Not long after she sat down, Amanda's mind started wandering off to the sensual and meaningful kiss she and Michael had shared some ten minutes before. She could still feel Michael's soft and warm lips, moistened by his emotional salty tears on hers all over again. She could feel his big strong hands, one on her lower back and one cupping the back of her head, pressing her body against his as he kissed her with raw emotion. 'I wish you could see what you've done, Mr. Michael Jackson. Thank you very much,' Amanda thought, frustrated that she couldn't concentrate on her research. The sound of her cell phone ring snapped Amanda out of her trance. She picked it up and saw it was Natalia calling.
"Hello," she answered sweetly.
"Amanda Farris, I can't believe you would do this to me!"
A million thoughts ran all at once through Amanda's confused mind. It had to be serious if Natalia said her full name like that. 'What did I do now? Was it her birthday?'
"Hi, Naty," Amanda said nervously.
"Hi, Amanda," Natalia replied, her tone mocking. "Don't act all innocent with me."
The light bulb finally clicked on in Amanda's head. "Oh, Naty, I so ditched you at the night club last night. I'm so sorry. I understand if you're angry. Michael swore to me that you'd have a ride..." Amanda pleaded, feeling a guilty weight on her heart. How could she ever put a guy first before her best friend, sister almost, even if it was Michael Jackson? Amanda's thoughts were cut off by Natalia's guffaw on the other end of the receiver. Amanda took the phone away from her ear and looked at it scrunching her eyebrows in disbelief. She put the phone back to her ear as she heard Natalia continue to speak.
"Amanda, you do realize I was in on it the whole time, right? We totally set you up!" Natalia continued with her guffaw. "TJ took me home. Michael's nephew."
"Oh," Amanda said feeling relieved yet still confused. "Then why did you call me all crazy like that?"
"Because, Amanda, I am dying to know what happened after you guys left! You guys totally ditched the party."
Amanda slapped her hand to her forehead. "I know, I know. We had a lot to talk about. I really hadn't planned on ever seeing him again. But that was so beautiful how he set that all up just for me at the club, wasn't it."
"Yeah," Amanda heard Natalia sigh.
"I'm sorry I couldn't call you. I was... busy."
"Spill, woman," Natalia insisted. Amanda spent the next half hour recalling to her friend about the night before, meeting Michael's mother and brothers, them escaping the party, his beautiful mansion, their heart to heart, and finally them making love.
"Girl, that sounds like it came out straight from a fairy tale!" Amanda sighed. Just remembering last night filled her heart with love and brought back the butterflies to her stomach.
"Then I came home around noon and started doing some research," Amanda continued.
"Noon?" Natalia asked. "Wow," she added with a giggle.
Amanda rolled her eyes as if Natalia could see her through the phone. "Shut up, Naty." Amanda giggled, too.
"Then Michael came over and surprised me with dinner," she continued.
"Wow," Natalia said, "I told you he was into you." Amanda's heart leaped. She sure hoped so.
It was the next day, and Amanda couldn't wait to see Michael again. The rest of the previous evening she had been able to get some research done and she even started writing her paper. She was satisfied enough with her progress, so she decided to take Michael up on his excuse and go see him to take over his tupperware. She grabbed the clean tupperware and put it in the same white plastic bag that Michael had brought it in and headed over to his mansion.
Amanda showed up at the mansion with Michael's voice still in her head, 'You'd be surprised at how many people are hiding out in the trees and behind the bushes.' She consciously looked around this time to see if she noticed anyone as she pulled up to the gate. She had always come to his house so nonchalantly, never worrying if anyone was watching or if anyone was listening. How dumb could she be if she thought that someone wouldn't be watching his every move. He was Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, after all. She sat there wondering if anyone had ever noticed her as she stuck her hand out of the car window and rang the intercom.
"Hello," a female voice on the intercom sounded.
"Yes, this is Amanda. I'm here to see Michael." Then there was silence. "Hello," Amanda called out. 'Maybe I should have called before I showed up,' Amanda thought, getting nervous sitting outside the gate terrified that a camera would show up at any minute. Why should she get nervous? No one knows anything. It must be all in her head. She had been sitting there for at least five minutes at the gate waiting. The last couple times she had come, Michael had been expecting her and she got in quickly. The first time she came, however, she was unexpected and had the cops called on her.
"Please come in," the voice in the intercom said, interrupting her thoughts. Amanda jumped in her seat, startled, putting her hand to her heart.
"Thank you," she called into the box, as the gate slid open. She pulled into the driveway, the gate closing behind her.
A small woman, African American, very slender, with almond eyes and short loose brown curls came out of the front door to greet her. She had a warm smile. Amanda wondered who she was.
"Mr. Jackson will wait for you in his study," she said as Amanda got out of her Kia with the plastic bag in her hand. She followed the woman into the house and into Michael's study. It was massive. It had dark wood floors throughout and a fore-room, kind of like what he had in his bedroom. It saw deep into the main study where Michael sat at his executive desk of heavy dark wood, speaking on the phone and taking notes on a legal pad. Michael hadn't noticed them come in.
The woman motioned to a brown leather chair in the fore-room for her to sit down. She left promptly shutting the wood door leaving Amanda alone to marvel at the expensive looking portraits on the wood panelled walls.
"Yeah, John, tell him I'll definitely be there," Michael said into the phone with a smile on his face. "Yeah, this will be fun. Thank you, John. Take care." Michael pushed a button on his cordless phone and set it on the receiver. He continued writing notes, still oblivious to Amanda's presence.
"Hey, cutie. I came to return your tupperware since you wanted it back so badly." Michael quickly looked up, his eyes big from his surprise. His countenance quickly softened and he smiled his biggest smile upon seeing his girl, sitting with her legs crossed all the way across the room in the foreroom.
"Amanda! So you did come. I told you you wouldn't be able to wait to see me," Michael said as he stood up to greet Amanda. He had on a black t-shirt with a navy blue sport coat over it. His hair was back in a messy ponytail. Amanda stood up as well and walked right into his open arms and they hugged each other tightly. "I have something for you," Michael said putting his arm around her shoulder and leading her to his desk. She sat down in another brown leather chair that was in front of the wooden desk. He sat in his big brown leather executive chair. He reached under it and opened a cabinet. He brought out a box, carefully wrapped in silver gift wrap and set it on the desk in front of him. "I think you left this here."
Amanda recognized it immediately. It was the present she had bought for 'Josh' for Christmas. "Your present!" She paused for a second. "Well, open it!"
"Not before you," Michael replied, "ladies first." Michael took out a small white oblong box, unwrapped with a small red bow on it. He handed it to Amanda. She lifted the lid and discovered a pair of black aviator sunglasses. "What's this?" she asked, not quite understanding the meaning of his gift.
"Those are my glasses. I remember when we first went out for dinner, you asked me if I would ever take the glasses off and let you see my eyes. Since I was going to reveal who I was on Christmas Day, I wanted to give you my glasses."
"I love them, that was so thoughtful of you," she said putting the sunglasses on. This man never ceased to amaze her. "It's your turn," Amanda said, sliding the box towards him on the desk.
Michael received the box and carefully started opening it, peeling the tape off of the wrapping paper.
"Don't you know how to open up a present? Rip it open!" Amanda exclaimed. Michael laughed and apprehensively started to rip at the paper, shredding it all off exposing a white box. He opened the box and his smile became wider.
"PEZ!" Michael laughed loudly, and slapped his hand to his knee. He took out some ten PEZ dispensers one by one and set them on the desk. There was one of Jesus, Elvis, Madonna, The Three Stooges, and Marilyn Monroe. "Thank you," he exclaimed genuinely happy.
"I remembered you saying you liked PEZ that night at the PEZ store, so I thought I'd go back and get you some,"
Michael blushed and looked down bashfully. "Thank you."
"You're quite welcome," Amanda beamed.
Amanda watched Michael as he stood up from his chair, walked around the desk and put her hand in his. He kissed it and said, "There are a couple of people I'd like you to meet now."
Amanda stood up, and with their hands clasped together they walked out of the study, through the majestic hallway to a bedroom. He knocked on the large white door before opening it revealing two of the most beautiful children doing what children do best. The blond boy sat on the floor playing with a long wooden train. The little girl was caressing a doll, sitting at a small play table next to her nanny, the same slender African American woman who had greeted her earlier. When they noticed Michael at the door they both screamed in unison, "Daddy!" He let go of my hand to catch the running children and pick them up planting kisses on both of their cheeks.
"Are you both being good for Nanny Grace?"
"Yes, Daddy," they replied again in unison with their sweet little voices. They soon noticed Amanda behind Michael. Paris' blue eyes widened with curiosity. "Is that your girlfriend, Daddy?" Paris asked charmingly.
"Yes, baby," Michael said, setting them down. He turned around smiling facing Amanda with one child in each hand.
"Hi, my name is Amanda," she offered her hand to Paris.
Paris eagerly shook her hand. "I'm Paris and I'm four," she said holding up four little fingers. Amanda laughed, delighted.
Prince quickly butt in not wanting to be left out, "I'm Prince and I'm five," he said pointing to himself.
"Well that makes you a big boy then, doesn't it?" She shook his hand as well.
Paris grabbed Amanda's hand back from little Prince's grasp. "Come play with us, we are going to have tea," she declared. Amanda reluctantly followed Prince and Paris to their table looking at Michael who nodded his head in approval.
"I'm going to the study to finish making a few phone calls, I'll be right back," he said inching slowly towards the door. Amanda and the kids hardly noticed him; they were already engrossed in their tea time conversation. He looked at them fondly; the way Paris and Prince took to Amanda so quickly, and how Amanda seemed to not be bothered to be playing with a couple of little kids. He stepped out of the room and started his journey back to his study, hopeful to where this relationship with Amanda could take him.
Amanda had been playing in the room with the kids for an hour when Michael reappeared in the doorway. "Sorry to interrupt you three, but it's getting dark, and you two need your baths and get ready for bed." Michael nodded towards Nanny Grace. "Go on with Nanny Grace, you two. I'll be up to read to you all in a bit."
"Yes, Daddy," they once again said in concert.
Michael took Amanda's hand and led her out of the back door and to the beautifully landscaped backyard. It was dusk and the lights on the brick walkway were already lit. They followed the smooth path that led past some tall trees and thick bushes to an elegant swimming pool. It looked like it had lights in and around it, but they weren't lit. Steam was rising from the pool into the cold December air.
"This is beautiful, too. What about this house isn't beautiful?"
"Let's take a swim," Michael said, pulling her towards the pool.
"No! It's too cold out," she said, shivering already.
"Don't worry, it's heated," Michael replied.
"I know, it's just that I didn't bring any clothes," Amanda pleaded.
"Who needs clothes?" he said playfully.
She laughed. "But we don't have any towels," she begged.
Michael didn't reply. He took off his shoes and socks and clothes and in only his boxers started to run at full speed and jumped into the pool. 'What the hell,' she thought as she pulled off her sweater and took off her shoes as well and followed in after him.
The water was nice and warm, it felt good around her body as she came up to the surface after her jump. She still had water in her ears so she didn't hear Michael swim up to her. He brought her waist in close to him hugging her tightly and kissing her gently. "I'm glad you decided to join me, because I would have pushed you in anyway," he joked laughing.
"Oh, really?" she said splashing him in the face with pool water.
"Aaah!" Michael shreaked, letting her go and backing up a bit so he could splash her back. But Amanda was already underwater reaching for his boxers and pulled them down.
"Aaah!" he yelled again. Dying of laughter, he pulled his shorts back up. He decided not to retaliate. He'd get her back good, later. By the time he ended his thought she was popping up at the end of the pool, smiling deviously. 'God, she is so beautiful in the moonlight,' he thought as he stared at her, his smile turning serious.
He swam to her and she waited to see what he was going to do. He appeared in front of her and pinned her to the side of the pool and kissed her again fiercely. He then took off swimming, Amanda following his lead. They continued their moonlit swim, kissing and playing, joking and embracing, until midnight.
