said last night," Michael whispered. They still slow danced to the song.

"What was that," Amanda asked softly taking her head off of his chest to look at him.

He looked down so he could see into her blue eyes. "That I found happiness with you. And that I love you." He had a tear that was about to fall in the corner of his right eye.

"Michael, I know."

They kissed passionately but gently. Amanda could taste Michael's salty tears as they fell down his face. She broke off the kiss and kissed each tear on his face.

He broke away and stepped back wiping the rest of his tears off his face with his shirt.

"Tuesday is New Year's Eve. Some of my brothers and nieces and nephews are going to get together at my house. I want you to come, too."

"Are your parents coming?"

"No, my mother doesn't celebrate holidays, and Joseph is busy, I guess."

"Oh, well I'd love to come. Of course!"

"Okay. I guess I'll see you then. I know you have to get back to studying."

"Thank you so much for the dinner. I've never have had someone cook for me before. I hope I can wait the four days until New Years Eve without seeing you." Amanda hung her arms around Michael's neck and gave him kisses on his cheeks, nose and mouth.

"I bet you can't," Michael dared.

"I bet I can't either," Amanda replied.

They gave each other one last kiss, and Michael was out of the door. Amanda closed it behind him, and then twirled herself around like a little girl. She threw herself onto the couch in the living room and sighed heavily. The sigh of a young woman in love.

She heard her cell phone ring. She remembered that she had left it in her office, so she ran to get it. It was a message from Michael.

'I miss you already. Michael.'

She texted back.

'See, you're worse than me! Hey, you left your food containers here.'

He quickly replied,

'Bring them to me tomorrow.'

She said,

'Just an excuse to see me again.'

'Of course!'

Amanda put the cell phone down and sat down in her chair in front of the computer again. 'Okay, I feel re-energized. Let's see what I can get done!' she thought to herself happily as she began typing away at the computer.


TO BE CONTINUED...