The Difference Chapter 14

IMPORTANT UPDATE:
CHAPTER 8 OF TO HAVE AND TO HOLD HAS JUST BEEN PUBLISHED ON PLANET JACKSON.NET
http://www.planetjackson.net/to-have-and-to-hold.html

NOW...CHAPTER 14 OF THE DIFFERENCE

14



As soon as he turned the key in the ignition, Michael regretted not having taken a driver.  He hated driving, and he really hated driving at night.  There was no fitting term for disliking driving at night, after two glasses of wine, while experiencing an inner melt down rivaling ten Three Mile Island and forty Chernobyl accidents.  Still, he had to get away from here…away from the place he once called his other home, away from the person who-once again- took his world off its axes and hurled it like a bowling bowl down a very long, very slippery lane. 

If he caught the movement in his peripheral field of vision it certainly never fully filtered into his consciousness.  Thankfully, the human brain possessed amazing reflex circuits, as evidenced by his foot slamming on the brakes before he even saw the figure jumping in front of his car. 

Oh God! It was a miracle he managed to stop, but stop he did.  About half an inch before impact. Half an inch before impending disaster.  Not that his pounding heart could tell the difference.  Incredulous he stared at the ghost before him.  No, not a ghost.  A total lunatic! Her hands braced on his hood, her head lowered, she slowly raised her eyes to him, staring at him blindly.  Holy shit! Was this real? Had Lisa just jumped in front of his car?

“What the fuck? Have you lost your goddamn mind? Of all the crazy, impulsive, dangerous...”  Ripping his seatbelt from his shoulders, he bolted out of the car so fast he did not even remember opening the door before he heard it slamming close.  Lisa stood at the hood, hunched over, breathing heard, her body heaving from the effort of her mad-dash. With ‘mad’ being the operative word.

He grabbed her shoulders and turned her toward him forcefully, shaking her.

“Whatcha trying to do?  Have you lost it? Now you’ve finally gone round the bend.  Do you fucking realize I almost hit you?  Do you even fucking care?” Through the red fog, the azure of her eyes assaulted him.  Was that his voice?  Did he just hurl all those curse words at her?  He felt totally out of control.  He felt himself shaking and wanted to strangle her, yell at her some more despite his aversion to yelling and cursing.  But really, she made him do it.  What was her issue?  Was she crying? Was she hurt?  Her eyes were huge. Maybe she was in shock. 

He shook her again. 
“Say something, dammit.  Are you hurt? Fucking shit, Lisa! You scared me to death.” Still screaming at her, his voice was high pitched and strained. Great- now he was ruining his vocal chords for her.  Not that she noticed- she still seemed to be in a daze.

“You’re not leaving.” Finally a reaction! Her voice was dark and hoarse like cooling tar.  Trapping him, slowing his movements…

He froze.  Had she just used herself as some kind of human speed bump to keep him here? Oh no!

“Yeah, the hell, I’m leaving.  And if you pull another stunt, I call the cops and have your crazy ass arrested.”

“You are not leaving, Mike.  I am not done talking to you.”

“’Scuse me? You’re not done talking, so you throw yourself in front of my car?  What if I’d hit you?”

“You didn’t.  You wouldn’t.”

“Girl, you are really pushing your luck right now.” Hitting her seemed like a really good idea.  She was so frigging lucky he did not hit girls.  Not even with his car after they hurl themselves at him.  Jesus!

He reached up and wiped a tear from her cheek.  She looked so fierce.  Crazy, lunatic, courageous pain in the ass.  Before he knew what he was doing, he pulled her close, holding onto her for dear life.  His heart was beating so hard he thought it would just stop cold at any moment.  Thankfully, he felt her chest heaving against him as well and maybe the electric conduction would suffice to keep him in business.

Her arms closed around his neck, locking him in, suffocating him, - freeing him.  She sobbed into his shirt.  Great.  No doubt, she was messing it up, leaving make-up, tears, and other things he did not care to think about as permanent markers of her crazy act.  At least there was no blood.  Oh, God, he could have really hurt her.  She could have been struck down, lying right there in the road, tire marks over her idiotic little self. 

Michael kissed her head and looked over her small frame toward the house.   A figure caught his eyes and he noticed Lockwood standing there in shock.  Reality came knocking.  Ok, it was all coming back to him.  Lockwood was there for a reason.  Lisa had some kind of special night planned and her man was here.  Only, he had messed up her perfect little world and then she had retaliated by ripping him open with the blunt edge of her truth.  And blunt instruments hurt so much worse than razor edges.  They also leave gaping wounds that fester and refuse to heal. 

She had said she lied, she was not – and had never been- indifferent.  She had said she wanted him to go on with his life, had meant to free him.  No, it was too ridiculous to comprehend.  This so called truth was all induced by some crazy nightmares, nothing more.  If she had been serious, she would not have let him live all this time in agony.  She would not have laid stone after stone to the foundation of a new life with Blondie over there.  If she was telling the truth, she would have invited him over for a special night, not her wonderful guitar player/producer.  What the hell was her angle? Where was all this lunacy coming from?  Was she on drugs again?  No, he was too sure she would not do that to her kids.

Michael felt himself tense up and he peeled himself from her body and deprived himself of her warmth by holding her an arm’s length away from him.  She looked ok.  Her make-up was streaked and messy and she looked a bit shaken, but she seemed alright.  No brain damage he was responsible for as she obviously was already several notes short of a symphony.  To jump out in front of a car! Who does that?

He took a deep breath. “Ok. You’re ok, right?  Look, you worried your man back there.  You need to get your crazy behind back inside.  Stay out of your drive way for a while.  You’re too big of a safety hazard.”

Lisa looked behind her at Lockwood and they both observed him shaking his head and going back inside, slamming the door. 

Lisa started to slowly shake her head.  Maybe she was brain damaged after all. 

“I’m not going back.  I’m not done talking. I told you.”

“Well, I told you I’m done listening.  Get back in or stay out here.  But stay the hell out of the driveway and out of my way.  I might just mow you down after all.”
“No, you won’t.  You love me.  Plus, you would have Sneddon after your ass again.”   

“I take my chance with Sneddon.  It’s you I’m trying to get away from right now.” He ignored her comment about loving him on purpose.  She was in shock, obviously.  Well, not too much in shock to be snarky, but he would cut her some slack for right now.

Still holding on to her, he marched her over a couple of steps toward the edge of the lawn.  She seemed to cooperate.  Maybe she finally saw reason and would let him leave.

“Michael, running away is what has gotten us here.  We need to finish things.  I am tired of running away.”

Well, running away seemed like a really good plan to him.  It was called self-preservation. After all, who stayed in a burning building once the beams started to fall?  You don’t watch the sparks fly, smell the fumes, feel the heat, and think you will just stay put and solve the inferno.  No, you boogey the heck out of there and hope that someone had dialed 911. 

“The time to not run away would have been several months back, Lise.  You’re a bit late.  The patient died, doc.  No resuscitation in the world will bring him back.”

“But that’s where you’re wrong.  We don’t know that.  I mean are you shitting me?  You want me to believe your love for me just died?  And after you made love to me like a madman?  I felt you, Mike.  I know you.  You can’t fake what happened.  And now you want me to just take your word that you don’t love me?  Just like that?”

“No, Lisa, not just like that.  It took some good doing- but you killed it. Your indifference killed it.”

No way was he going to go anywhere near that event, that scalding trip into hell.  Not when it took all his powers to not think about the feeling of her body around him as she seemed to have reached deep into his heart once again. Not when all he could see when he closed his eyes at night were her eyes getting dark before closing shut as she shuddered against him and around him, calling out to him, pulling him in deeper and deeper. 

“Well, that’s not possible, ‘cause I never was indifferent.  Can you stop using that fucking word?” She had finally gone back to yelling.  Ok, she was obviously back to normal.  Whatever that meant.

“Why? Why would I?  You started this madness.  You told me we’re done.  You told me, to get on with my life.  Done and over, right?  Dead in the water. And now you want a do-over?”

She set her chin stubbornly.  Her lips were pressed together.

“Yeah. So?”

The laughter sounded out of place.  But she was so funny at times. 

“You sound like my kids.  What do you mean, so?  Lisa- we both moved on.  I am moving on as in, I am leaving the country.”

“Yeah, you’re running away.”

He let go of her and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.  Her circular logical reasoning wasn’t going to get them anywhere. 

“Damn straight.  Going now. Good night.  Have a nice life.  Maybe lover boy will get over that you almost sacrificed yourself to my SUV.  I’m sure those Presley millions will help him heal.”

Michael marched back to his car, and for one second it seemed that she had given up.  Success? Her shoulders sank and her had was lowered.  Her hair was in her face, stirred by the night breeze.  He thought he caught a glimpse of her chewing on her lips.  Hopefully, she was accepting what he just said.  Possibly, she finally saw the truth that her future was with lover-boy inside and not with him anymore.  Now he only had to figure out why that thought made him want to punch a wall. 

In slow motion, he turned the ignition key once more.  So far, so good.  Lisa looked up and over at him, while he pretended to ignore her.  Reaching forward, he watched as his hand put the gear stick into drive.  Lisa started to move and against all odds, she actually seemed to be doing what he asked her to.  She walked past the car, moving behind the vehicle now.  Ok, good, she was out of the way.  Why was it so difficult to put his foot on the gas?  You’d think he would be gunning it, speeding away. 

The car started to slowly pull off.  One more look in his rear view mirror.  Where was she now? What the heck?  Realizing he could not see her, he turned and before he knew it, she had opened the side door, jumping into the passenger seat.

“Shit! Get out Lise! I mean it.”

He slammed on the breaks for the second time tonight.  This was not going according to plan at all.

“Fuck no! I told you I am not done, so you will listen to me.”

“I am going home.  I am not staying here another minute. Get out of my car, Lisa. I’m warning you.”

Too bad someone looked neither warned nor concerned. Her arms were crossed and her eyes shot arrows at him.  She was glorious in her anger and defiance, and he felt like strangling her. 

 “You can warn me all you want.  You wanna go home? Fine, go.  But I’m coming with you.  I am not letting you waltz out of here, messing up both our lives.”

“Ahh! You drive me absolutely nuts.” Screaming, he hit the steering wheel before grabbing it tightly to at least have control over something. She was the only person in the world who could elicit these kinds of crazy reactions.

“The feeling is fucking mutual, you moron.”

His foot pushed down on the pedal and this time, he did speed off.  Screw her driveway- what did he care if he messed it up?  Lisa grabbed the side handle of the door.  She pulled her seat belt on, but did not say anything about his driving.  A miracle in itself.

“You gonna know you’re the moron when you’re stranded at my place.  But fine, do what you want.”

Her phone rang.

“You better get that before lover boy calls the cops on me for kidnapping your crazy ass. Tell him that I am being hijacked by you, please.  I’m an innocent victim here.”

Casting him a look that would kill a less resilient person, she answered the call.

“No, I’m fine.  Yes, I am sorry.  I will call you, I promise.  Look, this is just something I gotta take care of before we can move on.  Oh, before you leave, could you blow out those candles.  Yeah…I told you.  Ok…..you, too.”

She snapped the phone shut and stuffed it in her pocket.

“You asked him to blow out the candles?” Something about that was really funny and he could not help cracking up. Who told their man to tidy up after she took off with her ex?  And in such a self-evident tone.  He did not wonder who wore the pants in that relationship.  Funny how Lisa always ended up with such losers.  Yet, she kept coming back to him, despite knowing was not about to give in easily.  It had always been a riddle. 

Lisa obviously did not share his sense of humor and glared at him.  After sitting in silence for several minutes, she started playing with the controls of his CD player.  Trying to ignore her flipping through several tracks of several CDs he attempted to concentrate on the traffic.  Once again, he cursed himself for not having a driver.

“Don’t you have anything that is not Bee Gees, Supremes, or James Brown?”

“I’m sorry. I had your latest, but I think I might have used it as a coaster the other day.”

“Yeah, the truth hurts.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.  I never listened to your words.”

“Uhum.”

She kept messing with the tracks. And his mind. 

“Do you mind not playing with the music anymore?  Your switching tracks makes me crazy.” 

“I think you were crazy before then, Mike.  But whatever, you control-freak. Watch the traffic, will y’a?  I see your driving skills have not improved.  I would like to make it alive.”

Was she seriously bitching at him?  It was not like he had invited her on a little road trip.  She had basically hijacked his SUV and him with it.  He bit his lips to keep from giving her the answer she really deserved.  Clearly, she was trying to provoke him, and ignoring her was usually a better way to go. 

Lisa reclined her seat a bit and leaned back, her arms folded, staring out the window.  One would have thought he had forced her to come along. 

“So, which home are we going to?”

Oh good, she was uncomfortable with the silence. 

“If I had a brain, I’d take you back to your place.”

“What’s stopping you?”

What indeed? 

“You would probably just hop into your car and ram me or something else stupid to get what you want.”

She laughed for the first time. “Probably.”

He glanced over at her, rolling his eyes. 

“So, what you said.  To him…just then. You said you needed to do this to move on.  Was that what tonight was about?  Were you getting ready to move on with him?”

“Would you care?”

No, I always wanted to have front row seats when you get the next Mr. Presley housebroken.

“It’s your life.  I want you to be happy.  It has nothing to do with me.”

“Yet, you won’t let me live my life, Michael.”

“Oh, really?  Who used my family to find out where I was?  Who flew to New York just to see me?”

“I flew to New York on business.”

“Sure you did.”

Little liar. 

“Who tracked me down and then got herself invited to a party, wearing practically nothing.”

“I wore the necklace you gave me.” The dirty smile on her lips for some reason cause quite a physical reaction and he shifted in his seat.

Yeah, no shit.  But not much more than that.

“You should have sold it and seen if you could have found a dress with slightly more fabric.”

Lisa’s gaze dipped low for a minute and she smiled up into his eyes.  He hated the little knowing grin.  And he hated she was right.  Just thinking about her that night got him sprung.  Dammit!

“What bothered you, Mike?  That others saw me in it?  Or that you couldn’t control yourself after you saw me and forgot all about fair Julia?”

All of the above.  Or none of the above.  It was just… uncalled for.  Yeah, that was it.

“Anyway.  My point was you followed me around. Not the other way.”

“It seems like you followed me into that bedroom.”

“I wanted to talk and…”

“You locked the door.  You turned the lights down.  You started to kiss me.  You need to work on your communication skills if that was code for ‘let’s talk.’”

“I didn’t kiss you until after you slapped me!”

“Ok, Mr. Innocent Victim.  You are right, you know.  I attacked you and I raped you.  You really should have called the police, Mike.”

Her tone indicated that he was getting to her.  Which really helped him to stay balanced.  The trick is to upset your opponent while staying calm.  Worked every time. 

“Look.  I am responsible for what happened, too.  I…I, lost control, ok.  I don’t know what it was.  I told you this already.  Can we change the subject? I don’t wanna talk about it anymore.”

“Cause heaven forbid you lose control, right?  What’s so horrifying about that anyway?  So you gave in and let me see that you still care.  You think that was a revelation?”

“I’m a man, Lisa.  You pushed all my buttons.  How does that mean I care? Remember your legs around me when I tried to let you go?”

“All I remember is that huge hard-on from the moment I came out of that bathroom. You think I was blind?  And who was responsible for that? I had not even touched you.  Just cut the crap: you wanted me as much as I wanted you.  And you love me as much as I love you.”

Traffic became very interesting and he was not about to satisfy that insane remark with an answer.  He did not love her.  He was still obsessed with her for some weird reason, but that was just because she continued to piss him off.  Force of habit.  Nothing else.

“Anyway. So you and Lockwood?  What was that nice set-up about?”  She still had not answered him, which bothered him for some reason.

“What do you care?”

“Ah, I don’t.  But you confuse the hell out of me.  You insist to talk to me, give me this bullshit about having lied before, but you seem to run this little romantic scenario with Riff-Raff at the same time.  Excuse me for doubting your sincerity.”

“Who’s Riff Raff?” She looked confused for a second, then broke out in hysterical laughter.  “Oh, my God! That’s….horrible…And so fucking accurate…oh God…”

Her laughter was contagious and he could not hide a couple of chuckles himself.  It felt so good to laugh again.  To hear her next to him, sharing this moment.  Feeling close and united… 

What the hell was he thinking?  They were neither close nor united.  She had forced this talk and now continued her attempts to distract him.  He was not about to let her win that easily. 

“So, where were the kids?”

Lisa cleared her throat after he stopped laughing, attempting to also return to serious mode.

“With their Dad.”

“What’s he think about Lockwood?”

“I don’t know.  He likes him ok, I guess.”  Lisa had averted her gaze, her voice sounding muffled now.

“And your Mom?”

Why was he asking all these questions?  It did not matter to him at all, did it?

“What do you care?”

“I don’t.  Just making small talk, Lisa, since you forced your way into my car.”

Lisa sighed and brushed her hair out of her face.  “Mother adores Lockwood, thank you for asking, Michael.”

Her face showed irritation. Why would she not be pleased that her mother liked her new beau?  Surely, she was over her little rebellious streak. 

“You gonna marry him, then?”

“Possibly.”

Straight to his heart.  He blinked the pain way, informing it there was no room for it in the dark space in his chest. 

“The kids like him?” The question was asked in a very quiet tone and for one second he thought she had not heard him.  Maybe it was better that way.  Ben and Riley were like his children and it was way too painful to imagine them having this bond with yet another man in her life. 

“They like him alright.”

All he could do was nod.  Lovely.  She had a perfect man, beloved by her asshole ex-husband, her bitch of a mother, and her two wonderful children.  He also seemed to take orders really well.  Yet, here she was.  In his car after basically throwing herself at him.  Something was off.  How did he fit in?  Was she just after absolution for her words?  Did she want him back?  Fear grabbed him as hope appeared before him like a ghost of the past.  No, this was not about him at all.  Could not possible be about him. 

It was all about her dysfunction. Lisa had this thing about wanting it all.  So, was that it?  Could she not be totally happy until she knew he was still in love with her?  Well, he was not about to be sacrificed at the altar of her vanity again. 

“But Michael…”

Sudden bitterness constricted his throat and forced him to swallow hard before he could answer.

“What?”

She reached over and put her hand on his arm.

“They love you Michael.  They always have and they always will. Some things are forever, like I said.” Her voice was a whisper.

Maybe he would just ignore what she had said.  Maybe his tears could be blinked away.  Maybe he could erase the sweet poison that had dripped into his brain and his heart.  This was such a horrible mistake! He should have just ran her over and let Lockwood deal with her. 

Thankfully, he pulled into his private parking garage at that moment. 

Moments later they stepped into his condo.  Lisa looked around.

“Well, good to see nothing seems to have changed here.”

No, nothing.  This was still his little hide-out.  It had been their hide-out for a while.  They used to escape the madness and spent days here; locked in, making love, watching movies, resting, talking…  On several occasions, he had taken off after violent fights to come here.  More often than not, Lisa had followed at some point.  Always knowing how his thoughts ran.  Always following her own radar which he almost never been able to escape.  She had her own set of keys, and many times he had woken up to her body next to him.  Yeah, this place had seen its share of make-up sex that turned from angry to passionate and loving. 

Actually, he had thought about having it redecorated several times in the last years, but never had gotten around to it.  Maybe that needed to go on his to-do lists while he was out of the country.  Maybe he could have the memories evicted and start over.  First he had to deal with Lisa, though.  Something he had not planned on. 

His eyes fell on the painting that had sent him out after her tonight.  She followed his gaze and walked over to it, touching it, lost in thought. There was something on her face that reminded him of an angel- there was a pensive glow, a peaceful serenity he had not seen before.  Who had she become in those past years? 

“Why, Lise?  Why this? Why now?”

Her fingers traced the sunflowers gently and the physical impact on his body was stunning.  The little hairs on his arm responded like the grass gently swayed by the summer breeze. 

“It drew me.  It spoke to me. The contrast of the night and your happy flowers.  Night and Day- existing in one.  It touched me.  It gave me hope.  There is always dark where there is light.  Shadow needs the sun, doesn’t it?”

His heart handed over a large chunk of itself to this new mature version of the woman who had owned him so thoroughly for such a long time.  Oh no, not again. 

Don’t fall for it, Mike.  She read it somewhere. 

Ignoring the caution alarm going off in his head, tinting everything with bright red warning lights, he stepped up behind her.

“What is the one word you would describe it with?” Inhaling, he marveled at her scent that reminded him of … home.

“Hope.” It was a whisper. 

“Hope of what?”  His hands could not resist and the brushed up her arms, coming to rest on her shoulders. 

Turning her head, she searched out his eyes directly. 

“Another day.”

His orientation system went nuts.  It was like all his sensors became demagnetized and he had no idea which way was up.  He meant to back away, but found himself leaning in further.  Her eyes were so clear.  There was a shimmering film decorating their blue depths and he saw a light he had not seen in a long time.  A glow projecting innocence and purity.  It was essential he break the spell.  The one thing he could not afford was to get lost in the azure depths.  He knew full-well they were the door to an alternate reality he might never want to escape again.  Dreams and hopes were nothing but phantoms.  False idols he once had revered but had come to abhor.  Better to be dead inside than to have hope.  Better to stay awake in the cold loneliness of night than to dream of the moon. 

But maybe, just maybe he could have one more taste of paradise.  Her mouth was right there, her lips so soft, so inviting.  Maybe if he kissed her, he would shut her up before she could illuminate his bleak canvas with the colors of dreams long rejected. 

Lisa slowly turned into him.  One hand left her shoulder and cupped the softness of her cheek.  She turned her face into his palm, her eyes closing for a moment. He saw her swallow.  There was such trust in her gesture.  No, she had no right to trust him.  She had no right to use tenderness against him like a sword dipped in poison. 

When her eyes opened the blue had taken on a darker color.  The pull was stronger and he surrendered.  Time stood still as his whole being aimed for her kiss.  The impact came and her lips felt cold and hot to him at the same time.  His universe  constricted and became centered on her.  This kiss was so different  from any of the ones they had shared in New York.  It was hesitant and gentle, giving and receiving, exploring and discovering.  Their eyes had closed and when he backed away slightly, they both re-established eye contact at the same time.  An internal fire consumed him as a deathly chill caused him to tremble at the same time. 

He thought there must have been a reason why kissing her was just about the worst idea possibly, but that logical part of his brain had been taken hostage by his limbic system as he became every emotion he had banned from his existence: He was the personification of pain, longing, hope, surrender, exaltation, and yes, love.  Oh God help him, if he discovered there was love left in him for this woman!

Closing his eyes against the horrible possibility, he did the only thing that made sense.  He kissed her again. This time, electric current short circuited all existing notions that were not related to extreme passion and lust.  His other hand came up to her face as well as if he needed to assure himself that she was indeed right here, and would not leave.  She melted into his touch, her body becoming both the frame holding him and the substance making him whole. 

His tongue could not restrict itself from tasting her and he gently explored the slope of her lips, the corners of her mouth, and finally, as she opened under him, the heat and breath of her passion.  How had he survived without her taste?  How was he able to breathe without her? 

It’s just one kiss.  That’s all.   Just one kiss that will last you. 

The kiss seemed to go on and on.  The world spun around him, but he was anchored to her, so he was safe.  Or was it all an illusion?   Was she the mast he was tied to and would the ship sink, pulling him to the deathly depths with her once again?

“Michael….” She sighed into him and her moan was his wake-up call. 

“Lisa…we can’t.”  He was still too close to her mouth.  His hand moved into her hair, running through the silken strands.

“Yes, we can.  You have to have hope.  We can have that new day.  Let me prove to you that we can. Trust me.  I won’t let you down.  Just please trust me.”

She kept placing kisses on him between her words, keeping him mesmerized, intoxicated.

Had she asked for any riches on this planet, he would have surrendered them in this perfect moment.  Had she requested any of his possessions, they would be laid at her feet.  But trust?  How was he supposed to accomplish that?  It was not even an issue of wanting her to have it.  It was impossible to grant something he did no longer understand.  Once the power to trust had been automatic and fee.  Now it seemed as impossible as breathing in space without oxygen. 

His body cried out to simply lie to her and to continue to bask in what she could offer: to forget for a little while that his heart was atrophied and changed.  Why not listen?  Why did he not deserve that little bit of heaven?  But was it really that?  She had lied before.  She had expected Lockwood.  She said she would marry him- so why do all this? What was her game?  Somehow, he needed to discover her rule book to be able to play.

“Trust you?  Why? Just because you say so?” His eyes narrowed in suspicion. 

“What do I have to do, so you believe me?” She reached up and covered his hand with hers.

If only he knew.  He slowly shook his head. 

“I know I hurt you.  But I am not afraid to make it up to you. You just gotta give me a chance.”

He backed up slightly. 

“So, what would you do to make it up to me?”

She leaned in and kissed him again, clouding his mind one more time, forcing his body to crave her even more than the second before.  God, she was not fighting fair.

“Anything,” she breathed.  “I’d do anything you asked me to.”

“So, if I asked you to leave everything for me, you’d do it?  If I asked you to come to Bahrain with me.  Would you?”

Lisa’s eyes widened.

Oh God! Where in the world had that question come from?  What in the universe was wrong with him?  Had he lost his mind? 

The words reverberated in his mind.  Time stood still.  He held his breath.  Oh,God, he was so screwed! For either way she answered, there was no way to win this gamble.  

(to be continued)

©2011 Erika B Michaels. All Rights Reserved. This story is a work of fiction. Any names, places, and other identifying features are used in a fictional manner, for entertainment purposes only, and are in no way representative of actual events. This work may not be reproduced, copied, transmitted, or stored without expressed written permission by Erika B Michaels. All photos and images, mentioned songs or song titles are copyright their creators. 

The Difference is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.