***DO NOT REUSE OR PRINT WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR*** Rated Mature: For readers over 18 only

Intro:

I started writing this story about a year ago, in the aftermath of Michael’s passing. When I was a young  girl I wrote stories too, but I don’t remember writing fanfiction. I wrote them in Dutch and then translated them in English because I had a pen pal in the USA. And it was all written by hand, or on an old fashioned typewriter. But as I grew older, boyfriends came along, and writing disappeared to the back of my mind, although the dream of ever writing a book never left my mind. And it is this dream that Michael is giving me back right now.

I’ve known Michael for a lifetime, so when he died, it seemed as if a part of my youth was taken away, as if a part of me was brutally cut off. I felt alone in my grief and I had no one to share it with. So I started to search the internet and I found not only a lot of great friends and Michael lovers but also all of these wonderful stories about Michael. Fanfiction? It’s so much more than that.

In these wonderful fantasies every fan finds a different piece of the wonderful package that Michael is, as seen from the POV of the writer. But what me struck the most, is that every writer sees in Michael the same caring and loving person, a part of him that the rest of the world never bothered to discover. But we did. We heard it in his music, we saw it in his moves, we felt it in his heart. Every story is a declaration of love!

Sometimes it feels as if Michael is looking over my shoulder, reading what I’m writing. Would he approve? I don’t know. But I’m very sure that he would certainly be happy with this outburst of creativity all over the world.

Most of my story is completely fictional of course, but I tried to spice it with some facts, taken from his own book “Moonwalk”, and all other “reliable” information. It’s how it could have been and not how it should have been, because there is still some drama present and I would’ve wished him nothing but happiness. Because that’s exactly what he brought us!!

It’s a story about love and friendship, about all human emotions possible. I’m a hot blooded woman, so yes, there are quite some adult chapters. Be prepared.

I write this for you, for myself and for Michael.

LOVE

Ingrid

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It was February 1980 and Michael Jackson and his brothers were on their way to Germany, Europe, in their comfortable private jet. They were booked for a live TV show in Munich. Although Michael hated flying, there was no way he could escape it this time…. He was a good swimmer but swimming the ocean was not an option. Crossing by boat was not such a good idea either as they had to travel fast. So he would cope with his anxiety and put his life into the hands of the experienced crew.

As he looked out of the window, he saw the stars shine very brightly tonight, and because they flew over the ocean, down there below was nothing but darkness. But he didn’t mind not seeing anything; he was glad to sit back and just do nothing for a while (if he could get his mind of this plane ride that is).

The cabin itself of course was filled with Jacksons, but for once they were all very quiet. They all tried to catch some much needed sleep. Their life nowadays was really really busy and crammed with appointments. Between gigs all over the place, they were still quite busy creating new stuff. Michael, for instance, had just released his latest album “Off the wall” during the previous summer. He was very pleased with it and had enjoyed working with Quincy Jones very much. He learned so much of him, not alone musically.

Michael only just realized that there were indeed people out there who liked him for who he was, who didn’t make fun of him because of his complexion or his big nose, who listened to him when he spoke his mind, who treated him as an adult and maybe, very maybe, as a friend. The people he worked with on this album, saw his genius and tried to get the most out of it, just as he himself tried every day. He trusted them and was looking forward to working with them on his next project.

The saying is true : it’s lonely at the top. But this last cooperation made him a bit less lonely.

1979 had been a though year and he reflected on it with mixed emotions, not sure if he was happy with all the experiences he went through. “Off the wall” was a big hit, but not as big as he wanted it to be. Yes, he did get some awards although not the ones he wished for or as much as he wished for. This made him kind of sad because he was a perfectionist and lived up to his own big expectations. He did not want to be second best !

He did something else of which he was proud of in one way, but sad in another. He fired his own father as his manager. Although he loved his father very much, he didn’t feel comfortable around him. They had nothing in common and Michael didn’t trust him completely, as he should. He struggled a lot with the feelings he had towards his father, until last year, after he turned 21, he finally got his nerves together and did not renew the contract.

And he had surgery on his nose, twice… First because he broke it during a dance routine, bad enough… But then afterwards he had a lot of trouble breathing, so he went through the whole procedure once again. He had to ! He had no time for difficulties so he took care of any obstruction when needed. He was aiming for the big success and would not let anything or anyone come in his way. This was his dream, the reason why he was put on this earth !

Yet, as he took his little nap in the airplane, he dreamed not only of success. He imagined he would finally meet the love of his life, standing there and waiting for him to come of the stage. He had not met this girl yet but he was quite anxious to getting to know her. He was desperate to fall in love and stay with that person for the rest of his life. He had some girlfriends and they were really nice, but they were also showbiz people and pursued their own careers. Was it selfish to want a woman just for himself ? Someone he did not need to share with the media or fans of her own. Just for him to love and cherish and who would love him right back. He knew he was hopelessly romantic, but that’s how he wanted it to be : pure and simple loving. Unfortunately he had no time for romance right now but he still dreamed of this brown eyed angel walking with him at the shore and them together jumping around, trying to avoid getting wet by the tumbling waves. Aaah, strolling with his baby at the seaside, nothing else on their minds except …

“BAF”

Immediately Michael startled out of his daydream and sat right up. What was that ? Everyone jumped up from their chairs, abruptly awakened. They looked at each other with horror in their eyes.

And then there it was again.

“BAF”… and then a terrible scratching !

What was happening ? This noise was dreadful ! They felt the airplane shaking and trembling. The movement violently took over to their bodies and Michael’s teeth were chattering. He tried to regain his breath, desperately focusing on keeping in touch with his sanity. He saw his companions move and gesture to him not to worry but even though they yelled at him he didn’t hear the words. This was the most unpleasant feeling he had ever experienced. There was only one thought that crossed his mind clear enough to understand. Were they going down ?

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Before anyone could get into a real panic attack, the steward came in holding on to the baggage compartments. He made his way over to Michael’s seat and put his hand on his shoulder. Having travelled with the Jackson family before, he knew of Michael’s discomfort and it was prior to him to keep them all relaxed and focused. The man didn’t seem to be worried at all and some of his calmness floated from his hand to Michael’s being. With a loud and steady voice, in order to reach them all, he asked them to put on their safety belts and stay calm. But what was going on then ?

“Please do not panic. We can manage it. We have a slight technical problem and will take it the closest airport. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

“But we’re flying over the ocean” Michael said with a small voice.

The steward looked at the young man, who was clearly trying to keep his composure and gave him all of his attention.

“I can assure you, Mister Jackson, that we are going to reach the shore in time. There is a small airport in Oostende, Belgium, just by the seaside, so we will land there. Please fasten your seat belt.”

They all leaned back in their chairs, hoping he told the truth. Time had never lingered on like this. None of them dared to talk, they just listened to the terrible noise that was repeated every few seconds. They only communicated with their eyes, trying to get strength out of it. Afraid that the slightest move would turn over the plane, they sat completely still and held back their breath.

Never before they felt so relieved touching solid ground as that night in Oostende. A mutual sigh sounded through the cabin and their shaky hand applauded to the captain and his crew. Michael hurried out of the plane and threw up the moment he felt the tarmac safely under his feet. He just couldn’t help himself. God, he felt so embarrassed, even before his brothers. This time no one laughed at him, because they all felt the same. To their opinion they had faced death and escaped it.

They wanted to get out of the cold as quick as possible and ran to the airport building to find some shelter. The warmth of the place soothed their shocked senses and Michael immediately started to check out the place, in order to get his mind of the dreadful event they just experienced. At least no one recognized him and he could easily wander around. The airport was small but inviting and he found a nice little coffee bar, which was open 24/24. He bought hot drinks and donuts for all of them, while waiting for news about the plane.

“Well, I am mighty glad to just sip my coffee in a small airport, in the middle of nowhere…”

“Hush Tito, this isn’t the middle of nowhere. Oostende is called “the Queen of Seaside resorts.”

“You’re kidding me ? Did you hear about this place before ?”

“Haha ! No, I read it in this flyer.” Michael smiled and waved with a little brochure, he found near the coffee bar. Then he got serious again :

“Anyway, we must be thankful. We could have died out there. We were really lucky to be this close to land. I dare not think…”

The voice of the captain interrupted his sentence.

“Mister Jackson… Can I have your attention please ? I have some bad news. I’m sorry to tell you but we cannot leave tonight. I’m really annoyed with all this. The technician already checked the plane and we need some spare parts that are unavailable at the moment. They must be flown over. The reparation itself will take some time too. I don’t know how long it is going to take to get the plane back to flying. Again, I am very sorry. There is nothing more we can do about it.”

“This is really annoying. We don’t have time for this!” Michael let his frustration come out and hit the table in front of him with the little brochure of Oostende. “Can’t we hire a tour bus of some kind ?”

Tito shook his head and formed the words they were all thinking, except for Michael.

“I vote for staying here a couple of days. We all need to rest a little, especially you, Michael!”

The others agreed to Tito so Michael had no say in this anymore. If looks could kill, his brothers would all be dead, but they just laughed his anger away.

“Relax man, and enjoy this unexpected holiday. That’s what we are gonna do!” Tito said. Jackie backed him up by encouraging Michael to give in to this unexpected vacation. “C’mon Mike, loosen up a bit. Enjoy this little break.”

After they decided to stay in the country for the time being, the helpful steward went out to the information desk and arranged some hotel rooms in a city not too far away. Unfortunately Oostende itself was already packed with guests because of a big event going on that week. The next choice was Nieuwpoort, another residential coastal town, not far away from the airport.

However he was not pleased to staying in Nieuwpoort for the next days, Michael still thanked the lord for getting them save on the ground. Maybe this all happened for a reason ? He didn’t know and he didn’t care either. Their gig was not until the end of the week, but he wanted some more time to rehearse and get acquainted to the studio. Well, maybe this week of enforced rest would give him back his flexibility. He lost some of it over the past few weeks and realized that only just now. He was exhausted ! Actually this vacation came right on time to avoid him from going down, but of course that he would never ever admit. Michael Jackson knew that the show must go on !

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He slept deeply all through the night (another rarity for him) and woke up feeling like a new man. Indeed he looked like new too : a young handsome man, in the prime of his life. His dark skin had that little glow that attracted women around the globe, wanting to touch it, yearning to caress it. His dark eyes regained the cute little sparkle he lost during the past weeks. His hair curled around his head like a black crown and when the sun fell upon it, it seems like he was covered with diamonds. He dressed in a fresh pair of jeans, a soft white shirt and a light blue sweater. He looked great indeed!

As he went downstairs to the restaurant, he noticed some of the chambermaids looking at him in adoration. Even after all these years in the spotlight, he still was amazed at how much he could influence the minds of women. He giggled inside. He was only making his way down the staircase (showing off just a little bit) and still they looked at him as if he was a sex symbol. He preferred being adored this way, no screaming, no shouting, just that look in their eyes and the way they held their breath… He supposed they didn’t even realize who he was.

He joined his brothers for breakfast in the hotel restaurant. It was a relief that they could sit by this large window, not having to hide themselves from the public. It seemed that by this time of year the Belgian schools were closed for a midseason holiday, so the place was rather packed with young people and of course they knew the Jacksons all to well ! But they didn’t expect to see them here and thus didn’t recognize them. Michael was really glad for this because this meant he could go out and do some exploring all by himself. Maybe he could even find someone to talk to. He loved making new friends and in this quiet little country, he could get lucky.

“I’m going out !” he said to his brothers. “Anyone care to join me ?”

“Not right now, bro’. I want to enjoy this breakfast forever. I really like these croissants. Yummy…” Randy said.

“And let’s not talk about the hot chocolate !” Jackie replied. “I want more of it. And you should eat more too, Michael. You’re skinny enough as it is. Afraid to gain weight and not fit in your jumpsuits anymore?” He winked at them all. They already stopped wearing them for some time now, but they still loved to joke about it. Oh, those seventies jumpsuits, showing every muscle…  Michael winced at the thought of it. Was he glad to get rid of them…

“You’re the funniest, Jackie ! I just want to go for a good walk. I’ll take some of those donuts with me, okay ? By the way, did any of you call Mother ?”

“Yeah yeah… I did.” Tito said. “Told her not to worry and that we were all fine. She sends hugs and kisses to all of you.”

“Okay then. Well, I’ll see you all later at lunch ?” and with that said, Michael headed for the exit. His brothers just nodded, their mouths full of delicious food. They looked like they had discovered heaven !!

Michael left the hotel, wearing a warm duffel coat to protect him from the icy wind. Brr, this country was cold! The sun was shining brightly but at the seaside this meant nothing at all. A cold wind came from across the North Sea and almost blew him away as he turned the corner of the street, heading for the promenade. From there he had a good overview on the see and the beach. It was beautiful ! This he hadn’t expected !

He was surprised to see so many people out there, simply enjoying themselves. He saw older people strolling arm in arm, younger people fooling around. He saw parents with little children, playing with kites, laughing and giggling.

How he envied these children. This is what he never had! Playing, just fooling around, no responsibilities ! Flying kites or any other game could bring his mind to rest, but he would prefer to have some company. He loved his job but a time like this forced him to hold back a little and reflect on what he was doing. And it made him feel lonely. As a child he did not have the chance to make a lot of friends and he knew nothing but work. Even now, when he had the choice, he was still pretty much doing the same. He couldn’t let go even if he wanted to. He couldn’t help himself. He enjoyed it too much, so actually he should not complain. He had the best job in the world. He loved performing and make people happy.

Also, he had this goal to stupefy everyone with the greatest album of all times. “Off the wall” was great but not great enough. He wanted more.

He left the promenade and went down to the beach, taking a path between the dunes. As he heard the seagulls cry, and the waves rushing to shore, he hummed along with them. Nice beat but too slow…..He started to walk away from the palisade on his right and headed for a more abandoned piece of the beach. Already he was thinking about another song again and he didn’t pay attention to where he was walking.

A sudden blast of wind blew up the sand and blinded him for just one minute.

“Ahw!” he yelled as the sand scratched his eyes.

The next moment his body came into contact with another body and he bumped his head severely with someone else’s.

The other head screamed something he did not understand and in an instant, he saw a bundle of different colors go down to the ground. Ouch, he knocked down somebody ! He didn’t mean that to happen!

“I’m sorry ! I’m sorry !” He called out. “I didn’t see you. I was blinded by the sand.” He bend over and reached out for the other person who sat on his knees in the sand. The moment Michael touched him, the person stumbled to his feet.

“Okay, ik ben okay. Maar mijn knieën zijn nu wel nat.”a soft voice replied.

“Excuse me ? I don’t understand you.” Michael replied.

The person looked him straight in the eyes and he was taken aback for a minute. Wow, this was clearly no man, but a beautiful girl. A pretty young thing indeed ! And she did something to his heart ! He swallowed. Thoughts came tumbling in ! He wanted to take her in his arms right away…. “No Michael!” he said to himself. “You don’t need this at the moment.”

He took a second look at her. She wore tight jeans and a bright pink jacket. He saw that she had brown hair, peeking from under a bonnet, knitted in every color of the rainbow. A long scarf matched the bonnet. But what struck him the most about her appearance were the yellow moonboots. He loved them ! Moonboots made him go TILT !

“Oh, hello !” she said. “I can speak a little English.”

He laughed as she spoke loud this time, as if he was hard of hearing.

“Are you okay ?” he asked.

“Sure, just a little wet. I fell on my knees.”

He looked down at her wet knees and then further down to the moonboots. Yeeh!

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you. I had sand in my eyes.”

“Beter dan prut.” she said.

“I beg your pardon ?”

“Oh sorry, nothing important. I keep forgetting that you don’t understand me.”

“What language do you speak ? It is not French, is it?”

“No it isn’t, although I know how to speak French. Would you prefer to speak French?”

The first thought that crossed his mind was that he could kiss ‘in’ French…But of course he didn’t say that out loud, shy as he was. He would like to flirt with her though.

“No, I don’t speak French. But your English is excellent.”

“Thank you. Yours sounds American English.”

“Well it is. I’m from Indiana, United States of America. But tell me about your language.”

“I speak Flemish. It’s like Dutch but with another twist. You can compare the differences just as English or American English. We speak the same language but in a different way.”

“And how come you speak French as well ? Did you learn this at school?”

“Yeah, it’s a must do, here in Belgium. We learn French and German at school because our country knows 3 languages.”

“Wow ,and for such a small country. It is small, isn’t it ? I saw it on the map, next to Germany.”

“Yeah, it is. But we Belgians are the bravest of the Galliers.”

“Uuh ?” This was one strange girl, he thought, strange but entertaining. And swift ! He already knew he had to think quick, being around her.

“That’s what Julius Caesar said about us.” She giggled and he giggled with her.

“I would like to offer you a cup of tea or something like that, but I have no money on me. I’d like to make up for the wet knees.”

“Voor jou, val ik elke dag op mijn knieën…” she replied again in Flemish.

He looked at her and knew for sure that she was teasing him, although he didn’t understand one thing she said. He was used to being played pranks on by his brothers, but this was quite something else. He was sure that by now she thought he was an alien or something like that, because he simply could not stop staring at her. Flirting was not necessarily his second nature but with this girl, he wanted to give it a try !! It was all the fault of these moonboots !

“Oh, don’t mind the knees. They’ll dry up. Maybe we can walk to the next town, just along the seaside. It’s not too far and there are some nice cafés.” She peeped at him from under her eyelashes. “You look like a hot chocolate.”

“I beg your pardon ?”

“I mean, you look like you are in need of a hot chocolate.”

He was sure this wasn’t what she said at first, but nevertheless he liked it very much. He wasn’t used to people talking to him like that. He was very certain she didn’t know who he was.

“Do you know me ?” he asked

“How should I ? I just met you and you never told me your name. You do look kind of familiar to me, but it doesn’t come to my mind, just now.”

He held out his hand so she could shake it.

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Michael Jackson. And you are ?”

“Michael Jackson…from the Jacksons ? Potverdepimpompet !”

“And you are Mary Poppins ?” He laughed.”You sure sound like her.”

“I really didn’t recognize you at first. You look a lot different with a duffel coat on.”

“Yeah, I thought it would be a little cold for my tuxedo…” They both chuckled. Heehee…He always laughed at his own jokes but this time it seemed that he had found someone who would laugh along with him.

After they were done laughing, he realized that he was still holding her hand but she didn’t tell him her name yet.

“As you are going to buy me a hot chocolate, I want to know with whom I’m gonna share it.” He looked in her beautiful dark eyes and knew for sure he didn’t want to let go off her hand ever.

“Oh I’m sorry. You can call me Honey.”

“You can call me Winnieh instead of Michael.” His eyes twinkled.

“Are you making fun of me ?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t dare.” He loved this flirting thing. Didn’t know he had it in him. So much fun!!

“How come that I don’t believe you ?”

“It’s just strange that you have a name like this. I would’ve expected something completely different.”

“Like ?”

“I don’t know. You look like a Veronica to me.”

“You can’t tell somebody’s name, just by their looks ! That’s ridiculous !” She laughed.

“Some people can. Some people can even describe your character by your photograph.”

“I do not believe in these things. I am a very sensible woman.”

He leered at the moonboots

“Now, this is something I will never ever believe.” he said “You’re romantic to the bone ! You love to play and make fun but I think you can also be a good listener and serious when this is needed.”

“You should be a psychiatrist instead of a singer !”

“And they should call you Wendy, then I can be Peter Pan, and we can fly. Up, up and away…”

He ran in circles around her, just as if he were an airplane, his arms open wide.

“Come on Honey, let’s take a walk.”

As he said that, he suddenly remembered his dream. He re-lived it in real life ! This was so amazing ! Could it be true ?

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They strolled along the coast line and talked as if they had known each other for years and years. Strangely enough, no topics were left unspoken with her, which was a rarity for him. He was shy and introvert and didn’t feel like sharing all of his deepest secrets with anyone else. But with her he immediately felt at ease. He felt really comfortable being around her, which was very unusual for him. Maybe they’ve met each other in another lifetime! It was definitely worth thinking about !

What struck him even more was that she now knew who he was, but she still didn’t treat him any differently. He experienced that most of the time, people acted strange around him because of his fame. And even worse, they always wanted something of him. He was a giver but just until a certain extend! Sometimes he felt like he was stretched like a rubber band and that occurred to him as extremely uncomfortable. But there was nothing of that with her right now. He already knew, he would give her anything !

He looked at her in awe. She was funny, witty, easy to talk to, and very beautiful. In fact he had never met anyone as gorgeous as she was. She had the most amazing eyes he had ever seen. Big brown chocolate pools, with golden sparkles in it, surrounded by long dark eyelashes. Oh, he would love those eyelashes to caress his cheeks. He always thought this was a beautiful way to express tenderness and care. Was he already falling for her ?

“So, is your family with you ?” she asked.

“Yeah, but they didn’t want to go out just yet. They are a lazy bunch.” He laughed because he didn’t mean that. His brothers were all hard working showbiz men. But he knew he worked just a little bit harder. Or maybe this was the wrong way to put it, he was just a tiny bit more persistent. And he set himself some big goals to attain !

“Oh, I see. You think you’re something, hey.” She winked at him and he felt his legs sweep from under him. For real !

“Aow!” He stepped right into a hole in the beach. He should be more careful before he broke his legs over this girl. She laughed out loud as he fell down because she knew he wasn’t hurt, at least not in a physical way. Maybe his pride was a little hurt because she sure didn’t put him on a pedestal. It was kind of refreshing though.

Here he was, almost 22 years old and he just met his soul mate. How was he going to handle this? She was just a normal girl, living a normal life in a far away country and he was pursuing this crazy dream of making the biggest selling record ever. How could he ever combine this ? Hey, was he already going down that road ? Maybe she didn’t even like him like that…

She snapped her fingers and woke him up from his daydream.

“Hey, are you going to take a sunbath?! You’ll catch an pneumonia first. Get up you…”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I was just thinking about something. You know me, always thinking about my music.”

“Well, I don’t know you so maybe you can tell me about it. I want to know.”

“I have this project on my mind…”

She interrupted him : “I want to know about you. I already know your music, at least some of it.”

“Wow girl, do you always get what you want ?”

“Yeah, pretty much.” She winked at him “So, how old are you ? Do you have a girlfriend or a wife ? Do you have a good life insurance ?”

He giggled at these last words. “You are something ! Do you want me to tell you my life story? That’s gonna take some time.”

“Ha, you’re not that old. Maybe a little older than me, but then I can learn a lot of you.”

There she was, teasing him again. He almost sighed out loud, in delight. But he held back, not sure if she would take it the right way. Gosh, he was head over heels falling in love.

He forced himself to clear his mind and tried to look around instead of staring at her.

“This is one strange coastline. The waves are really low and calm.”

“Yeah, we Belgians like to take it easy. We all love the seaside because it’s easy living here.”

“This I believe for sure. No difference in the States !”

He then saw a path nearby. “Is this the path to the town you were talking about ? I’m dying for some hot coco.”

They climbed the path, and Honey took the lead, because she knew the way. So again he had to look at them moonboots, but he also admired her long legs and…

“Mister Jackson, are you an old man ? You’re getting behind !” she yelled at him when he didn’t immediately follow him.

He felt caught in the act and shook his head to get rid of this enchantment.

They settled in a nice cozy café with comfortable chairs and ordered two cups of hot chocolate, with a topping of whipped cream and chocolate flakes. They laughed because at the same time they both had a cream mustache! Pure delight it was! She licked away the cream and he almost fell out of his chair. This was so going the wrong way ! How would he ever survive this day ?

Michael was glad that the lights were a bit shady so no one could recognize him. But then again, why not. He was so proud to be with this amazing girl.

“Well, I am 21 years old, with not yet a place of my own. I’m single too. No strings attached. That’s what you wanted to know?” He would love to wink at her, but he did not even try, as he knew he could not do it.

“It’s nice to know the facts, but I want to know the man behind these facts. How did you tumble into this music business ?”

“ Well, I didn’t exactly tumble in. There has always been music around the house, as my father had his own band. So it runs in the family.”

“Wow, that’s easy then.”

“No, it’s not !” He almost shouted. “Oh, I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to shout at you. It’s just…People tend to see only one side of showbiz. They see the making money, they see the happy faces in the limelight. What they don’t see is the hard work and the struggle we had to undertake just to get where we are now.” He stopped talking and the next words were only formed in his mind : “And there is so much more I would like to share with you, but this is not yet the time.”

“Okay, enough about me.” He said out loud. “Let’s talk about Honey.”

“There is really not much to say about me. I’m not that interesting. Just a plain girl, from a average family.”

“Ah, that’s up to me to decide. Tell…”

“My family runs an amusement park so I know everything about merry-go-rounds, splash slides, fairytales. I’m quite an expert on that.”

“Oh wow !” This could not be a coincidence ! He adored amusement

“ But it all started with the bees.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Well, bees and honey. My grandfather started to sell honey in the beginning of this century. Just little by little his honey became very famous. They developed the business from a small shop to a shop with a playground, and now it’s an amusement park with a shop. We also have all these wonderful fairy tales displayed and that’s what I love the most. I’m not into all those wild attractions. They scare me a bit.”

Okay, this was something they didn’t have in common but maybe he could learn her to love it. He would make her feel protected. Focus, Michael ! Focus !

“Wow, so you’re into the amusement business ?”

“No, not just yet. For now, I’m still in school. But I’m not gonna work for the park. I want to be an interior decorator.”

“Still at school ? How old are you then ?”

“I’m sixteen.”

“Ouch” Michael thought by himself. “Much too young for me at the moment. I’ll have to be patient.” He already knew that this was going to be very difficult. She was so adorably cute. He could not take his eyes of her. Luckily talking to her was the best excuse ever. But still she was much too young for him. He would never ever start something romantic with such a young girl. Not with his life style. All the travelling, the paparazzi, the fans, that would kill such a relationship, before it begun. Even if she looked older (and she did) and he knew he looked younger… He shook his head. This was definitely the worst timing of his life.

“I know what you’re thinking.” she said.

He lifted his eyebrows to this statement. “You do ?”

“Yes, you’re thinking that I am too young for you. But I’m an old soul, so try me.” He was stunned and she laughed at him. “I mean, try talking to me. You can be relieved. I won’t jump you.”

“You really are very mature.”

“I know.” She nodded and he thought she was really cute, acting all grown up. “It’s because I’m the oldest. I have one younger brother.”

“Oooh… now I understand.” He laughed a bit.

She looked at him from under her eyelashes, not sure if he was making fun of her. Nah, he wouldn’t.

“Do you live nearby ?”Michael asked. He had to admit it : he was curious about her. He wanted to know everything!

“No, we’re here on vacation. We live nearby Antwerp.”

“Antwerp, diamond city.”

“Yeah maybe, but I don’t like diamonds. They are cold to the skin.”

“How do you know such things ? Do sixteen year old girls in Belgium wear diamonds all the time ?”

She giggled “No, I tried my mother’s. Don’t like it at all.”

“So, what do you like instead ? Rubies, emeralds ?”

“Well no. Nothing like that. I prefer animals.”

“Around your neck ? Dead animals ?” Michael acted as if he was disgusted, but he already knew that this was not what she meant.

“Oh, oh ! Of course not ! If they are alive, I will carry them in my arms perhaps, but ough, no dead animals around my neck. I like cats a lot. You can put them around your neck and then they’ll purr.“

“That’s a coincidence. I like cats too. But I never thought of it that way. I like a lot of animals. I have a snake, called Muscles.”

“Because you have a lot of muscles too ?” She examined his arms and his chest with her sparkling eyes and made Michael blush. Oh, was he lucky to have a dark skin, so maybe she wouldn’t notice it.

But of course she did. She saw everything. It was almost scary.

She laughed “I told you, I am old for my age.”

“Don’t go there, girl. It would hurt me too much. And it would hurt you too.”

She pouted but then laughed : “I’ll get you for this. I’ll tickle you to death !!” And before he could even think of any reaction, she started tickling him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was official. They were really good friends now. And she found out he was very ticklish, which was very important information to her. Tickling Michael Jackson must have been the best she had ever done in her short life. Hearing him laugh, with that high pitched but sexy voice, sent the shivers down her spine. He was so funny ! She couldn’t stop laughing herself and Michael had a blast !

The people around them started to stare, shaking their head, because they had so much fun and maybe made a “little” too much noise. Michael rolled his eyes at her and took her hand.

“Let’s get out of here.” Michael said. ”I don’t like people staring at me. I’m beginning to feel like a fairground attraction.”

“I’m sure they don’t recognize you. They won’t bother you at all.”

“Oooh ! Thank you ?!” He didn’t know whether to be glad or to be insulted. It was not always easy to be a celebrity but there was one thing he was very proud of and that was his work. Thinking about anyone not knowing of his creations, made him feel slightly indignant ! And she.. well, she wasn’t impressed at all by his fame.

“Oh gosh, I said the wrong words again…I will never learn it.” she said when she noticed the shocked look on his face. But then she laughed because she knew she had him right there, where she wanted him to be. In a way she had sensed that he desperately was in need of sobering up, even if he didn’t realize it himself. He was just a boy to her, a handsome, lovable guy, and he happened to be Michael Jackson. That was the right order, not the other way around !

He felt that she was challenging him to come out of his shell. She wanted him to fool around, to play. And he wouldn’t be him, if he would let this opportunity slip away. He was lost and ready to admit it.

“You are one dangerous girl !”

“Maybe you can write a song about a dangerous girl. Are you scared yet ?” She shoved her fingers into his sides once again and ran away, daring him to catch her.

“Ah, wait till I get to you !” he yelled.

They ran to the beach, chasing each other, laughing and teasing. And forgot all about the time…It was already running late, but they didn’t feel like returning to Nieuwpoort anyway. And they didn’t care ! They had the time of their life !

Honey thought by herself that he was really interesting. Cute and interesting. And it was so easy to tease him. Every time she said something he didn’t quite expect, he looked at her as if he saw an alien. She realized he wasn’t used to chitchatting and fooling around with other people than showbiz colleagues. She would gladly teach him how to behave in her little world. He was a challenge to her too. Not wise of her but this was oh so tempting. There were lots of boys who wanted her attention. She really just had to pick one out. But she didn’t. Not just yet. But then here was Michael. And he thought she was too young. Maybe, if she got the chance, she could change his mind….

“Michael look ! There’s a bunch of people coming over here. Maybe these are the fans you brought along to cheer just in case I should forget you were famous ?”

He hiccupped from laughing and didn’t really pay any attention, until the people approaching them, were very close.

“Oh Oh ! I think someone’s looking for me…”

Ahw, there were his brothers and they didn’t look very happy with him. They would let him have it, of that he was sure !

“Michael” they shouted “lost the time, bro’? We were very worried. It’s already long past lunch time. We thought you were swallowed by a big whale, but now we see it’s just a little clown fish.” They patted him on the shoulder, glad to see him. Tito grasped Michael’s neck and made the gesture of a lioness teaching her cub how to obey.

“Really Michael, you should have come back much earlier. We are in a foreign country and have to stick together. What would we tell mother if something happened to you ?”

Now Michael really was embarrassed to hear all those comments in front of Honey. Why did they have to do that to him ? Most of the time he told them what to do. Well, professionally that was. He glared at his brothers but didn’t know how to react properly.

“I’m…” he started.

“I made him forget the time.” Honey suddenly defended him. “I borrowed him just for the day. Were you afraid to lose your lead singer ? The golden child ?”

“Ouch…” Michael thought by himself. She lets them have it right away.

His brothers literally took a step back. He couldn’t believe what he saw and started to laugh. Sweet sweet Honey !

“Isn’t she something ?”he thought “A little bitty tiny girl, speaking her mind to 4 strange men. She has a lot of courage.”

“There you go,” he laughed “It’s all her fault.” Of course, he didn’t mean that, really. He looked at her once again, not believing that this angel was at his side.

He had to deal with this situation. He was lost ! He just did not know where this would take him and it scared the hell out of him. Normally, he had everything under control. But regarding emotions, he was a virgin.

“So Mike, are you coming with us ?”

Okay, it was getting started. Nowhere to go, but straight to his heart and that was something he wasn’t ready for. Ouch !

“I’ll come alright. But Honey, you come too, won’t you. You don’t have to walk home alone.”

His brothers looked at each other, hearing him say “honey” as they thought it was a pet name. How could he be so fast to get a girlfriend, only in one day ? Man, he had something special going on with the ladies !

“And your name, my dear ?” Randy asked.

“Honey, plain and simple just as the bees like it.” She acted as she was the sweetest thing. And acting she could !

Michael laughed out loud : “I must warn you guys, she’s more the bee than the honey ! She stings a little now and then.” Honey tried to hit him with her bonnet but he was very quick to get away, still laughing. He loved this fooling around, especially with her.

“Okay, now we get it. Will you come along too ? It’s way past lunch time and we are very hungry!”

“How can this be ?” Michael said astonished  “You’ve all been eating like lions, this morning.”

“Maybe you can last just on love, but we can’t. We’re getting right back and have a big lunch. Besides you didn’t eat any breakfast. You got to keep the energy flowing, man!“ Tito looked at Honey and thought by himself : “He’s gonna need it!”

They walked along the shore, chitchatting and getting to know Honey better. It must be said that they were all under her spell. She told them all she knew about the Belgian seaside and all about the bees and the amusement park, and they hung on her lips. Michael absorbed every word she said and registered every move she made. He just couldn’t get enough of her.

And the brothers looked at him and knew that he was lost for ever.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As they arrived in Nieuwpoort, Honey hurried home to warn her parents that she wanted to stay out some time longer. She didn’t want them to worry about her and as she was only 16 years old, she couldn’t do just what she wanted of course. She assured them that her new friend would surely get her home in time and that she would not walk the streets alone at night. Aren’t all parents worried like that ?

Actually she hadn’t asked Michael yet if he could walk her home, but she hoped he would.

Should she put on some fresh clothes ? Something to impress him with ? Naa, she didn’t want to lose any time ! She just wanted to be with him as long as possible.

In the meantime, the brothers were fiercely teasing Michael.

“Well, we leave you alone for just a minute and here you are, with already another girl at your feet. You’re a hell of a ladykiller.” Randy said.

“It’s nothing like that. She’s really sweet. Just leave it.”

“Hoho, our little brother is getting touchy over this. You cannot take her with you, you know. Get a teddy bear instead.”

“Guys, you leave me alone. Don’t wanna joke right now.”

“Yo Michael, it’s really serious then ?” Marlon asked.

“Don’t know. It might be.” As always when it came to his emotions, Michael drew up the wall around him, so nobody could touch him anymore. Or maybe, he was just like any other guy. Sensitive, but not wanting to share.

Honey arrived back at the hotel and joined Michael and his brothers for lunch. Actually they were all really nice, she thought, but Michael just stood out. He was not only handsome, but gentle and sweet too. Not anything like the other guys she knew. She wondered how long they would stay ?

“We have to stay here, just until the plane is fixed. We don’t know if it will be 2 or maybe 3 days.”

Tito said to Michael. “We had a phone call this afternoon, while you were away. The pieces are already shipped to Oostende, so it won’t take too long.”

That did answer her question.

Also they told her about the “almost” plane crash and as men always do, they made it sound much more severe than it really was. “We almost died” or “I saved them” and even “I went in the cockpit to help the captain” those were the things she heard.

Michael rolled his eyes at his brothers stories. “This is boys’ talk and I don’t think Honey will be interested. We’re leaving.”

He took Honey by the hand and almost dragged her out of the hotel.

“Sorry, “ he said “don’t want to share you with my brothers.”

“Jealous hey ?”

“What if I said ‘yes’?”

“I would be flattered, I think.”

“You think ?! Are you not sure ?” Was she teasing him again ?

She pinched his arm just a little bit “I definitely would be flattered.”

“So what shall we do this afternoon ? You have to be home by ??”

“Dinner time, for sure. Would you walk me home, later on ?”

“Always…”

“Where would you like to go ? I think it’s really getting cold outside, so we better go inside. I know off a place where we can go to. I think you will like it.”

“Ok, for once you’re the leader. I’ll follow you wherever you go.”

“Ah, it’s just because you don’t know your way around here!”

“Did I not find you this morning ? But then again, finding is not the right word. Discovering should be better.”

“Was that a compliment ? And why do I feel like a strange animal, never encountered before ?”

“Oh no, not strange. You look like a little kitten, all cuddly and playful.”

“Excuse me ? What are you then ? The panther ?”

He growled at her.

“Come on Bagheera, it’s just around the corner.”

The place she led him to, looked like a large greenhouse and inside it was very warm. They peeled off their coats and she led him in. He was glad she kept her moonboots on tho’.

As soon as they entered the green house, Michael gasped in awe. Everywhere he looked there were butterflies ! Big ones, small ones, yellow, white, green ! He had never seen this before in his life ! This was so beautiful.

“Come,” she took him by the hand “we can sit here and talk. If you sit very still, they land upon you.”

Michael didn’t know where to look first. The butterflies flew around their heads, from plant to plant, never resting. It seemed as if their tiny wings hurried him to take control of the situation, to take her in his arms and do something about it. But Michael wouldn’t be Michael if he would have done that. He just couldn’t stop staring, very moved by this stunning sight of Honey all surrounded by those lovely butterflies.

“Hey look, Michael, one’s landing on you knee. Shht, sit very still.”

This girl had too much power over him. How could this have happened ? He made a sudden gesture, trying to break the spell and the butterfly left his knee. He shook his head, as if he wanted to wake himself.

“Gee, this is a very nice place. I didn’t know such things existed.”

“I love it too. I come here every vacation. Now sit really still. There’s another one.”

A big blue butterfly took its place on Michael right arm. And another one, and another one.

“Michael, you’re like a candy ! They really like you.”

“Ha, maybe it’s me who is the honey here. Would you like to taste my candy ?”Oh gosh, did he really say that ? That was so not his style ! He held back his breath in disbelief.

“Okay, you’re learning fast ! I am contagious, am I not ? Now you’ll become a bee also.”

“Better not talk about the sting..”Michael said to himself.

In order to pull himself away from this dangerous game, he laughed sheepish and rolled his eyes.

Still the butterflies kept coming to him.

“It must be something in your aftershave.”

“Or the washing product…” That was so un-cool, but much more safer. He felt the tension leave his body and sighed.  He just wanted to talk to her, nothing more, nothing less.

Yeah Mike, pull the other one!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He didn’t know how in heaven’s name he managed to keep talking to her as if nothing was going on. The butterflies were not only on his arms, but also in his stomach. He felt them flutter and tickle his every nerve ! Only looking at her made him dizzy. He made a mental note to himself to remember to write a song about this exquisite feeling she gave him. She seemed so genuine, so honest, so pure, just like he imagined his soul mate would be. Life could not become better than at this very moment!

Honey herself was still a little astonished that a guy like him would take interest in a girl like herself. What had she accomplished so far ? Nothing, compared to his experiences… He was the famous one, spending his precious time with an average Flemish girl. She was sure he just passed his time with her, waiting for his plane to get ready. What other reason could he possibly have ?

They stayed in this beautiful quiet surrounding for more than two hours, talking about everything that came to their mind, sharing their thoughts on different kind of topics. Michael wanted to learn everything there was to know about his beautiful companion and he kept asking her questions as if she were on an interview.

And it didn’t annoy her for one bit. She sensed he had some serious issues with trusting people so she tried to be as open as an innocent 16-year old could be. She told him almost everything there was to know about her. She desperately wanted to be the one for him, the one he could trust completely, the one who would never betray him.

“Well Honey, how did your parents come up with this name ? Is it real or just a nickname ?”

“I’m not going to tell you, ha ! That’s the one secret I want to keep from you… At least not for now. And then again maybe someday. I like it when people call me Honey. It can mean anything. Does it matter to you ?”

“No, but I just want to know. I’m a curious guy.”

“And you mean curious as in anxious to know, I guess. Or are you “curious” as in strange..?”

“What do you mean ?”

“Well, because of your fame ?”

“Ouch, that’s something I’d rather not talk about. Don’t get me wrong, I love my fans. I truly do. They can make me or break me. And I love being a celebrity too but that’s mostly because I think I can make a difference. You see, god gave me this talent and it would be a sin to waste it. But what I do not like about it  is the mobbing. It really hurts when one tries to pull your arm out.”

“I can imagine, it must be scary. It’s hard to control, I guess.”

“It is. But most of the time, we can still go out without any problems. It depends on where we are…”

“How is it to stand on a stage in front of all of these people ?”

“It’s my job. I love it.”

“You’re always up front. Aren’t your brothers jealous of you ?

“Hey, are you a journalist ?”

She looked at him with a wounded look in her eyes. “Ouch Michael, it’s me : Honey! You asked me tons of questions ! Why can’t I ?”

Michael immediately felt bad about his remark. He wish he could take these words right back. It was not because she was so witty that she couldn’t be hurt. How could he have fallen into this trap ?

The butterflies flew away as he moved his arm to take her hand in his.

“I’m so sorry, Honey. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’m such a jerk ! I should be more sensitive !”

“Yeah, you should !”

Again, he was taken aback by her honesty, but then he saw the little lights in her eyes, and knew she had forgiven him already and was again teasing him.

“Good friends, huh ?” Michael asked.

“Best friends, for the rest of our life.” She kissed his cheek and by this gesture, he knew he just encountered the friend he had always wanted. He wasn’t lonely anymore.

They stayed in there for so long, that the manager finally came in to check on them. But hey, what could they have done there beside chasing butterflies ?

“Sorry to break in, but I’m going to close up.” he said.

“OMG !” Honey almost yelled “I have to get home for dinner.”

They put on their coats and Michael made sure Honey’s buttons were all closed, to protect her from the cold. He wanted to take care of her, as he had never wanted to do anything more in his life before.

“Do we have to run ?” Michael asked.

“No no, my parents are really sweet but they worry easily, so I do want to be on time. Do you care to meet them ?”

“That’s up to you. I would love to meet some more Belgian people. If they are all like you, I want to meet them all !”

“Gee, that’s really sweet. But I must warn you, my little brother is a pain in the ass !”

They arrived at her doorstep still not sure what they should do. Now Honey knew for sure that her parents were always interested in meeting her friends, but she also knew that they would be very worried because Michael was a famous guy. But maybe they didn’t know him at all. They were not into pop music.

The question whether he should meet her parents was immediately solved when the door opened and her mother came out. Michael noticed that Honey didn’t get her good looks from a stranger. Her mother was really beautiful and seemed very friendly too.

“Ben je er al ?”

“Mam, in ‘t engels alsjeblief. Michael is an American.”

“Hello there, pleased to meet you. So… your name is Michael, as the archangel, the first one next to God.”

“My mother is a walking encyclopedia.” Honey made it sound as if she was a little embarrassed.

“Thank you very much, ma’am. I think you just gave me the sweetest compliment. I love angels.”

“It’s entirely my pleasure.” She held out her hand to shake his. “I’m Veronica. Please come in.”

This was getting weird, Michael thought, remembering that he told Honey that she looked like a Veronica. He stepped in and immediately fell in love with this family.

The house seemed so cozy. It was not too big, as it was a holiday hang out, but he felt that this was a warm and real family. He saw a big man sitting at the dinner table and there was no doubt about it that this was Honey’s father. He had the same eyes. He shook his hand too and stood there waiting, being a little shy because he just didn’t know what to say to these people. The little brother was nowhere in sight and that was a pity because he felt more at ease with children.

“Would you like to join us for dinner ?” her father asked. “I think we have enough, don’t you think, dear?” He addressed to Honey’s mother.

“Yes of course. I hope you like Mexican food. I had not time to cook today, so I ordered. It’s warming up.”

They heard the door slam and a big pile of blond hair rushed in and stopped just at Michael’s feet !

“Wraf ! Wraf !” It was a dog ! And a big one too !

Michael backed up as the dog started to push his legs to get a hug. Little did he know (the dog) that these legs didn’t like all dogs. Michael loved all creatures but was a little scared of strange dogs and since this was a real big guy….

“Golden, leave our visitor alone !” Honey took him by his collar and held him back.

She smiled at Michael.

“Are you afraid of dogs ?”

“Well, let me put it this way; I prefer cats.” He thought this was the most polite answer he could give. He didn’t want to offend these nice people. Honey’s father started to laugh out loud as he understood what Michael tried to do. “I think I’m going to like you!” he said and he patted Michael on the shoulder.

“Well, thank you, sir.”

“No no, no “sir’ing” in this house. I’m a father, not a knight! Call me Nick. Or Nicholas, whatever you prefer. Or is it already Dad ?” He winked at him.

Michael lowered his eyes because he didn’t want anyone to see how these friendly words moved him. He loved his own father but he really missed calling him “Dad”. They always had to address him by his first name and for Michael this was a very sensitive issue.

“I would love to stay for dinner, but then my family would worry about me.” he said softly, not knowing if his voice wouldn’t crack up with all these emotions running through him.

“Never heard of a telephone, boy ? You have the number ?”

Luckily Michael did bring the telephone number of the hotel with him. This was a habit he took up him, since he was very little, being scared to be left alone in a strange city.

“Shall I call the hotel, just in case they do not answer in English ?”

Again Michael was moved by the love and the caring, but as he always took care of things, he made the phone call himself. He didn’t call for any of his brothers, just left them a message. He didn’t want to hear any of their stupid remarks about him falling in love. It would only spoil his night out.

“Hey Michael, this is my kid brother Tom.” Honey pulled him by her side and Michael shook the hand of the young boy. If it was him who had taken the dog out, he must be very strong or the dog must be really nice, because he was so skinny. Although Tom was white and Michael was black, he recognized himself in him. When he was little, he was skinny too and rather small for his age. During his Motown years they even managed to lower his age from 11 to 8, because he was so small. They all thought it would make him cuter. He hated it. He would never belittle a child !

“Do you speak English ?” he asked the little boy.

“Michael, he’s deaf, so it doesn’t matter. If you want to talk to him, I’ll translate it into sign language. He can read your lips but not in English.”

“Can you do sign language ?”

“Yes of course. The moment my parents found out he was deaf, we went to take this course in order to be able to communicate. Communication is very important in our family.”

This family was a miracle ! Never before did he meet such nice people, with so much love to share !

Michael felt as if everything came together finally and realized it was now all up to him to bring this to the next level. But would this be wise ? He now had a dear friendship going on and then there was this lovely family who took him in with their arms wide open. It was right there that he took the most important decision of his life !

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Michael, you gotta concentrate man ! I need you to tell me what you think of this !”

This was Quincy Jones speaking, Michael’s “partner in crime” for the new record, Michael was taping. It seemed more difficult than ever, to hold himself together. He worked so very hard, without ever having any break. Sometimes he played the pinball machine in the studio or did some dance routines, but most of the time it was just work. He loved it but he took a lot on his back these days. At the same time he was also doing the storybook for ET. He enjoyed that too but he was getting exhausted.

They already postponed the release of the album, because they were not satisfied with the first outcome. He didn’t know if it had something to do with his workload but it was as if there was something on the lurk for him. He could not explain it : it was more than just a feeling. Something was about to happen and he already knew he would not like !

“Mike !”

“Oh sorry, Quincy, daydreaming I guess..”

“What’s on your mind,, boy ? We have to finish this record. We cannot hold it much longer. The company is getting impatient.”

“I know but I don’t want to be rushed! This album must last for eternity, so it deserves every care even if it lasts another month.” He sat beside Quincy and sighed.

“Tired ?”

“Worried is a better word. I don’t know what the future will bring to me, but I’ll settle for anything better than this feeling.”

“You gotta get that of your back, Mike. We’ve got work to do.”

Michael pulled himself together and turned to the table again.

“Okay, let’s hit it.”

When he finally came home that night, he went straight to his office, as if he was drawn to it. His assistant had taken good care of his business. She had put the business letters apart from the fan mail. And the as always she had put them all in alphabetical order. Michael liked it smoothly organized because he has such a big amount lack of time. Today he didn’t feel like reading the business letters first so he turned to the fan mail first. There weren’t too many today so he decided to postpone his bliss a little more. He did notice her letter but it was like making love and holding back on your orgasm, it just became more intense…

He loved reading fan mail. Always had. It made him feel like he was really someone special. At this stage in his life, everything was still under control, so he took his time reading some of the letters that were send to him. He smiled reading the kind words that were written to him.

“Love you, Michael !”

“Your music is grand, Michael !”

“I enjoy your dancing !”

“All of our family love you so much !”

“Michael, please marry me…”

Most of the letters came from girls. There was Amber from Memphis, Lindy from Holland, and Jenny Ann from New Zealand. And there were letters and cards from men too, most of them speaking of how much they admired him for the contribution he had made to the musical scene. And some…well, they just made him blush and feel uneasy, but nevertheless he read them too.

Finally he came to the one that was really important to him. One letter, written in a beautifully curved handwriting, on simple white paper, with a scent of vanilla.

Ah, there it was. His assistant had kept it half in its envelop, as if she would say that she hadn’t read it. Michael once had pointed out to her that letters from this girl were personal and that he would always treat them in a special way. But for his safety all the letters where opened anyway. How he loved reading her letters! They were sweet as candy and easy to go through. Never there was a word of anger or despair. She really was a happy teenager. Then he considered that she actually was not that young anymore. She was already 18 years old ! It had almost been 2 years since he had met her for the first time and she had never been out of his mind. She became a dear friend to him, much more than a fan. But hey, was she a fan ? He never asked. Anyway 18 was so much better than 16. Maybe he could visit her after the album was finished. As a Christmas present… Well for her of course because for him celebrating Christmas was out of the question. Not with his religion.

He took the letter out of his envelop and leaned back in his chair, expecting to enjoy it from the beginning till the end.

“Dear Michael,

How are you doing? Is the record coming together ? I have been thinking about this a lot and I feel privileged that you wanted to share this adventure with me. I hope to hear more about it real soon. I laughed so hard with your story about Quincy and your snake. Haha, can’t wait to meet Muscles. BTW I loved the idea of you writing a song for your friend Diana ! I heard it on the radio ! You are really good !

Over here we’re all doing fine. My little brother has got a spectacular new hearing-aid. He’s finally able to participate in our conversations and since it’s in use he has enlarged his circle of friends. But, I must be very careful of what I say nowadays.

Specially with my new boyfriend around..”

Michael gasped and the letter fell out of his hands.

“Oh no!” he yelled out loud.

He hid his head in his hands and shook it fiercely. This could not be happening. She had a boyfriend ! What did she do ? What did he do ? Oh no…. She didn’t wait for him ! And he remembered his big mistake. He never asked her to wait.

“Why, why was I so stupid ?! Why did I let her go ?”

The words put down on paper become blurred before his eyes, which were now filled with tears. What had he done ? Trying to escape the inevitable heartache, he stumbled out into the yard. Luckily no one came onto his path. He really didn’t want anyone to see him grieve like this. He ran and ran until he was out of breath. At the far end of the yard, out of sight of the house, he finally stood still. Completely out of breath, he bend forward with his hands on his knees to take in some air. If anyone could have seen his eyes, they would show how much he was hurting. He ached so much physically that there wasn’t even room for any thoughts. He was consumed by feelings of utter despair. He screamed at the top of his lungs, not caring if anyone could hear him and then fell on his knees, holding his head between his hands. He held it very tight because he was afraid he would smash it against a tree or pull out his hair.

Slowly regaining his breath, he sat still for a very long time, as if he was frozen, not knowing how to deal with these strong emotions.

And he remembered, he remembered his own stupidity as if it was yesterday.

It was again February 1980 and he had only one day left with Honey.

The previous evening Michael experienced having soooo much fun with her family ! He had never met such nice people before in his life. They accepted him as if they had known him for years. They dined together and then just sat talking about all kind of stuff. By the time he got to the hotel, he felt real good, at ease and very secure. He slept like a baby and woke up very early, with Honey and her family already on his mind.

He sat alone at the breakfast table, as his brothers were still in their rooms, sleeping this beautiful morning away. He was more hungry now than yesterday morning and took some cereals, a large glass of milk and lots of fruits. This would do him good.

“Good morning Mr Jackson. How are you doing ?”

He looked up, surprised to see their pilot, who obviously just came in from outside.

“Good morning to you too. You’re early.”

“Yes, I wanted to break the good news as soon as possible. We’re off tonight. The plane is ready.”

If the man had thought to see a happy face, he was in for a surprise.

“Smelly !” Michael cursed. He wiped of his mouth and got up. “Excuse me, I have to go. Things to do. I’ll see you later then, I have no time to waste.” He ran out to the reception desk and asked for a phone. He was supposed to call Honey tonight, to set an hour for their date. But this couldn’t wait. He had to see her now.

Luckily, she picked up the phone herself. He felt so relieved.

“Hello.” her soft voice said in his ear.

“Hi Honey, it’s me, Michael.”

“Michael, is there something wrong ? Can’t we go out tonight ?”

“Oh Honey, you so nailed it. We’re leaving tonight.” He heard the silence on the other side of the phone. “Honey, are you still there ?”

“Yes Michael, I am.”

“So when will I see you then ? What about right now ?”

“Hehe, I’m still in my pajamas…”

“Gee, you’re one lazy girl !” he teased her.

“No actually, I had such a sweet dream and I didn’t want to wake up.”

“Tell me about it….”

“I’ll tell you later. I’m gonna throw on some clothes. Will you come to my place in half an hour ?”

“Sure, see you then.”

He knew he didn’t have to hurry. Women always say they will be ready in half an hour, but most of the time, it is multiplied by 2. Though he would love to see her in pajamas. She sure would look cute.

When he arrived at Honey’s house, she was already waiting at the doorstep, jumping around like a kangaroo with moonboots.

“Well, where did you stay for so long ? I’m waiting here in the freezing cold.”

“Okay then “ Michael thought “This was not an ordinary girl.” No waiting here ! She was indeed refreshing !

“Is there anything you want to see around here ? We’ve been to the beach, we did the butterflies. And let me guess, you don’t mind about the stores.”

“I’ve seen a lighthouse. Shall we walk over there ? I think it’s beautiful. Never seen one this near.”

“We could do that but then we must cross the water channel. Do you mind ?”

“Are you going to carry me over?” He laughed.

“Ha, you’d wish. No, there is a boat.”

So they crossed the water channel in this tiny boat, not even worth the name ferryboat. Normally Honey would never have done that. She was scared of the water, not being such a good swimmer at all. But they couldn’t afford wasting time, and the bridge that crossed the channel was more than an hour in walking distance and then they still had to come back too. At least they were alone on the little boat, so that eased her mind a little. No one could rock it now !

On the other shore of the channel there was nothing much going on but they both liked the quietness and tranquility of the place. Michael just wanted to talk, nothing more, nothing less. Little did he know that she had something else in mind.

They walked arm in arm as old friends, mostly because it was freezing cold and of course because they loved to be near to each other. They only had not realized that yet.

“We do have to cross these dunes, in order to get to the lighthouse, Michael.”

“You’ll lead me ?”

“Sure, Michael Jackson’s leading lady. That’s a groovy title. I’ll write a book on that someday.”

“Don’t you dare write a book about me. I’ll write my own.”

“Ah, you don’t have the time. You must sing.”

Their conversation was lighthearted and fun but Michael knew there were some hard times to come. They had to part tonight…it could not be helped.

They sat down on a bench and Honey drew a little bag out of her pocket.

“I got us some sweets. Want one ?”

She looked at him as he put a sweet into his mouth and wanted soooo much to be in its place. The thought startled her. Now where did that sudden urge come from ?

“So your plane is fixed then ?”

“Yeah…”he looked at her while he swallowed his sweet. The sight of him simply doing this, made her move closer. Gosh, he was sexy in every single way. Why did she not notice that before? Honey didn’t know what came over her but she just had to kiss him. Her lips moved to his…

As Michael saw her come closer, he held back his breath while the fluttering of the butterflies in his stomach increased. What did this mean ? Should he be happy or concerned ? He wasn’t sure if her gesture was meant to seduce him but he could do nothing but react. He pulled her in his arms, slowly but surely and started kissing her with all the passion he had in him. The moment their lips touched, he knew it. It felt so right. This was so good. She tasted just like the candy he swallowed only a minute ago.

He held his left hand behind her head and the other was firmly put at her lower back. While his lips devoured hers, he caressed the back of her head down to her neck. He couldn’t help himself and pulled her even closer. Wow, what he felt right now, had never happened to him before. And all of a sudden, this wild fantasy popped up in his mind. He imagined himself being a big black panther chasing a little tiny the kitten. Not for eating but for playing and cuddling.

Honey had not seen this coming at all. She was very sure he was going to hold himself back on this. With her kiss she just wanted to draw him out a little. Never ever could she have imagined that he had this amount of passion for her. But she was glad ! She gladly gave in, putting her arms up around his neck and offering her lips to him.

She never knew a guy could be so sweet. She had had some encounters with boys of her own age, but was never attracted to them as she was attracted to Michael. He enchanted her. It was his scent, his looks, his kindness, his everything. Definitely her first love forever.

The cold sea wind suddenly startled him out of this enchantment. What in heaven’s name was he doing? Michael Jackson, he scolded himself, you have no right to do this. You have no right to put her into your world at this moment! Stop this immediately ! He didn’t want to, but he knew he had to. “Oh please, one more minute…” he said to himself. He just couldn’t break away from her yet. She fitted in his arms as a love letter in a scarlet envelope. She had everything he searched for in a girl. But not right now ! She deserved someone by her side who had the time to invest in a secure and steady relationship. Someone who would be there for her always. And that was what he didn’t have : time !

He softly pushed her away from him and stood up. His head fiercely shook to drive the passion out. His face twitched at the thought of having to hurt her, of hurting himself.

“No Honey, this is not right ! I’m leaving tonight and might never ever see you again.” The thought alone made him ache already. To never see her again, would certainly kill him.

“Michael, what are you talking about ? Don’t you know how to write or talk ? We can write to each other. We can talk on the phone. What’s wrong with that?”

He sat back down and took both her hands in his.

“I must be completely honest with you.” he said “I have this dream. I have a dream about making the biggest selling album of all time.”

“And ?”

“This will take all of my time. I don’t know where it will go from here. I have so much work to do. There wouldn’t be any time left for you, for us. And this is certainly not the kind of relationship I want with you. It would tear me apart. Please let me go.”

“I’m not holding you, Michael. You’re holding me.”

“There is more….” How could he justify this to her? “You’re sweet and caring. I think you’re the most beautiful girl I have ever seen but you’re far too young for me. We have to let this go for now. I promise you to never ever let go of your friendship but I cannot take your love. Do you understand that ?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Michael pulled himself together and headed back to the house. What in heaven’s name had he been thinking ? He was stupid beyond compare ! He didn’t want her to be with another guy ! He wanted her just for himself, for the rest of his life. Why didn’t he realize this before ? And now he was too late !!

He had to think about this, and find out a way to get to her, real soon. But then again, there was the recording of his album and he knew he just couldn’t let go right now. He was too close to his goal. This was tearing him apart !

“Michael ?” His mother approached him, coming out of the kitchen. She never failed to nail his mood and this time it was no different. “What’s wrong, honey ? Did you receive some bad news ? Are there problems with the recording ?”

He could not talk about this, not yet. They didn’t even know her name. What was there to share, beside that he just lost the love of his life ?! And that he was a stupid stupid clown !!!

“It’s okay, mother. I just needed some fresh air. I worked a little too hard today.”

“Don’t forget to come down to eat…” She searched his face, trying to figure out what was going ‘round in her son’s head. He was skinny from all the hard work and had dark shadows under his eyes. He looked extremely tired. But even more it was the look IN his eyes that worried her more. “Don’t starve yourself, honey. You need to take better care of yourself. I don’t want you to become sick.”

“I won’t,  mother. I’ll be alright.”

Who did he try to fool ? Before he could get emotional and fall apart in front of his mother, he quickly retreated to his office and took the letter of the floor.

“Dear Michael,

How are you doing? Is the record coming together ? I have been thinking about this a lot and I feel privileged that you wanted to share this adventure with me. I hope to hear more about it real soon. I laughed so hard with your story about Quincy and your snake. Haha, can’t wait to meet Muscles. BTW I loved the idea of you writing a song for your friend Diana ! I heard it on the radio ! You are really good !

Over here we’re all doing fine. My little brother has got a spectacular new hearing-aid. He’s finally able to participate in our conversations and since it’s in use he has enlarged his circle of friends. But, I must be very careful of what I say nowadays.

Specially with my new boyfriend around..

I’m so excited ! He’s so sweet ! His name is John and I think you would like him very much. He’s into computers and stuff. That’s really exciting. He’s so smart !

And we go ballroom dancing ! This I like very much, though my feet and arms don’t think the same all the time. I’m not such a great dancer. My coordination sucks !

But I must say, I’m getting better at it every day. Maybe we will subscribe for a dancing contest. But first we must practice a lot. And practice, we do !!

Not only on the dancing parts. Oh Michael, he’s such a sweetheart (John I mean). And a good kisser too (woops).

I’m gonna leave you for now. Don’t let me wait too long before you answer me!!!

Kisses

Honey

 PS : just some sad news. Golden died last week. He was very ill and we decided to let him go.

The sigh that left his body came from real deep down. He folded the letter and put him with the other ones in a box. In here he only kept his most treasured stuff and her letters were certainly part of that treasure.

“So sweet, so smart! Yek!”

He was a goof, a fool, a sucker !!! Why did he speak those words to her ?

It was almost 3 years now, but he thought she would wait for him! He knew it was love on first sight for both of them. He knew she didn’t want to part like that. And actually, he knew something like this would happen. And with all that knowledge, he still managed to make a mess of it.

In sudden anger, he took all of the letters out of the box and threw them out of the window. He was not angry with her, not at all ! But he was so angry with himself !

Someone knocked on the door.

“Leave me alone !” he shouted.

He heard some footsteps fade away from his door. A little later, lighter footsteps, with the sound of a slight limp, came back and someone knocked on the door again, but this time didn’t wait for his sign to come in. His mother stepped into the room and turned directly to him.

“Michael ? What’s wrong ? What happened ?”

“Nothing…”

“How come, I don’t believe you ?”

“I don’t want to talk about it. Can’t, not right now.”

“I know, it’s this girl, isn’t it ? The girl from the letters.” How did she know?

“Michael, I’m your mother. Mothers are supposed to know.” And she could read his mind too.

He shrugged his shoulders and looked at his mother for consolation. She came to sit next to him and patted his hand. “Come on, you can tell me, you know.”

He told her everything from needle to thread, didn’t hold anything back, except for the kissing part. Her advice would be so welcome. She was his mother, his angel, she would know what to do.

“First of all, I think you should get out in the yard and pick up all those letters. In the mean time, I’ll get you a glazed donut and something to drink and then we’ll talk. Okay ?”

Michael sighed and got up. He had been less than efficient, throwing those letters out of the window! He got out and made sure he picked up everyone of them. Then he counted them. He knew he must have exactly 30 letters, that was a lot !. He had to admit that he was not just as loyal as she was. Oh, he wrote her alright, although not as often as he should have wanted. But he did sent a lot of postcards from all over the place.

His mother sat at the kitchen table and gestured him to sit by her. He smiled sheepishly.

“Let me tell you one thing about girls, just to re-assure you. Their first love will always stay in their heart. Sometimes they give it a second chance. And as I can understand from you, you were hers.”

“I guess.”

“So then, what is there to worry about ? She has a boyfriend, not a husband. You still have a chance. I admit, you do not have time on your side with this Thriller thing going on.”

Ouch, his mother referred to it as this “thing”. His ego was a little hurt.

“And I do know this is very important to you, so I suggest you go right ahead with it. Never ever have any regrets about your work, your creations. This is you, THE Michael Jackson. But there is also your private person. And for him it is not always easy to make choices. Do you think you made the wrong choice back then ?”

“It wasn’t exactly a choice, mother. I took a very bad decision. I thought she would wait but now I realize that I never asked her to. I just took it for granted. At the time, I thought I would not be able to combine our love with the job I had to do. I wanted the two to be perfect. I hate being such a perfectionist.”

“I already told you thàt before. But then again where would you be ?”

“I would be with her.”

“You know what I mean, Michael. Being a perfectionist makes you a better artist. So how long will it take ?”

“You mean the recording ? It will be finished soon. Quincy and I are remixing the whole thing.”

“So, you’ll have some time off then ?

Now he knew where she was heading. She wanted him to fly to Europe to meet up with Honey.

“Mother, I cannot just barge into her life like that.”

“I think you can, and I think you must.”

“But she’s in love with someone else.”

“Well, maybe she is, but then at least she knows she has a very good friend. I know it’s not that what you’re aiming for but that’s what you’ll got to settle for at the moment. Not everything is about the love between a woman and a man. I think you should be patient.”

“Yeah, but that’s not my middle name….”

The Thriller record was released and life completely changed after that. It all just went crazy around him. The album went up the charts and didn’t plan to come out of it very soon. He really did not know what to do first. People pulled him to all sides. He enjoyed some of it, but there were times that he wished he could hide out somewhere, where no one could find him. That brought his mother’s words back in mind. Meet up with Honey !

He often looked back on that last day with her and he couldn’t count the times that he had wished he could take back these words.

February 1980 again :

“I cannot take your love.”

Honey looked at him with a painful look on her face. She couldn’t believe what he was saying to her! What was his problem?

He saw her eyes darken and it hurt, but he knew he had to do this. This was not only about him.

“Michael, this is not fair. You kissed me right back and I know you liked it too. Then why are you doing this?”

She pulled herself loose from his hands and stood up, turning her back at him.

“Honey, don’t do this. You don’t understand !” He almost cried. He didn’t want to hurt her but he had no choice.

“Don’t I then ? You’re an egotripper, Michael Jackson. You think of nothing but yourself. You come here with all your…your…never mind, and make me fall in love with you. How could you ? You knew this was going to happen. I wish I never laid eyes on you.”

He stood up to and turned her to him again.

“Please look at me, Honey. You know this isn’t true. But I strongly feel I have the biggest responsibility here. I admit, I knew this was going to happen, but I had no idea it would go so fast. I tried to restrain myself but you stung me, baby, big time !“

 At these last words it was difficult not to smile. She could not be mad at him and she knew her words were not doing him right. He was caring and loving and not selfish at all. But she felt sad and aggrieved and he was the one who did this to her.

He took her hand and pulled her further to the light house.

“I want to be your friend, Honey. I really do. But I cannot be more than that, not for the time being. It would be so unfair to you. I’ve set myself a goal, several years ago and I am very close. It’s not that I don’t love you. I do. But it’s just….”

She nodded and covered his mouth with her hand. And even though she was just 16 years old, she understood. She loved him too much to be selfish. It was now up to her to let him go.

“Shh, don’t need to say more. I understand… I guess we can be friends, for now.”

He pulled her in his arms and hugged her with all his might. He really had no clue how he could handle this differently. Ending this before it had begun, was the hardest thing he ever had to do.

They walked to the shore and let the wind blow their negative thoughts away. They would get over this, no doubt about it, but who could say when ?

He needed to see her, to talk to her. Replying to her letter was not an option. He was too devastated about her having a boyfriend. So what would he write ? Put him aside ? Take me? No, he should show her ! Michael was not a man of hate or anger, but this time he was not sure of what he felt exactly. Was it anger ? Or maybe jealousy ? Both emotions drove him forward and the decision was easily made. He would fly over and visit her!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He arrived at Brussels airport just before Christmas. It had been a long flight and he failed putting his mind to rest, though he should have. His head was spinning of excitement and he was very nervous. He was finally going to see her in just a few hours ! It had been such a long time! Would she have changed a lot ? Would her voice still sound the same? Would her laugh be as enchanting as it was before ? He hardly could wait to find out.

Her parents were informed. He did call them himself. He wanted to make sure if he was welcome there. He did not know if they were aware of the grieve he caused. But if they knew, they certainly didn’t show it. They were very friendly to him.

Honey was not aware of him coming to visit her. He thought that a surprise ‘attack’ would probably gain some ground. He had a battle to fight ! If he didn’t succeed his heart would certainly break and that thought was unbearable! So he figured that although he never celebrated Christmas himself, the idea of giving himself away as a present, couldn’t hurt anyone.

Of course, he didn’t come alone. Bill, André and Miko, his bodyguards, prepared everything for him to set foot on Belgian ground again. As he was now a real superstar, with the album doing this great, it was a very difficult task to accomplish. They couldn’t take any risk anymore.

First of all, they needed to talk him into a disguise. He loved to put on disguises when it was his own choice but to be forced, he absolutely hated ! He wanted to be Michael all the way and not make a fool of himself. A guy’s pride!!

“Michael, this is not for fun. You really need this disguise !” Bill held out a caftan, with a matching turban, and a large moustache. “Come on Michael, work with us a little. There are worse things in life.”

“Why can’t you bring a car next to the airplane ?”

“Yeah, as if that wouldn’t attract the press ?! Michael, you’ve got to let us do our job. You hired us to protect yourself.”

“Frank hired you.” Michael was really being recalcitrant.”I don’t want to meet my friends dressed as the sheik of Arabia! They will think I’m gonna start a harem !”

“Ah, maybe you should, with all these girls laying at your feet.”

They all laughed and finally Michael gave in. He knew they were right and once they explained that it was just until he got to the hotel room, he put on the kaftan and the turban (of course this was a fake one, as he never had the time learning how to drape it around his head). He glued the moustache just a little above his upper lip. No shaving needed tomorrow !! He tried not to think about the pain it would cause to get it off. Men are sissies when it comes to pain and he was a man alright !

And then he ran out of luck ! Wearing a dress wasn’t just as easy as he thought. He stepped out of the plane, holding the fabric of his caftan in one hand. He got down the stairs without any accident, and he was almost down when he had to sneeze. And instead of using his free hand, he let go of the fabric to put his hand over his nose and mouth, being polite as always, just as his mama taught him. The next moment he found himself laying on the tarmac with his right foot under his behind.

“Ouch !” He yelled as he tried to get up. “Hey guys, this isn’t funny !” He shouted at the other three, who stood there laughing at the sight of Michael, in a dress on the ground.

“I can’t stand on this foot! Ouch! I think it’s broken !”

Bill and Miko lifted him up from the ground.

“Can’t you try to walk ?”

“No I can’t. You try when you’re in pain ! Ouch !”

They looked at each other as if they were to say he was a baby over this. They thought he was overreacting or something like that, but he really wasn’t.

“Can you please get me to a hospital of some kind! I just want a doctor to look at it.”

They supported him, getting him into the entrance hall of the airport and realized this would look kind of strange. A limping sheik, visiting Belgium. It was almost funny !

But not to Michael. He thought it was broken and that was devastating. He had no time for a broken foot !

Luckily this was not the case. The doctor stated it was just severely sprained and advised him to let it rest for about a week.

Michael sighed. Now how could he still make this successful ? Maybe he would get some inspiration in the morning, after a good night sleep.

So the next morning he took his crutches and hobbled his way to the waiting car. He called Honey’s parents the night before, and they invited him for breakfast at their place. And this time he just went as Michael Jackson. No need for disguises ! The car windows were blinded so he could go unnoticed. He was dressed rather casually too, no bling bling. Just some jeans, a white T-shirt and a black flannel shirt. He brought along a brown leather jacket but actually he didn’t plan to get out much. It was too important to let his foot rest now. He had to go back to performing next week. He realized this was the first time he thought about performing . Just until then his only concern was how this sprain could influence his time with Honey.

“How far is it ? he asked the chauffeur. His bodyguards even didn’t know he already left. He sneaked out but then, thoughtful as always, he left them a note, saying not to worry.

“It’s about half an hour, maybe three quarters of an hour.”

Okay, then he had time on his side. He began to make up a whole conversation in his head. He would start by just asking her how she had been doing. He knew she followed this course to become an interior decorator, so he could talk about that too. No talking about the weather, no sir ! And what about the boyfriend ? Should he talk about the boyfriend ? He so did not want to meet this guy because for sure he would hurt him! Ha! Michael was surprised to find himself so jealous but he just couldn’t help it. This man took his rightful place ! He’d do anything to take it right back.

Thinking it all over, he realized how important it was that he would be able to express his true feelings for her. But how ? He longed to take her in his arms and kiss her all over! He wanted to touch her soft skin, caress her hair…. Ouch, did he moan out loud ? The driver looked at him in a strange way. Okay, out loud it was ! “He must think I’m crazy…” Michael thought by himself. “But I’m not. It’s just that I’m in love.” He shook his head at himself and smiled like he had seen the light ! The driver noticed him moving and looked at him again in the rear-view mirror. He must have noticed the goofy face…. Ahw, for sure he was now thinking there was something seriously wrong with him…

“Mister Jackson, we’re almost there.”

He was startled out of his daydream and looked up at the surrounding neighborhood. They turned another corner and got up the driveway to a very beautiful house.

It looked as if it was taken right out of a fairytale and he thought by himself that this was just the kind of place for Honey to grow up in. It looked lovely.

As soon as Michael reached the front door, it swayed open and Veronica and Nick came out to greet him. Nick shook his hand but Veronica immediately put her arms around him.

“You poor thing !” She said in her soft voice, her eyes on his crutches. “I’m so sorry you fell. Does it hurt a lot ?”

Okay, there he had a choice. To be honest it didn’t hurt all that much, but… when a woman sounded this compassionate, who was he to not give the proper reaction to it ? Besides he needed to be pampered these days, even if it was for a very short while. It was just a little white lie after all…

“Oh yes, it is rather painful.” he said. “But you know, as long as I don’t use this foot too much, I think I can manage. And I have my crutches.”

“Well, come in then, Michael and give that foot the chance to rest and heal. Besides it’s too cold for us all, to stay out here.”

As they entered the house, his eyes were filling up with emotional tears. They were genuinely kind and loving. These people meant what they said. If they only knew how much he appreciated this.

The house was beautifully decorated for Christmas. There was a huge Christmas tree, reaching up to the ceiling. By the smell of it he could tell it was a real tree. He loved that. There were lots of presents under the tree too and the sight made him all warm inside. He knew for sure that every present had been picked out very carefully. Why hadn’t he thought of bringing a present of his own ? He slapped himself mentally. He still had a lot to learn, he guessed.

In the living room there was a huge fireplace, surrounded with comfortable seating. Veronica led him to one of the chairs and made him sit down. She then pulled in a little bench to put his foot on.

“Are you comfortable ?” She asked, examining his face for any sign of discomfort.

Oh, how he loved her for this. He softly touched her hand and smiled at her. She smiled back, comforting him with her look just as he was a child of her own. His mother was his angel, but she had Veronica right next to her, of that he was sure.

“We’ll have breakfast as soon as Honey comes down. Would you like some coffee first ?”

“No thank you, no coffee for me. Does she already know I’m coming ?”

“Ha ! No. She’s in for a  big surprise.” Nick laughed out loud. “So, how have you been doing, boy ? We don’t follow all these pop music things but Honey plays your new record all day long, time after time. So we cannot escape it.”

Michael laughed as he knew Nick was only teasing him.

“It’s been a thrill, this Thriller. I cannot go out anymore without being recognized but I’m so glad it turned out the way it did. It’s a dream come true.”

They heard some stumbling on the stairs and then her voice (finally!) : “Good morning ! I’m hungry as a horse! Where are…” She came stumbling in (as usual) and then froze at the doorstep.

“MICHAEL !!!” She yelled out. Never in her life she had moved this fast. It was as if she teleported from one side of the room to the other !

“Michael, oh my god ! You’re here !” She almost threw herself on him but then just in time saw the bandage on his foot. “Ouch, what did you do?”

“Sprained it. I am so glad to see you. You look great !” He truly was in awe. She looked great! Her hair was cut in a different way than before and there was a string of blue in it. She wore a tight jeans and a little red t-shirt and looked amazing. He could see and appreciate every curve of her slim body. Wow, the girl had grown into a beautiful young woman ! He knew for sure why he was here alright !

“Okay, now that you’re here, let’s have breakfast. Nick, you help Michael.” Veronica said.

Michael began to feel a little guilty because of his little white lie, but it was too late. They were going to pamper him ! And how could he resist these sweet people ? He felt at home here, as never anywhere else before.

They all sat down at the large round kitchen table. Even the kitchen was cozy in this house.

“Where’s Tom ?” Michael asked.

“He stayed over at a friend’s place. He’ll be back for Christmas.”

This was really nice. Especially for him, Veronica got some almond milk and she made waffles too. He appreciated it all very much, more than he could say. He could get used to this very easily.

Finally Honey hugged him. She put her frail soft arms around his shoulders and gave him tree kisses on his cheeks, left, right, left (Flemish habit). He felt electric shocks going through his body as she touched him. How could he have forgotten this ? Gee..

“I’m so glad you are here. Will you stay until Christmas ?”

“I have a gig on the 30^th, so I guess I can stay a while. But I have never celebrated Christmas before.”

“You didn’t ?” she asked in wonder.

“No, I’m a Yehova’s Witness. We don’t do Christmas or birthdays….”

“Wow, does that mean you cannot celebrate ? or have a party ?”

He shook his head and smiled broadly. “Party I can ! No problem there.”

“It’s settled then. Mama, papa, is okay for Michael to come over for Christmas ?”

“That would be great !” Veronica softly stated. “But actually I have a better idea. Since you have this problem with your foot, it seems to me that a hotel is not the best place for you to stay. So why don’t you move out here until you return to the States ? We would be honored to have you here.”

“That’s really nice of you, but are you sure ? I mean, if someone finds out, you’ll be in lots of trouble. You don’t know the press yet. They hunt me down nowadays, you know.”

“Then we must make sure they don’t find out. Do you need to get your things yourself or can your driver pick them up?”

“Well, I guess he can pick them up but it’s not that simple. I have my bodyguards too. Three of them. I already escaped them today…. Bill will not be happy. He won’t agree to this arrangement, me staying here and them at the hotel in Brussels.”

“Oh, but that’s no problem. We can solve that ! We do have a big house, in case you didn’t notice. We have lots of room to spare. And there is an apartment above the garage. They can stay there. You can have one of the guest rooms. And you’re all invited for Christmas Eve.”

“This is so nice of you. I don’t know what to say.” He was speechless.

“Just say yes to Veronica, Michael. If she’s got something on her mind, there’s no way to escape it.” Nick winked at him.

Honey cheered as he finally gave in. “We’re gonna have so much fun !!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They still sat at the kitchen table, enjoying their breakfast as the doorbell rang.

“This can’t be your bodyguards yet. Do you want people to know you’re here ?”

“No no, I don’t… Please, let me hide somewhere. Quick !”

Nick got up and opened the door to a large closet. He sighed. “I’m really sorry for this, but with those crutches of yours it’s almost impossible to get you anywhere else in such a short time. We’ll try to get rid of them as soon as possible. I truly am sorry.”

“Don’t be, Nick. I’m used to this.”

Nick felt really sorry for this guy, having to live his life this way, always being chased around by the media or crazed fans. He hoped they could provide him with some peace and quiet.

“I think it’s John, dad.” Honey said as he went to open the door. “He told me yesterday he was coming over. I’m sorry I didn’t inform you before.”

It was indeed her boyfriend.

“Ha John, do come in. We’re talking English today. Do you mind ? Veronica is taking this course and we are helping her out with life conversation.”

Michael heard the name “John” and imagined himself coming out of the closet to chase him away, but that would be foolish of course. He could not afford to be discovered. He guessed Nick assumed that John was not trustful enough to introduce him to him. Maybe he thought he would leak it to the media ? He looked through the keyhole and saw a guy come in to the kitchen. He pulled Honey into him and kissed her. Michael almost swore aloud ! Sh*t !

This guy John was about his height, with light brown hair and a pale skin. So not right for Honey, he thought. He smiled as John hit his toe against the kitchen table. He was clumsy too. Good ! Suits him fine ! Wished he’d stumble to the ground and make a fool of himself ! He was so jealous. He must be turning green ! Jealousy had never been in his nature before and the emotion scared him a little. What power did this girl have over him ?

“So John, what’s up ?” Nick asked. “Weren’t you leaving today ?”

“Ah, “ Michael thought “this is better !” With John out of his way, he could make it back to Honey. Oh, to have her all for himself… That would be so sweet.

“Actually I am, but I wanted to say goodbye to Honey first.”

He grabbed her and put her on his lap. Michael held back his breath. This was so not polite to do in front of Honey’s parents. He would never do that.

“I’ll miss you so much, Honey.” John said softly and Honey smiled back at him.

“No !”Michael thought “She mustn’t look at him like that. Please Honey, look at me.” He almost yelled out loud. He put his hand on his mouth to hold the sound back but he must have made some noise, because John looked his way, of course without knowing he was in the closet.

Immediately they all began to talk at the same time.

“I swear I heard something.”

“Come to my room, John, so we can say goodbye properly.”

“When where you leaving ?”

“How are your parents, John ?”

The only thing Michael heard was that Honey invited John to her room. How could she do that ? But then he remembered that it was all his own fault. He was the one who rejected her, all those years ago. He heard footsteps and saw Honey and John disappear. Were they gonna make out ? Nooooooo!

Nick opened the closet and let him out. He noticed that Michael looked as if he was in a terrible state. He didn’t know this young man all too well but he knew his daughter. And he was sure that John was not the right man for her, but hey, it was her choice. He should not interfere. Although he hoped she would end up with this one here.

“Hope you’re alright?” Nick put his hand on Michael’s shoulder.

“I guess I am… Thanks for your concern. But I cannot just sit here. Imagine he comes back in and sees me here.”

“I’ll get you to your room. Just lean on me. Your crutches make too much noise. We have a downstairs guest room. That will make it much easier for you to get around.”

Not only was it on the ground floor but it was a lovely room, with a television set and a telephone.

“This is a nice room. I’m so grateful for your hospitality, Nick.”

“Don’t mention it. Any friend of Honey is a friend of us. Make yourself comfortable. Can you call your companions to stay away just until John has left ? We can’t take a chance with him around.”

“I will try to reach them. You’re so thoughtful.”

Nick waited until Michael talked to his driver. There were no cell phones yet but the car did have a telephone. Michael asked him to take the message to Bill. He gave him the numer of the house phone and ordered him to tell Bill he’d better call the house first before turning in the driveway when they arrived.

“So I’ll leave you be.” Nick said. “We’ll come and get you as soon as he’s gone.”

Michael thought it to be funny that these kind people were actually lying just to safe his back. He had bad influence…

He put on the TV and searched for an interesting program. Just for a minute he forgot that he didn’t speak any Flemish and would not understand a thing they said. But he realized that soon enough ! He tried to pronounce the words he heard but he felt as if his tongue would turn into a knot. Gee, difficult language! He found a children’s program where they taught children how to read. This shouldn’t be too difficult.

Picture of a dog showing :

“Hond, hond, got it, next..”

“Vis, vvvvvis.” That was a fish.

“Ah, a flower ! Bloem! That sounds nice.”

This was funny ! He loved foreign languages.

“Honing, hoinink, hoining, honing, like Honey. Beautiful.” Now he could talk to her in Flemish.

He heard the front door open and looked out of the window from behind the blinds. From where he was sitting he could spy on the people coming out to the porch from aside. What he saw almost made him slap himself ! There she was in the arms of that creep, that… that  asshole… and she was kissing him passionately ! Noooo !!!

He had to do something ! With this John character out of the way, he had to take his chance. It was now or never ! No doubt about it.

John got in his car, an old and dirty one,(what else?), and drove away. Honey stood there, just waving till he disappeared from the driveway. She turned around and looked him straight in the eye. Or so it seemed. He knew she couldn’t see him from outside but still. He didn’t spy on her, did he ? He just watched them.

As soon as she got out of sight and back in the house, he stood up and limped to the room’s entrance. He reached the door and at the same time did Honey. And she swayed it open, right in his face!

“Ouch!” He stumbled back, putting his hand over one side of his face. “Ahw ahw !”

“Oh Michael ! I’m so sorry !” She took his hand from his face and saw the skin around his eye already turning red.

“Oh la la, not looking good! Just sit down here. I’ll take care of it.”

“Girl, are you trying to kill me ? I set foot on this ground and I sprain my foot ! I come here to enjoy your hospitality and I get locked up in a closet ! I try to be a gentleman and I get a door in my face! Gosh, you Flemish people are not as friendly as you seemed at first!”

Honey looked at him and noticed he was only joking. She laughed sheepishly.

“Well, I didn’t do it on purpose… Wait here, I’ll be right back.”

Michael sat back down on his chair whilst Honey went for a damp cloth. As she returned , he just couldn’t stop teasing her. This was just too tempting !

“I think I’ll need a personal nurse, being around you.” he laughed.

“Oh please Michael, I had nothing to do with you spraining your foot ! You’re exaggerating !”

“Okay, only teasing. What can you do about this eye then?”

“Not much… Here, take this cloth and put it against your eye.”

“Ah, that’s better. Gosh, I don’t know if it’s such a good idea to stay here all week. There is a good possibility that I will never recover. I’ll be scarred forever.”

She slapped him with a towel, but not too hard tho’, avoiding to hurt him more. He pulled her towards him, with his free arm and held her between his knees.

“It’s not because I’m handicapped right now, that I cannot fight. Wanna wrestle ? I’m sure I’ll win over you. Ha!”

His touch sent a sudden shiver down her spine. She stood completely still and looked at him, trying to figure out how she would cope with this. God, he was so beautiful and sweet ! But she was with John now, for God’s sake. These were forbidden feelings ! After their last romantic encounter, she had been hurting for a long time. He asked to be friends forever but that had not been her choice. She felt rejected and thrown aside. But in her letters she only talked about random things. He didn’t have to know how much she was hurt. She realized that all he wanted was to protect her, because he thought she was much too young at the time. Too young for these strong emotions, not knowing where it would end. Wrong time, wrong place. In these past years she had matured a lot and being around John made her feel more secure and loved too. He had his downsides but all together they came along just fine. Maybe the passion was kind of low but they were still young and had a lot of time to explore each other. She would have settled for this secure life without considering anything else. And then Michael came back into the picture, looking like a young god ! He was even more handsome than when she met him first.

She looked down on him and hoped he wouldn’t notice her anxiety. She didn’t want to be vulnerable anymore. She didn’t want to come in second place either.

But Michael wouldn’t be Michael if he hadn’t noticed this change. He felt her stiffen in his one arm embrace and immediately enforced his grip. He didn’t want to let her go just yet, now he had her this close. He knew all too well where he wanted this to end. Resting his head against her chest, he heard her breath speed up. He smiled within. Good !

“I can hear your heart beat !” he sang softly against her stomach. “It beats 100 miles an hour, all for love.” He made the words up by the minute. He snuggled against her and sighed. He was good with words. Could he spin a web around her ?

“Your sweater is so soft.” He purred. “I could fall asleep at this very minute. I’m so tired…” He “yawned” broadly. “Would you mind if we sit on the bed so that I can rest a bit ? I think the jetlag is finally getting to me.” He hid his eyes for her because if she would look into them, she would surely discover what was really on his mind.

“Oh Michael, I know you had a rough time with that foot and all this stuff going on. I was so thoughtless.”

So they moved to the bed.

She stuffed some cushions behind his head to make it more comfortable for him. Little did she know that he only wanted to lay his head anywhere she was.

“So let’s talk. How’s school ? You’re off for the holidays ?” he asked.

“Yes ! I love Christmas holidays. Did you see the decorations around the house?”

“How can I not notice ? They are beautiful. Did you hire an interior decorator ?”

“No Michael, I did it myself.”

Of course he knew that but he wanted her to feel special.

“I really love decorating. This year is my last.” She leaned against the head of the bed with her legs stretched out.

“You’ll find a job real soon, I’m sure.” He moved up just a tiny bit closer to her and took her hand in his.

“You can design my bedroom if you want to.” He smiled his sweetest innocent smile at her. “I’m sure I would sleep so much better then.”

“I don’t think I’ll come overseas just to see your bedroom…”

“You can sleep in it, if you want to. I’ll gladly share with you.”

“Michael !”

“I’ll sleep on the floor…” Again he moved up a little closer. “You can trust me..”

She lifted her eyebrows as if she wasn’t completely sure of what he was doing. Was he flirting ?

No, he wouldn’t do that. He was her sweet innocent friend !

“So what do you think ? Or would you prefer to do it, I mean, to do the bathroom ? Pff, must be tired, can hardly speak.” He gently laid his head on her stomach, facing her legs.

“Ahw, you’re so soft. And you smell of honey. True.” He sighed again. To Honey it sounded as if he was going to fall asleep, so she sat as still as she could be.

All kept silent for a while. Was he going to snore, she wondered ? Maybe that would help her to bring her mind to something else than his gorgeous hair and his tantalizing shoulders. She so wanted to touch him. He lay there quietly, all at ease, softly breathing. His after shave was enchanting. If the scent would have been visible, surely you would see it painting curls and circles around her. She felt as if she was in a fairy tale. Not able to contain herself, she began stroking his hair.

It was the softest touch ever, but nevertheless he felt it and it made his heart jump. He didn’t move a single bit, not wanting to startle her. She played with his curls and wound them around her fingers. Her hand went from his head to his neck and then to his shoulders. From this moment on, Michael had some serious problems going on. He got goose bumps all over his body and the only thing he wanted to do was to move and grab her. But better not ! He enjoyed this moment too much.

She caressed his shoulders and then his back. She just couldn’t restrain herself! Her hands led their own life. From his back they travelled to his shoulders once again and then up front to the collar of his shirt. Her hand got between his collar and his neck. He even didn’t breathe anymore. Just couldn’t. He would die first. This he never ever could have dreamt ! Here he was, wanting her to be his and she took the initiative! Wow, this felt so good !

His head began to spin as her fingers slipped into his collar to his chest. God, how long could he hold himself from loving her? It was as if butterflies were touching him and he almost moaned out loud. His sign to move was to come. She bend forward and softly kissed his hair, his ears. Very gently, he turned around and laid his hand behind her neck. Slowly he raised his head and their lips touched in a kiss, worth a kingdom!

She slid downwards, next to him and put her arms around him as if she was never to let him go again. Being near to him, her hands could now explore even more and he loved every move they made. He pulled her even more close to him and they laid there, all stretched out against each other, feeling every little movement, hearing every sigh. He too couldn’t hold himself any longer from touching her. He lightly touched the back of her head, his fingers trailing slowly down to her neck, her shoulders and down her spine. And never stopped kissing her.

Their kiss became more passionate by the minute and their bodies moved in the same rhythm, almost like dancing. Their legs entwined and Michael rolled over with her so he laid on top, pinning her down with his weight. At least he had her where he wanted her to be.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She murmured against his lips : “Tes some cmin”

He thought she was speaking Flemish , mysterious and sexy, and he found himself in serious trouble now. Being on the bed with her, made him wanna do more than just kissing. He told himself to go slooooow, and just show her how much he loved her. It was not his style to rush into matters of the heart. Besides he felt that she only deserved the best and forcing himself to her would not be a good idea. But this felt soooo good.

He was so busy trying to restrain himself that he only noticed her pushing him, after a few minutes.

“There’s someone coming.” She whispered in his ear again.

“Oh.. ah…”he growled like a panther. “I don’t want you to go.”

But he did roll off of her and laid down on the bed, on his stomach, hiding his face in the cushions. “What do you do to me girl ?”

He lifted up his head and his eyes followed her while she lifted herself from the bed. She walked over to the mirror and adjusted her clothes. When she noticed him looking at her, she just stared back at him as if she had never seen him before.

“I need fresh air…” she whispered.

“Michael ?” Her mother knocked on the door. “Michael, is Honey with you ?”

He looked desperately lost and couldn’t bring out one single word.

“I’m here, mama. I’m coming.” She took one more look at him and left the room, leaving him all alone, yearning for her touch. Ouch, this was hard to swallow. He’d better take a cold shower. But not just yet. All he wanted to do was dream of her…. Honey..Honey..Honey..

He HAD to snatch her away from John…

Honey walked into the kitchen to help her mother preparing for lunch. As a mother, Veronica noticed everything about her children, so it came as no surprise to Honey, that she brought up her friendship with Michael.

(Of course they speak Flemish amongst each other, when not in Michael’s presence, but I wrote it for you in English. Lol)

“You really like him, don’t you ? More than just a friend…”

Honey blushed profoundly. She realized that if her mother had come in without knocking, she would have been in for a big surprise !! Friendship… yeah sure ! But she was not to give in on this. She had to remain strong. After all she was with John now.

“I do like him, mama, but he’s still just a friend.” Saying that out loud hurt more than she could ever have imagined… because deep down inside she knew it was a big big lie. He had pushed all the right buttons, but she wasn’t up to it. He’d hurt her too much. If she would allow anything to happen, she would grieve herself to death. She wouldn’t be able to cope with it once more and saw only one solution. And that was not to give in at all, not ever. Call it chickening out, but she felt as if she had no choice.

How would she live through this week, knowing he was just a few steps away, ready for romance, and she was not ? She changed the subject abruptly, trying to take her mind of Michael.

“I’m glad John popped in this morning. I will miss him while he’s gone.” She tried to convince herself with these words, convince herself that holding on to a steady and secure relationship would stop her craving for love and passion.

Veronica looked at her, trying to figure out what went on in her daughter’s mind. Then she decided to leave it alone, for the time being. She knew that whenever Honey would need to talk, she would turn to her.

“We need three more plates, dear. We have lots of people for lunch today ! Them bodyguards will arrive soon with Michael’s luggage and I want them to feel at home. Your dad and I will be off for the supermarket later on. We’ve got an army to feed this week.”

“Ah, but you love that, mama !”

As soon as Honey finished setting the table, she went up to her room for a shower. She got his scent all over her body and even if she didn’t want to admit it, she preferred his over John’s. Oh no!! Did that just crossed her mind ?! This had to stop ! She took some fresh clothes and went straight to the bathroom. “Honey, it must end here!” she said firmly to herself, as she stepped under the cold water stream. But we all know that water only washes away the dirt. Emotions cling to you, even when you don’t want them.

Michael’s body guards arrived soon after they set the table. Yet, before having lunch, they first inspected the house and its surroundings. They had been very upset finding out he had disappeared. Although they could have expected it. It wasn’t the first time he took off without a warning. They never took any risks regarding Michael’s safety and wellbeing. Nowadays he was the target of not only the media, but there were a lot of lunatics out there too. They took their job very seriously and by lunch time the whole house plus the garden were thoroughly inspected. It was a relief to them that the big garden was surrounded by a high wall. That would give them the chance to relax and enjoy their stay here too. Not much could happen to their boss.

Well, at least they were in charge of his physical safety but who would guard him from the matters of the heart ?

Michael woke up at the noise of somebody putting his luggage against the door of his room. He was a little disorientated at first but then he remembered where he was. It came as a relief that he hadn’t dreamt it all. He was in her house. She had been here in his arms. They had kissed. Ha, how sweet life could be.

He put his clothes in the cupboard and took off to the bathroom, adjacent to his bedroom. A good wash-up would do him well ! On one hand he felt sorry to have slept half of the day away but at least now he was well rested and ready to conquer her !

As he stood under the shower, with the hot water running down his body, he imagined himself being here with Honey, showering together, playing and fooling around. He scolded at himself because of the erotic thoughts that came up in his mind. He shook his head to clear himself from them. He was taught to honor and respect women and to not have sex before marriage but the feelings she awoke in him were all but innocent. The little nap had not in any way cured him from his desire to make her his. She had completely taken over his thoughts and now his body too. He could almost feel her hands roaming over his damp chest, squeezing his sides, stroking his… Oh god ! Not now ! Cold water please !!

Finally he managed to get into some clothes and leave his room, searching for the subject of his desire.

The sound of people talking led him into the kitchen. Wow, what a crowd !

“Hey Mike, got some beauty sleep ?” Miko always teased him like this, more a brother to him than an employee.

“At least I’m beautiful!” Michael laughed, knowing they were just joking. He was very much aware that girls were attracted to him, and maybe some men too, just because of his looks. And when it came to his career, he would certainly go as far as he could, exploiting his appearance to his own benefit. In his private life he wouldn’t dare take advantage of it but maybe it was time to change! He needed all the help he could get to achieve his goal and if that meant using his own assets, he would go there it without any hesitation. She wouldn’t stand a chance !

She was sitting at the table, cozily stuck between Miko and Bill. Wrong ! She should be sitting next to him or maybe even better, on his lap ! Just the thought of it made him blush. Nevertheless he succeeded in looking at her with a broad smile on his face, his teeth sparkling white. She on the other hand, seemed to avoid his eyes. He thought she was probably just shy because of what happened. He should be too but as a matter of fact he felt all man and very brave ! He didn’t know where his courage and boldness suddenly came from but this new Mike pleased him a lot ! Ah, the adrenaline flowing, testosterone jumping…

Still, being the polite and thoughtful guy he always was, he turned to Bill first. He owed him and Miko and André an explanation.

“Guys, I guess you have already been presented to each other but this is Honey, my dear friend and her lovely family. We met a few years ago.”

“We can definitely see why you took off without further notice !” Bill smiled but not without giving Michael a scolding look first. One of these days, this boy was gonna give him a heart attack ! But this was not the time nor the place to discuss the matter any further.

Next, Michael turned to Honey’s parents : “I’d like to thank you so much for your hospitality. I owe you so much. And I do want to contribute to this household, since it has become so extended, because of me and my company. I brought you four mouths to feed and…”

Both Veronica and Nick started talking at the same time, as Michael softly continued: “I know what you are going to say, but please let me do something in return.”

Now Nick persisted on talking :”Michael, we don’t even want to discuss this ! Any friend of our daughter is ours too. We’re very happy to have you all here and we want to make it clear that this is not an issue for us and it shouldn’t be for you either. So, we won’t talk about this anymore, okay?” He nodded as he saw Michael hesitate. “And of course Veronica thinks you’re cute.” He winked at him and immediately lightened up the conversation. Michael had no choice but to give in.

He grinned at Veronica.

“So I’m…cute ?” He winked too, well, at least he tried to and everyone burst out into laughing, because despite of all his other abilities, Michael always winked with both eyes. From then on the tone for the day was set.

Fooling around and gently teasing each other, they got to know each other better by the minute. Everyone really had a good time and even Michael got to tell some jokes.

“There is this man, entering a bar.” He looked around, making sure he’s got everyone’s attention. “The bar’s pianist plays some lovely tunes, all requested by the audience, whilst a cute little monkey sits on top of the grand piano. The man sits down and listens to the music, watching the monkey play around. Suddenly the monkey gets up and, oh my, he pees in the glass of the pianist. So the man gets up and walks towards the pianist. He whispers in his ear: “The monkey pees in your glass.” Answers the pianist : “Don’t know that tune, but maybe you can hum some of it?”

If anyone else had told this corny and silly joke, no one would have laughed but the way Michael told it, already laughing and giggling in that high pitched voice of his, made them all crack up ! He really thought he was so funny !! And he had such a great time with him and himself that everyone around him could do nothing but laugh along.

Miko rubbed his eyes, laughing so hard, he cried over it. Honey had to get up because she really couldn’t hold herself any longer. She almost rolled over the floor hysterically having fun. Michael himself laid his head on his arms and hiccupped from laughing.

They spent a lovely afternoon, for Michael the best ever. Whilst joking, the air was cleared between him and Honey, and they were back to normal. He didn’t know what he liked best, the sexual tension between them or the playful friendship. For now he decided to leave it like this. His time would come !

At last Veronica got up. Being the hostess she still had lots of things to do.

“I’m so sorry we have to leave but we need to go shopping, before the store closes.” She addressed to Honey : “Will you please clear the table in the meantime, sweetheart ?”

“Of course, mama. Anything else I can do whilst you’re out ?”

“Keep Michael out of trouble…” Nick replied in Veronica’s place. They all laughed at Michael’s pouty face and all went to their duties. Nick and Veronica left to do the groceries together. Bill, André and Miko went to set up their working schedule. And Honey and Michael… were left on their own again…

“So Michael, if you ever run out of inspiration for songs, you’d make a good comic !”

“Yeah, I love to joke.”

Honey began to clear the table, putting the food in the fridge first.

“Can I be of your assistance, m’am ?” Michael asked in his silly English accent.

“Well actually you can. I believe that men should be able to run a household by themselves. So let’s see if you’re any good at it.”

“Are you challenging me ?” He stood up and made his way to her… and then realized he was a bit handicapped. “Ouch, stupid me. Forgot my foot.”

Honey burst out laughing. “Poor you. I forgot it too. We’re two empty heads.” They looked at each other and there they went again, without any reason laughing till their stomachs hurt. We all know that such laughing fits are the best to release any tension. And they made use of it !

“Oh my god, help me ! I’m dying!” Honey cried, laughing. “You’ll have to pick me up if I fall !!”

“Cannot ! Am limp! Ouch, my stomach !”

Half an hour later the table still wasn’t cleared as they sat there laughing and giggling, at their own silly jokes. Bill poked his head around the door to check on them. He thought there were at least ten people present in the kitchen, judging by the noise they were producing. But when he saw them together, having such a great time, he left quickly, shaking his head and smiling. Ah, how beautiful it was to be young and playful. Especially the two of them. He really hoped Michael would end up with this sweet girl. He deserved some happiness !

The phone rang and got them somehow out of their fit of laughter.

“There’s someone at the phone.” he said in a silly voice.

“Michael, stop it. They are going to take us away ! I..I have to pick it up.”

“Throw it away ! It’s making too much noise.” The idea of Honey throwing the phone into the yard only because it rang, cracked him up. He knew he was acting silly but he just couldn’t help himself.

“He..hello ?” Honey tried to get her voice steady and calm.

“Honey, Honey, are you there ? What’s up, girlfriend ?”

“Hahaha Barbara, my friend. I’m dying out here.”

“I can hear that. Wanna share ?”

“I’ve got this clown sitting next to me. He has one black eye and he limps. Whouaaa!”

“You’re talking riddles, girl.”

“I know, there’s nothing that can be done to cure me. I’m sick of laughter !” She tried to compose herself. As long as she did not look at Michael, everything would turn out just fine. She turned her back at him but still heard him trying to catch his breath, which was funny enough. In order to safe herself from ruining the conversation with her best friend, she took the phone to the other side of the kitchen.

“Okay Barbara darling, talk to me.”

“I wonder if you would like to hang out together for a while ?”

“Oh, yes, oh let me see. Gosh, I sure would love to, but I’m quite occupied these days.”

“Didn’t you tell me that John left today ? I thought you would be all teary and emotional. I was kind of hoping to come over. But I guess you don’t need cheering up?”

“Ahw Barbara !!” She smiled to herself. “Are you disappointed that I’m not sad ?”

“No of course not, you silly bat ! I just wanted to see you and have some good time together.”

“Well, let me check something out first. Can I call you back ?”

“Sure love. See you later. Don’t forget about it !”

She put down the telephone and turned to Michael.

“Michael, this was my best friend Barbara.”

“Yes…”

“I was wondering, would you like to meet her ?”

“Huh well, I guess I would love to. The only thing is : is she trustful ? I don’t want anyone to know that I’m staying here. It would ruin our holiday together.” He really seemed very worried.

“Oh Michael, she and her boyfriend Daniel are my very best friends. We’ve known each other since we were babies. Our mothers are friends too. I’ll tell you some time about Barbara and Daniel. Their story is really sweet. So, if you agree, I need to call her back. I want to invite them for dinner tomorrow. And maybe some games afterwards. Would you like that ? I know mama and papa are out tomorrow evening.” and she thought “better not be alone with you…”

“That’ll be great.” and he thought “rather be home alone with you…”

She picked up the telephone to call her friend and in the meantime Michael tried to clear the table, hopping around on one foot, like a disabled kangaroo.

“Hi Barbara, it’s me again. Sorry that I left you without an immediate answer. So what about tomorrow evening ? We can eat together and play some games. Bring Daniel with you.” At the sight of Michael almost tripping over because he hopped a bit too enthusiastic, she began laughing again.

“Well, there is something quite funny going on over at your place, so yes, we will surely come.”

“Oh and Barbara… hold on to your braces, girl, I have a big surprise for you both.”

“I love surprises. Can’t wait to find out. Let me guess ? Is it eatable ? Can I take it with me ? Is it furry ?”

“Haha Barbara, no, no and no. You’re the greatest ! See you tomorrow.”

She put down the phone and hurried to the rescue. Michael almost dropped a pile of dirty plates.

“Jackson, sit down ! And that’s an order !” she said in a severe manner but with a smile on her face.

“Aye captain.” he saluted and almost lost his balance. She grabbed him just in time.

“Wow, I’m being rescued by wonder woman.” He held on to her as if he really was going to fall.

“Kiss me..” he said all of a sudden.

“Nope, am not going there…” she smiled very sweetly but still pushed him away. “I’m so not going there, Michael. I wanna keep my sanity for a while.”

“Do I drive you crazy ?” he grinned.

Gosh, why did he have to be so sexy, she thought. His dark skin glowed in the afternoon light and his eyes were as two burning coals. He was trying to get her near to him, without words. He knew, he knew ! She was sure of it ! But she had John ! And this was so not like her !

Luckily at that moment the backdoor opened and woke them out of the trance he still managed to get them into. Veronica and Nick came in with the first load of the groceries. They were a bit disappointed at first because the table still wasn’t cleared but the sight of Michael trying to find his balance while holding on to Honey’s shoulder, made them smile. At least the youngsters made an attempt to clean up…

And luckily they didn’t notice the sexual energy that was still simmering in the kitchen.  Both Michael and Honey fell back to earth with a bang !

They did spend the rest of the afternoon and the evening, feeling more and more at ease with each other. Even with Michael, on the lurk, trying to seduce her into his arms. He sang to her from time to time, when they were alone, not hiding his message at all. He felt that as long as she was not married (God forbid!), he should take every chance he had to persuade her into a relationship with him. He could be very persistent if his mind was set on something. What he didn’t know yet, was that Honey was a very stubborn little lady.

So they spent a sweet evening in the living room with Honey’s parents, talking about everything that came to their mind. As it became later, Michael’s yearning to be alone with Honey, fled away for a bit and in its place came a soothing contentment that this family would be his forever, even being with her or not. He just knew this for a fact. As he went to bed, a little muzzy of the wine he drank (wasn’t used to it), he could actually say he had spend the best evening of his entire life.

The next day passed in the same manner and soon it was time to start cooking for Honey’s guests. Veronica and Nick already left for their dinner party.

“I’ll make a spaghetti. That’s the best I can do. I’m not such a great cook. I’ll add chicken instead of beef. Would you like that ?”

“I’ll eat anything as long as you make it. I’m not much of a cook either.”

She was so glad he stopped flirting with her for the time being. She was really afraid she would eventually give in and she didn’t want to cheat on John. But still she wasn’t sure if she was taking the right decision. Only time would tell.

“But would you mind helping me ? You can cut the vegetables.”

He smiled from ear to ear. She didn’t know how happy she made him be ! Just to be able to do ordinary stuff and not thinking about the media circus outside. He could get used to this.

She taught him how to peel and cut the onions.

“Ouch, why do you make me do this ? It stings and brings tears to my eyes!”

“Don’t be such a baby, Michael ! I don’t want the tears either. I’m wearing mascara. Besides, you deserve it!”

“What ? Me ? I’ve been a good boy lately….” The sight of him smiling to her with his red eyes half closed made her giggle. He rubbed his eyes and that made it worse of course. “Ouch, take them away from me !” He shoved the onions to her side of the table.

“You’re a nag, Michael Jackson ! Here peel the carrots instead.”

Actually, besides being ‘pretty’, he was of no use to her. He made a mess of everything ! But they had their share of fun alright. And the food turned out just fine. They decided to dine in the kitchen. Michael loved it there ! He felt at home there even if he was a lousy cook.

As the doorbell rang, she ordered him to keep stirring the sauce.

“Don’t let it burn !” And realized she was taking a risk here. “I think our guests have arrived.”

“Our” guests ! It sounded as music in his ears. They were in this together !

Honey smiled broadly as she welcomed Barbara and Daniel inside. She took over their coats and hugged them both.

“Guys, I’m so glad you could make it. I have a big surprise for you both. But first I want you to promise me that this must absolutely remain a secret. You can’t tell anyone about it. Will you promise me this ? It really is a matter of life and death. Sort of.”

“Okay, we promise. You know us. Come, tell us already.”

“You’ll see. Oh, and Bra, don’t scream.”

As they entered the kitchen, Michael turned around at the sound of their footsteps, and smiled his brightest smile, happy to meet Honey’s friends.

Barbara gasped for air and almost fainted.

“Pinch me !” she hissed.

“Hi,” Michael limped forward “I’m Michael Jackson. Pleased to meet you.”

“Gosh ! Are you real ? I can’t believe my eyes !” Barbara turned to Honey. “How could you hold this secret from me, you naughty girl ?!” and to Michael “I’m so glad to meet you. Can’t believe it ! But I promise, I will not scream.”

“Ah, “ Michael thought “another steady Flemish girl.” He began to like ‘em all.

“The pleasure is all mine.” And he kissed her cheek. He shook hands with Daniel. He decided he liked them both. They seemed very nice and he immediately felt at ease with them.

“So you are the limping, black eyed clown ?” Barbara said to him, checking him out. “How did this happen ?”

“It’s all Honey’s fault!” he grinned.

“Don’t you start, Jackson !” Honey punched him with her elbow.

“You see ! That’s how I got hurt !”

“You clown ! Come on, let’s all sit down.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The longer Michael enjoyed the presence of these nice Flemish people, the more he became attached to them. They chitchatted about everything that came to their mind and he was amazed at how easy he could bond to them. He had never experienced that before, not with any of his showbiz friends. Maybe it was because they were so very down to earth. Even though Barbara had been a little star struck at the beginning, she soon turned around completely and treated him like the guy next door. He really got the impression that he could trust them. He learned that Barbara and Honey followed the same courses. They both had the same interests too. Daniel was of his age and he ran a toy store. His kind of guy !

“I would like to visit your store someday, but I’m afraid that would cause some unwelcome commotion.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’m sure I can arrange something. But then you should know that we Belgians, are not of the hysterical type. Just let me know.”

“Thanks Daniel, I appreciate it. Maybe next time when I’m in Belgium. And I’m not worried about the public. It’s the press. They are the same all over the world. Wherever I go or whatever I do, they pick me apart. I cannot tell you how horrible that feels. They would harass you too if it was known I visited you store.”

“Well, excuse me but I really don’t think that will happen. We Belgians are quite down to earth.”

“Yeah, maybe. I’m just very cautious and yeah, maybe too suspicious about it. It can get really ugly sometimes, you know. In the States I’m being followed as a wolf chases a deer.  cannot go out on my own anymore. Whenever I step out, I know that there will be some bullsh*t in the papers the next day. It’s getting to me lately. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful that I have this kind of success with my album, but I can do without the gossip.”

“There will always be gossip, Michael. Tabloids are garbage and I’m sure most of the people here share my opinion.” Honey said. She felt so sorry for him. “I never thought about it before because to me, it’s something you read when you wait for your turn at the hairdresser’s. Afterwards you throw it away and don’t think about it anymore. And you never believe what’s printed in there. At least, that’s my idea.”

Honey brought forward the opinion of many and it did him good. He softly caressed her hand, giving away how much he appreciated this, and how much he liked her.

“There is a freedom of speech and of course freedom of press, but altogether there should be some control over what’s been written. Most of that garbage is not true and they don’t even have to back it up with evidence. That should be changed ! When students write an essay for school they too have to back it up with all the evidence they can find, so why not the journalists?” Barbara added.

“So rest assured Michael, over here it’s all about the music.” Daniel smiled at him.

“Okay then, just to be sure : two questions.” He couldn’t resist testing them.

“Question 1 : what is my middle name ?”

“Uh, don’t know.”

“Question 2 : where do I live ? Not for Honey, you’re excluded…”

“Uh, United States ?”

“Oh guys, you made me so happy !”

“For not knowing the answers ? You’re strange !”

Michael smiled. Could he call them friends ? He remembered his despair during the taping of the ‘Off the wall’ album. He was so much in need of a friend back then.

“Honey, you did an amazing job at this spaghetti. Love the chicken in it.” Daniel smiled at her. “But now, I’m up for a smoke. Wanna join, Mike ?”

“Huh… I don’t smoke but I would like to catch some fresh air for the moment. I haven’t been outside for 2 days.”

Both men put on their coat and stepped into the yard, Michael of course on his crutches, but handsome as ever.

They had merely left the kitchen when Barbara launched the first question to Honey.

“Okay, girlfriend ! What’s the story here ?”

“Huh ? What do you mean ?”

“Ah ! Don’t you play innocent with me !! I saw him looking at you !”

“So, let him. I’m with John.”

“Honey !! He’s Michael Jackson for crying out loud !!”

“You should me better than that ! I’m not jumping into a relationship with someone just because he’s famous.”

“I know, sweetie, but he’s gorgeous and he’s in love with you !”

“He is not !”

“Oooh !! I can tell you, he is ! That look in his eyes ! Girl, he was devouring you with those chocolate pools of him.”

“Stop it, Bra ! I really don’t need this right now. I’ll tell you what happened. And then you’ll understand.”

Outside…

“Painful ?” Daniel asked.

“No, not so. But hey, don’t tell anyone.” He grinned.

“Ah ok, I get it. A way to get to Honey ?”

“I do have to let it rest, but I take some advantage of it. Hurts no one.”

They both laughed.

“So you are gonna save her from John ?”

“Don’t you like him ?”

“He’s so full of himself, man. ! He and his friends are really disgusting sometimes. They think they’re quite something, acting like the intellectual types. They look down on all other people, which I think is very poor !”

“That’s so unlike Honey ! Can’t believe that !”

“Oh no, not Honey ! She’s such a sweet thing but she shouldn’t be with them. John knows all too well that he will not ever find another girl like her. But I’m afraid she is a little blind at this point.”

“So what do you suggest then ? Must I save her ?” Michael grinned at the thought of him riding on a white horse into the sunset, with maiden Honey in his arms.

“Don’t tell me there’s nothing going on, man. And I tell you, when I see it, everyone sees it.”

“She doesn’t want me.”

Daniel burst out laughing. “Ha ha, gosh, she doesn’t know it yet. Ha ha! You keep pushing, Michael !”

“I don’t want to hurt anyone. It’s difficult !”

“Wow, you’re making history with your music. Don’t tell me you’re afraid of some itty bitty tiny girl ? Go get her !”

Michael’s eyes almost popped out of his head! Boy, this guy was straight forward ! Go get her, lol !

“You think I should ? I don’t want to hurt her. And I don’t want her to cheat on John. That would make her feel so bad…that’s not my style. I want her to feel at ease.”

“Well, it’s as they say, in love and war, everything is permitted. Just go for it if you really want her. She’ll get over it. If you want her, you’ll have to work for it. She’s a pretty stubborn little lady.”

“So you know her since when ?”

“Since they were both in kindergarten and I was in elementary school. We three have been friends for quite a long time now. I love them girls.”

“Ha, but you love Barbara more ?”

“She’s the lady of my life. Always has been and always will be. But I too had to fight for it. Life is a struggle, man!” He said this with such a funny look on his face, that Michael couldn’t but laugh.

“Let’s get back in. Hope the kitchen is cleared, in the mean time. And I hope she doesn’t hear this, or I will get it right back at me.” Daniel knew his girl all too well, it seemed.

Indeed the kitchen was all cleared and the girls were already in the living room, near the fire place. Daniel lowered himself on the couch, next to Barbara and put his arm around her shoulder.

“Thanks for cleaning up, babe. You’re the best.”

Honey sat on the floor, leaning against the opposite couch, warming her hands to the fire. Michael went to sit right behind her, putting his crutches aside.

“How’s your foot, Michael ? Any better ?”

“The pain comes and goes.” He looked at Daniel, trying to hold himself from laughing. “You did an amazing job cooking, Honey. Gonna take you with me.”

“To cook ?”

“Oh, I can think of some other chores too…” Chores, as in anything but the household, he thought.

Honey wasn’t quite sure if he was joking or not. She looked up at him and saw the twinkling in his eyes. Oh, she would so get back to him !

“Well, I love to do them chores, but my back easily hurts. I don’t know, I have such a strange feeling right now. It’s because of all that cooking, I guess. Does any of you know a good masseuse ?”

“I’m told to have strong fingers.” Michael said. “I will be glad to help you out.”

“Ok, go right ahead, big boy.”

Michael’s eyebrows lifted up. What was she up to ? Big boy ? Huh ?

He put his hands onto her shoulders and started squeezing very softly. His thumbs pushed her shoulder blades and started to undo the hardness of the muscles right there.

“Gosh, you’re stiff. Too much stress lately ?” He chuckled.

She sat very still, preparing herself to get to him, but already this was getting its toll on her, instead of him. Oh my god…

“So Barbara, what are you guys up to for Christmas ?” She tried to keep herself together, but besides in his music he sure had magic in his hands too. If she got in trouble this time, it was her own fault.

Just chitchatting and fooling around, didn’t make her feel any better (or should I say worse? It depends on how you look at it…) but she was desperate to get a grip on the situation again.

In the meantime, Michael tried to focus on the conversation but being this near to her and feeling her soft shoulders under his hands, really made it difficult for him. Daniel noticed his confusion and looked at him as if he would say : “She will not make this easy for you.”

It was indeed a strange situation, he wanted her and he knew that she wanted him but didn’t realize it yet. So what was there to do ? He wasn’t going to give it up, even if it would take him years of his life. He would never give up on her.

So he kept massaging, trying to blank the feeling out of his mind. Then, without further notice, she suddenly started moving along with his hands. What on earth was she doing ?! “Sit still!” He shouted at her, in himself. Of course he couldn’t say that out loud, but this was not going into the right direction.

“Ooh, Michael, you do this really well !” She rubbed her shoulders against his hands. She kept talking to Barbara and Daniel. Daniel realized immediately what she was aiming for. Honey was too hot to handle for Michael’s own good. He chuckled. Oh, did he give Michael the wrong advice ! The poor guy was gonna fall into his own trap! Too late ! Too bad !

“Ooh, my muscles are just turning into syrup. Your hands are magical ! This feels so sweet…”

These little one liners, put out in the midst of a perfect normal conversation, made Michael practically go mad. Did she really enjoy it all that much ?

She realized he still didn’t have a clue that she did this on purpose. Too funny !

She rolled her head from one shoulder to another, knowing that her hair would caress his hands.

“Ooh, Michael, you certainly have the wrong profession. Ooh, aah.”

Did she really moan ? He was not sure. But he was sure of something else now : he was in big trouble!

Daniel now for sure thought he was gonna die trying to keep himself from laughing. But he did come to Michael’s rescue : “Let’s play a game ! Shall we ? How about playing cards ?”

“Don’t know any card games.” Michael said.

“We’ll teach you. You’re invited in our gambling den.”

“Do we play for money ?”

“Noooo. Never ! Don’t you have enough ?” Barbara teased him.

“Oh no, not another one ! God help me. I already have enough trouble with one girl on my back.” He glanced over at Honey who immediately gave him an aggrieved look.

“I’m not that bad, Michael… Ain’t I sweet as my name implies ?”

“Mmm, I’m sure you can be, if you want to…” And he ducked away as she tried to hit him with a cushion. “Ahw Honey, take care ! I’m already hurt enough as it is. You really want to see me end in the hospital, don’t you !!” He laughed even harder when she pouted.

“Children ! Children !” Barbara called them to order. “Come on, the game is waiting.”

They all lowered themselves to the ground to sit at the coffee table, after they made sure Michael was comfortable with his foot and all.

“So what’s the name of the game ?”

“Pappen !”

“Pappen ?” The way he pronounced this was another reason to burst out in laughing. Can you imagine Michael Jackson speaking Flemish ? The funniest thing !

They explained the rules which were easy enough.

“Ok, first round it is. I’ll help you get through it, but just for this round.”

“Sure, can’t be difficult. Only must count to 50.”

Haha ! Was he wrong ! If they would have been playing for money, he would be a tramp right now ! He lost ! But he had a very good time ! Not in the least because she was sitting next to him, helping him out with this game. If he was really true to himself, he would have preferred playing “strip poker”. Oh no ! What was he thinking ??

Finally the evening came to an end when Barbara noticed it started snowing.

“I don’t want to be the party pooper but we should go. We’d better hurry home before it gets worse outside.”

Daniel could only agree to this. He was the one driving.“You’re right, babe. I have to get you home in time too. Don’t want any problems with the parents.”

“We’ll see you to the door.” Michael said. “I hope we can meet again soon. It was very nice to meet you both.”

“Ahw Michael, we loved it too. You’re much fun to be with. We make a good team. We would love to meet you again sometime. Just let us know, okay ?”

They led them to the door and waved them goodbye till the lights of the car disappeared from the driveway and through the gate.

It had been a wonderful night but still Michael was glad to be alone with her at last ! He sighed. He hadn’t forgotten about his mission and he just needed another chance to get what he wanted. Maybe this was his time right now.

“Are you tired yet, Honey ?”

“Mmm, a little bit. But I always need to unwind a little before I can go to bed. Shall we watch some television ? I just want to sit back and relax. Is that okay with you ?”

“Sure.” He would do anything she asked him to do, except for leaving.

They got to the big couch and both sat down at the same time, almost at the same spot. He laughed at her, his teeth sparkling white in his dark face. And he took her breath away once more. She shook her head and turned on the TV-set. And there he was again : on the news, because of his album, was breaking all records. And she had him on her couch too.

“I don’t need to watch myself tonight, Honey.”

“Sst, I wanna hear.”

“De popster Michael Jackson breekt alle records in de muziekindustrie ! Het verkoopcijfer van zijn nieuwste album “Thriller” blijkt alle grenzen te overschrijden, maar de ster zelf blijkt op dit moment niet bereikbaar te zijn voor commentaar.”

“Honeeeey !” he complained. “I don’t understand.”

“You’re a whining baby, Michael. Just wait a second.”

And when his face finally left the screen she turned to him. “They were just saying you’re breaking all the records. And you’re not available to launch any comments.”

“Huh ho, of course not, I’m out of town…”

“Haha, more like, out of the country. You should be there, Michael.”

“No, they can do without me for a few days. The record is doing its job. I prefer sitting here on the couch with you, watching a movie. Come on, zap through it…”

“Okay, I’ll change channels.” She took the remote control and pushed the buttons.

“Hey stop ! I want to see this one.” he stopped her zapping at Poltergeist.

“Michael, that’s a horror movie. I’m gonna get scared.”

“I’ll protect you. C’mon Honey, it’ll be fun. Turn down the lights and let’s get freaked out!”

“Okay.” She turned down the lights, besides one and hurried back to the couch. He immediately pulled her close to him.

“Just in case you should get scared.”

Now this movie was fun, he thought, but it seemed that Honey didn’t share his opinion. The tension really got a hold on her, although it was brought very tastefully. But it was easy to frighten her. With every scary scene she put her hands before her eyes. He laughed at her but held her very tight and congratulated himself over that. This was his best move ever. Long live the horror movies!

She almost screamed when it got really nasty and buried her face against his chest, until the credits ran over the screen.

“Honey ?” he said in her ear. She jumped up and almost hit her head against his chin. He grabbed her just in time avoiding her falling off the couch. Doing so he kind of pulled her on top of him. This was too much to resist for him and in one second he turned her around, so that she laid against the backside of the couch, with him in the way if she would ever want to get up.

“You won’t fall off anymore.”

“Gosh, I was so scared !”

“Ha ha, and now I’m gonna eat you! I’m the werewolf !”

“Michael, don’t do that ! You frighten me !”

Right that minute, he had the most brilliant idea of his career. Boy, this was gonna make a great video. Werewolf in London !

“Michael !” she complained loudly. “You bit me ! For real !”

“Did I ?! Oh Honey, I’m sorry.” Did he really bite her ? He saw a little red mark in her neck. “Ouch Honey ! I Was just fooling around.” He softly kissed the spot. “I’ll make it go away.”

“It doesn’t feel that way. Stop it, Michael !”

“No, I won’t….it’s still there.” and he kissed her once again. Her legs went all limp and suddenly, moving was not an option anymore. He immediately took advantage of the situation and his mouth moved to hers, at the speed of lightning. His tongue softly licked her lips and made sure there were no barriers at taking what he wanted. He entered her mouth as a breeze of fresh air, yet hot as hells fire. She almost fainted there in his arms, not exactly welcoming this feeling of utter bliss but not able to fight it either.

He felt like a Alexander the Great, sure of his moves, ready to conquer.

She couldn’t move, her arms and legs felt like rubber. She was sure to fall apart if he would ever let her loose. But he didn’t, not just yet. His hands got hold of her behind and pulled her very close to his body. His desire was pushing against her thigh, leaving no doubt in her mind what he was thinking of.…

“Oh girl, I want…”

She hushed him and tried to pull herself from his embrace. “Michael, stop this please. I shouldn’t be doing this. I’m in love with John.”

Her speaking the name of his rival, sobered him up, right away. But his voice still sounded real low and thick as he spoke to her. “Honey, you want me too. I feel it in your every move, I see it in your eyes. It’s not me alone who is responsible for this.”

“I just can’t, Michael. Stop it right now ! Can I not trust you ?”

“Honey, I will never ever give up trying. Don’t you know how I feel ?”

She pushed him away and got off the couch.

“Honey, we must talk about this.” He looked up at her with eyes full of confusion.

“There is nothing to talk about. Leave it !!”

“You are a stubborn woman ! Listen to me ! I need you to talk to me.” He tried to grab her hands but she tore herself away from him, her eyes suddenly blazing with anger, like a cornered animal.

“I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT !!” She took off to her bedroom and left him there sitting, completely shocked at her angry reaction.

Oh boy, he was screwing up ! If only he could’ve controlled himself ! But then again, why did she not choose him? She wanted him alright. He knew that for sure. What was there about this John that made her refuse him, Michael ? He just didn’t understand it.

He heard the door to her bedroom slam and thought it was best to go after her. He hated arguing but this should be set straight. He didn’t want this to get in the way of their friendship. It was much too important.

Limping up the stairs wasn’t easy but he made it without stumbling. Now, where was her room ? Just follow the noise, he thought. He heard cupboard doors slam and Honey swearing as if she was a sailor. At least that was how it sounded, because he couldn’t understand any of the words. She was angry in Flemish ! He thought it sounded cute but at the time being he’d better not tell her that. She was mad enough as it was. Patience Michael, Patience with a capital P….

He knocked at her door.

“LEAVE ME ALONE.”

Wow, she sounded furious ! Luckily he was not easily scared, so he slowly turned the doorknob and entered the room. He felt as if he entered a lion’s cage, risking his life.

“Honey..”

“GET OUT !” She was pacing up and down the carpet in front of her bed, taking her anger out on some fresh laundry, smacking it into the drawers.

“Honey, we..”

“MICHAEL, STOP IT !”

“No, I won’t. I have to talk to you.”

“I DON’T WANT TO TALK TO YOU!”

“Honey..”

Honey really lost her temper, big time ! What was going on with her ? She hated feeling like this. There were so many emotions tumbling over each other in her mind that she actually just wanted to scream out loud and kick somebody. It was not that she was just mad, she was desperate too ! But then the madness came out anyway ! She grabbed the laundry and with all her might, threw it at him, whilst stamping on the floor with both her feet. A bundle of little lacy things came flying his way. One landed on his head and another on his shoulder. He even caught some in his hands and the floor soon was covered with them. Her laundry was now everywhere, except in her drawers.

He looked down at all the different delicate colors displayed before his eyes. Underwear ! She threw her underwear at him ! He tried not to smile. This was a silly situation after all. He had never had a girl throwing her undies at him and the sight of her, being so mad, was actually cute. She had nothing of a lion. She looked like a cornered kitten, nothing more. And that he could manage! So before she could throw anything else at him, he took a leap at her, even with his sprained foot, and caught her in his arms.

“You do have a temper, girl ! Wow !” He advised himself not to flirt this time, although he did have some lines sitting in the back of his mind, about the interesting combination of temper and passion. This called to be serious though.

He sat down on the bed and forced her to sit with him. His arms got her in a firm grip and he felt her emotions raging through her tiny body. Why did she make this so difficult for herself? Didn’t she see that he was the one ? Yet, this was not the time to talk about that. The most important thing was to make her feel good again.

“C’mon Honey, calm down a bit.” His lips stroke her hair, very softly. “I know you don’t want to talk about it, but we have to. I don’t want to lose you, you know. You’ve become so very dear to me. You’re like the only friend I have at this moment. I’m sorry to be so selfish but please hear me out.” He didn’t stop talking, trying to sooth her with his soft voice.

He continued :

“The day I met you, a whole new world opened up to me. I had been through some rough times, wandering the streets at night, in search for a friend. You have no idea of how lonely I was. Ever since I set foot on stage, I have been working. There was no time for play and therefore no time for making friends. And then I met you, honest and true. But also beautiful and witty and…sexy. That’s what you are to me, all of it. I cannot think of you in any other way. I don’t have any experience what so ever with friendship or love, so you must forgive me my behavior. I was not aware of hurting you so much. I just want to love you and be loved back.”

He hugged her, this time as a friend. She could tell the difference.

“Are we friends then first ?” She asked, in a trembling voice.

“I hope we are. As long as you stop throwing your undies at me.” He smiled, still consoling her with his eyes. “I’m not sure friends do that.” He hoped his humor could release her from the stress she was under.

“That was stupid, huh. Sorry about that.”

“I don’t mind. I love your underwear. It’s looks prettier than mine…”

“I lost my temper ! At least, now you know who I really am. I’m not as sweet and loving as you might think.”

“Oh, you are. But you do have a temper !” He chuckled. He was teasing her again and she punched him right back with her elbow. But then got serious again.

“I’m sorry Michael. I promise I will never ever get so angry with you again.”

“Ah, that would be the same as me promising I will never flirt with you again. I don’t think we should make promises like that. What I will promise you, is that you have my friendship and whenever you are ready for it, you’ll have my love.”

“Michael, that is so beautiful. I’m so glad to have you as a friend.” She felt the negative emotions leave her body, one by one. This was so much better.

“And you know, I kinda like you being angry. You do look cute then.”

It was so easy to enrage her, but it was even easier to put a smile on her face.

She then realized that he was up here in her room, without crutches!

“Oh Michael, you came up the stairs all alone.”

“Well, I’m a big boy, I can climb stairs.”

“But your foot…”

“It’s much better ! My ego hurts me more.”

“And your eye. It’s getting ugly now.” The skin around his eye had indeed turned quite black. As she lightly touched it, he didn’t pull back. This he could handle too. He would learn.

“I’m so sorry, Michael. I still don’t know what came over me.”

“Sometimes, life takes us by surprise and there is nothing we can do about it. And I’m sure you feel like you’re doing the right thing, in your eyes at least. So, I may not agree with your decisions but I do respect them. I’m sorry I made you angry. It’s all my fault.”

She looked at him, her fingers frozen on his face. How come he was so wise ? He said he didn’t know anything about friendship but he just proved to be the best friend in the world.

A deep sigh escaped her body and she rubbed her eyes.

“I’m sleepy. I wanna go to bed.”

“Me too, but I don’t think I can go down the stairs…” He scratched his head. “I think I have to stay here all night long.”

She rolled her eyes…he was incorrigible. But she could be as playful as he was. A little flirting never hurt anyone and it was much more fun than fighting anyway. And he looked so sweet when he was flirting with her. How could she stay angry at him ?

“You can always sleep in Tom’s bed.”

“Ouch, you’re much too clever ! “

“Besides what would my parents say, if they found you here, in my bed ?

“Ah, everything depends of the state I’m in.”

“Michael !!!”

“I mean my clothes…”

“I can get you your pajamas but you still have to sleep in Tom’s bed.”

“You’re a severe woman ! I came here to comfort you and you send me away when I need you.”

“I think you need something else ! Go to bed, Jackson, and let me have my beauty sleep.”

As always, he wanted to have the last word !

“If you were mine, you wouldn’t get any sleep ever. You’d turn all ugly.”

With these last words he disappeared out of her room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Tom finally came home, Michael was already a well respected member of this lovely household. He didn’t feel a guest anymore. They put him at ease in every single way. First of all they didn’t treat him any differently because he was the world’s most famous entertainer. They didn’t put him on a pedestal at all. Even if he wanted to eat or drink anything, they simply told him to get it himself. And he had to make his own bed, which he hadn’t done in years !! They did have a cleaning lady but some chores still had to be done. They expected as much of him as of Honey or Tom. That was refreshing in some way or another. At least it brought him back to earth.

He and Honey spend almost all their time together. He didn’t want to leave her side for one minute. Because of his fame it was impossible to go out, but there was still a lot to do around the house. They played games, they talked, they watched television. They did go outside a lot too. The estate was big enough and even walking under an umbrella, because of the dreadful Belgian weather, was a joy with her. She was so easy to talk to, a very good listener too. And god only knew, how much he needed that. They grew closer by the minute and he felt as if he really belonged there. There was only one thing missing, but he knew it was better not to put her under any pressure any more. He hadn’t forgotten about the undies ! And furthermore he didn’t want to risk losing her friendship.

What he really hated however was her being on the telephone with that John character. He wished he could simply erase him from their lives but unfortunately it was not his choice to make. When she was sweet talking to her boyfriend, he simply left the room. Sometimes he felt like throwing up, which he didn’t of course but it must have showed some way or the other. He really tried not to, but when she left the telephone, he couldn’t help himself being grumpy. At that time it was better to stay out of his way. The one that saved him often enough during these conversations was young Tom. Michael found another new friend in him. Their friendship was on another level of course. With Tom, Michael could play like if he was 12 again. He missed that part of his life and whenever he had the chance he would try to go back in time and make up for the loss. He was grateful for a little brother like Tom.

Christmas Eve was approaching quickly. The house was buzzing with excitement because this was of course the most important event of the year. Because of Michael they didn’t invite any other relatives and decided to keep it small and intimate, but not less festive ! Although he felt a little guilty, he appreciated it very much ! He had so much to be thankful for.

Being a Jehova’s witness he was not accustomed to the celebrating of Christmas but he loved all of it.

He was especially looking forward to the presents ! Whenever he thought of presents he felt that little kid stirring inside of him. He loved the thrill of the unexpected. To this family it was customary to each pick one name and choose out something special for him or her. There also was a limited budget to the presents, as they believed that Christmas should be about love, not about earthly goods.

Michael picked Veronica. This was definitely a challenge to him ! He wanted to make it special. When he left the States he didn’t have a clue that he would spend Christmas Eve with them, so he was not exactly prepared. And then, with his sprained foot and all, he did not have the opportunity to go out and buy a present. The last thing he wanted was to order Miko or Bill to go out and pick something out for her. That was much too impersonal. He had another idea though, and he was pretty sure, she would like it very much.

The house smelled delicious of all the food that was being cooked. It didn’t surprise him that Veronica made a lot more than they needed for themselves. This surplus was given to the nearest shelter for the homeless. It made him proud to be part of this, although he was of not of much use in the kitchen. Most of the time he sat there, playing games with Tom and telling stories to the women about his tours and the countries he had visited.

“England was really bad ! I lost a shoe there, because we had to flee from the fans. I was scared but at the same time I loved it ! All those girls wanting to get hold of me. Yes Honey, there are actually women who like me !!” He laughed sweetly at her. She shook her head and stuck out her tongue to him !

“Tom, you got to stick by me, man! Your sister thinks she can rule me. I need your help. We men must cover each other’s backs.” It was so much easier now, as Tom’s hearing aid worked perfectly. The boy even managed to learn quite some English. A relief to Michael, as Flemish turned out to be a very difficult language to learn in such a short time. He picked up a few words though, but was too shy to speak. Although at night in his room, he practiced some.

“Liefje…(sweetheart)” or “Schatje…(treasure)”. Would he ever get the chance to use them while talking to her ?

“Finished !” Honey yelled out. “Done cooking, yes!”

They all laughed at her. She didn’t like cooking. Michael thought that if she was to marry him, she would never have to cook again. But that was daydreaming of course.

“Mama, shall I dress the table ?” That she did like. And she was good at it too, being an interior decorator (almost). Michael loved to watch her work. He saw the ideas grow in her head, just as this happened to himself while songwriting. An just like him, she just needed one little spark and creativity came flowing out. He thought they really matched. If only she would see that too!

The dining room table looked spectacular after she finished. For colors, she stuck to tender gold and sparkling white, with a little touch of green. She used a simple white table cloth, plain white plates and beautifully gold painted glasses. The napkins were made of the same fabric as the table cloth but embroidered with little golden angels.

The center piece of the table was a low golden candle holder, with several arms. She didn’t like to use high center pieces because she believed that it was very important to be able to talk to your neighbor without an obstacle in the way. On the other hand, as Michael was sitting on the opposite side of the table, she would have been able to hide from his gaze. But no, she stuck to her first thought. So she stuck to the low candle holder, beautifully decorated with ivy and mistletoe. She didn’t even dare to hang the mistletoe on the ceiling either, this year.

When they got together again for dinner at Christmas Eve, they all looked their Sunday’s best. And of course Michael sparkled the most, with his white jacket, embroidered with golden curls. The contrast with his dark skin was breathtaking and this time it was obvious who was the real superstar ! He had put a real effort to it and he looked quite intimidating ! Because they hadn’t seen him like this before he wanted to give them a special treat. Michael Jackson, the entertainer.

But Michael thought that Honey was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes upon. She wore a tight black velvet jumpsuit, her hair put up in a knot, held together with a long white scarf, with just some little strings of hair hanging down. He wondered if they just escaped, to tease him. What a tantalizing sight ! He hoped he could hold it together tonight, or else he would be ashamed for the rest of his life !

Diner was sublime and they all enjoyed themselves very much. Tonight Michael was more the listener than the talker. He loved all of these conversations and as it were, inhaled the atmosphere. And yes, he found out the use of all the different knives and forks !

He learned a lot about Honey too, that night. She had not always been such a good and lovely girl. Her father claimed her to be a very naughty little girl, always up to some pranks and not obeying to her parents at all. Always saying “no” to any question they raised, never wanting to fit in. At some point, Michael thought, she hadn’t changed all that much. She was obstinate and had a strong opinion. But she was sweet too and tried to please everyone. So that had changed for the better !

“And what about you, Mike ?”

“Oh well, I can’t remember when I wasn’t on stage. I’ve been performing since the tender age of 5. My childhood was one of rehearsing, performing and again rehearsing and performing. I loved it but I missed the playing a lot. I think your childhood is so very important. When I have children I will make sure that they’ll have plenty of time to play.”

“Do you want children?”

“Oh yes, very much so!” he said this with such enthusiasm that they all laughed.

“What about changing diapers ? Would you do that ?” Honey asked.

“Ha, are you questioning my abilities ?”

“Well, it’s not something I would expect you to do. It’s quite down to earth.”

“Gosh Honey, it’s not that I’m living on the moon, or something like that. Artist, husband, father. I think I can be all of these things and I’ll be good at it too.”

“Well, Mike,” Nick said “I’m sure of it. It’s not because we are men, that we cannot nurse. Don’t you forget, Honey, I did change your diapers when you were little.”

“Aw Papa, I do not want to discuss this over Christmas dinner.” She really blushed now.

And Michael loved it. He thought how nice it would be to have children with her. They would be just lovely !

Present time came at exactly midnight. Michael loved it how they all wished each other a Merry Christmas. He joined them, hugging and kissing them all. Again it brought tears to his eyes, because how would he cope missing them, being back in the States ?

 “Ahw Michael,” Honey said softly when it was their turn to wish each other a Merry Christmas. “I know how you feel. This particular time of the year always moves me too.”

He hugged her extra tight. How could anyone be so lovely ? He so wanted to kiss her properly but he promised himself to behave and be patient. But how much longer would he have to wait ?

“And now PRESENTS !” Tom shouted.

“Are we gonna toss the dice ?”

“Oh yes ! Love that !” Honey shouted. “Michael, you must try to get six, to receive your present ! Tom, you go first.”

So one by one, they tossed the dice and unwrapped their presents.

Honey got a pair of fluffy slippers, shaped as Kermit the frog. Michael urged her to put them on and loved the sight of it. She looked so huggable, all soft and cuddly. He could almost not restrain himself from pulling her to his lap and snuggle up to her. How was he gonna get through these last days with her ?

Nick got a book by one of his favorite authors and Tom got the videogame Ghostbusters.

When Veronica finally tossed the dice and it stopped at number six, Michael stood up.

 “Dear Veronica, I didn’t have the chance to get you a proper present. For one as beautiful and gentle as you, I will have to travel the world in search of one that suites you well. So, instead I got this for you.”

 He cleared his throat and began to sing.

He somewhat changed the words because it was indeed a bit of a love song and the idea of singing this to someone of whom he hoped was going to be his mother in law, seemed odd.

They finally saw him in action and witnessed his magic, and they were totally in awe. He spun his web of music around them, needed no instruments at all. He was a great artist indeed. In the end, he took Veronica’s hands and pulled her of the chair into his arms. He embraced her as a son embraced his mother. It was so sweet seeing them together, this very beautiful woman and a young man in the prime of his life, pledging his love for this family, sharing his god given talent.

“Oh Michael, that was so beautiful ! Now you made me a fan too. What is happening to this household ? We’re totally Michaeled.”

Veronica gave him a sweet motherly hug. He was so happy, he just couldn’t stop smiling. They really liked it. He was used to the cheering of the big audiences but this was sooo fulfilling. He wished he could do this every day.

“Michael, it’s your turn to toss the dice.”

“Ok, and there it goes. I want six, I want six…I GOT SIX !” He clapped his hands in excitement.

It was Tom who gave him his present, a small package wrapped in shiny dark-blue paper, with golden dots on it, like a starry night.

“Wrapped it myself.”

That he noticed. It was a bit clumsy but he loved it this way. It showed the effort the boy had given himself to present his gift to his big buddy.

It was kind of heavy though.

He unwrapped it carefully as it came with a little note, saying it was breakable, and revealed a beautiful stone.

“Ho, this is beautiful, thank you Tom !”

“It’s a moonstone. Reminded me of Honey, so I thought you would like it.”

Already, even this young boy had recognized what he felt for his sister. Was it that obvious ?

“There is a note in English, explaining the moonstone’s meaning.”

“Shall I read this out loud ?” He really wanted to let Tom know how much he appreciated this gift, because he realized he did pick it out especially for him. It was not randomly chosen.

“Yes Michael, please. We want to know.”

“So : “the moonstone symbolizes our being in its entirety. With its soft shimmer, it strengthens our emotional and subconscious aspects. The associations connected with that, make it a “lovers’ stone” (at this he slightly blushed), evoking tender feelings and safeguarding the true joys of love. It is also said that wearing a moonstone strengthens our intuition and our capacity to understand.”

Michael looked at Tom and wondered where that boy got his wisdom at such a young age.

“Tom, this is wonderful. I cannot thank you enough.” He hugged him as if he were his own brother.

He never had a Christmas before, but if this was it, he wondered why. He had no words to describe how he felt.

At Christmas day, Michael and his bodyguards were to stay by themselves in the house, because Veronica, Nick, Tom and Honey had to attend a family gathering and of course, as he was in the country incognito, he could not possibly go with them. Furthermore he wasn’t related yet.

So he strolled around the house, taking in the atmosphere of this lovely family and thinking, thinking hard.

How was he to convince Honey to choose him over John ? He really could need some help here…

He thought he must go slow with her, to show her how much he loved her, but how then? Was it right for him to come over here to try persuade her ? He wasn’t sure anymore. Knowing she was with John was devastating but then again it was not his nature to interfere with another one’s relationship. He would never ever seduce her into cheating. Or would he? There were no rules when in love, he thought, but he did want to do the right thing for her.

Ah, he wished this was a song. At least he knew how to handle that !

And as he had to leave tomorrow morning, his time run out. He was getting quite desperate and couldn’t wait for her to come home. Would he have some time alone with her too ?

He went up to her room, knowing he was invading her privacy but he simply had to feel close to her. He thought he’d just lie down on her bed and daydream about her. He was such a romantic fool !

Michael knew that she would not just give in like that. She was too honest to cheat on John, but maybe he could persuade her to break up with him. Did she only love him as a friend ? His thoughts drifted away and he fell asleep, surrounded by fluffy animals and soft cushions.

“Where’s Michael ?” Honey asked Bill when they finally came home. It was already late in the afternoon. They had spent some real quality time with the rest of the family, celebrating Christmas, but she was eager to get home. She wanted to spend some more time with Michael before he left.

“We haven’t seen him all afternoon. I think he’s in his room.”

“No, he isn’t. I already checked this out.”

“Well, I don’t know then. He surely didn’t leave the estate. I would know that.” Bill looked a bit worried all of a sudden. Now where was Michael ? He didn’t see him leave the house and they were “on guard” all afternoon.

“He does that from time to time, you know. Disappearing.”

“That is a challenge for you, being his bodyguard !”

“Well, he is a challenge indeed. He’s much too famous for his own good.”

“Ah Bill, he’s such a sweet guy. I’m so glad to be his friend.”

“Well, you just make sure to treat him right.” Wow, this didn’t sound as he wanted it to sound and he apologized quickly. “I mean, he needs friends of his own age who are not into showbiz. I hope you are the one to whom he will turn to, when he’s in trouble. I think you are sober enough to help him out if necessary.”

“Thank you. That is a nice compliment.” She kissed him on the cheek. “Now, I’m gonna look for him. He must be around somewhere. Did you check my room ?”

“Argh, no. Would he be there ?”

“Well, let’s go see.”

It took a tiny Flemish girl to find Michael. He laid on her bed, on his back, lightly snoring, his arms and legs stretched wide.

Bill and Honey smiled at each other and Bill whispered : “I guess we have found him.”

“Well, I’m not gonna wake him up.” she said “But I don’t have anything else to do, so I’ll stay here just the same.”

She left Bill outside of her room and gently closed the door. Then she looked at Michael again. He looked very relaxed, his chest softly going up and down, his breathing very regular. Again, she was amazed by his looks. He was so very handsome and so very dangerous to her. She knew that if she would ever let him come closer, she would lose everything. Her mind, her soul, her body too. He was the only person that could do this to her. He hurt her once and she almost didn’t survive that. So how could she possibly give him the key to her heart ? She could not take that risk anymore because if she did, and if he threw it away once more, she would never ever recover. She could almost feel the pain already and it was awful. No, this she would not go through one more time. Was she being a coward ?

“Honey…” his voice, still filled with sweet dreams, woke her of her thoughts.

He laid on his side, his head supported by his left arm and hand. His eyes were still sleepy and looked her over from top to toe. “I missed you.”

“Ah Michael, that’s so sweet. I will miss you too when you leave tomorrow. Must you really?”

“You know, I have things to do. I have so many appointments…”

“Yeah, and New Year’s eve is coming up. Are you going out ?”

“Without you ? Are you kidding ?”

“You should, Michael. I’m going to a party with John. Do you want to see what I will be wearing ?”

He shrugged his shoulders and his sight became all blurry. He didn’t see a thing of what she was showing him, he just saw her lips move but didn’t want to hear what she was saying. He got up all of a sudden, grasped the clothes out of her hands and threw them on the bed. He then pulled her over to him and held her so close that she almost couldn’t breathe.

“Please Honey, please. Let me ask you one more time. I’m leaving tomorrow and I want to leave with your heart.” He almost begged. This was his last chance to persuade her.

Honey felt her knees shake as she realized how much power he had over her. It would be so much easier to just give in, but she had to be sensible. She put her arms around his neck and stroke his hair.

“Michael…” She spoke very softly but firm. “Listen to me please, and hear what I say. You are important to me. I like you being around. I love to talk to you too. You’re such a gentle person.” She took a deep breath and even before she said it, he knew what was coming. “I don’t want to risk our friendship for an unsecure relationship, Michael. I’m not ready for that, not with you. I love you very much, as a friend. So please, let us not go there anymore. Michael ?”

He left out a sigh, coming from very deep within and his arms fell to his sides. This was very hard to swallow but he had to make sure. “So, this is it ?”

And when she nodded, confirming it again, he knew.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1983 was again a very busy year for Michael. He had set himself many goals, not exactly making it easy on himself because he had already a lot of tasks to accomplish with “Thriller” finally out. If he wanted his record to be as big as he had hoped for he just had to go for it and be out in public on any occasion possible. Many of the tracks of the Thriller album were to be released as singles too, all contributing to the world wide success that was finally coming his way. And with these releases came the videos. He wanted to make the best ever. Wasn’t that what he stood for ? Only the best ? He had always loved watching movies and it was his dream to produce and direct one of his own and if possible to star in it too. Maybe this was his chance.

But he never stopped thinking about Honey. She was always on his mind, an inspiration for his creativity, a challenge to stay alert. She was there while he was awake, and in his dreams when he went to sleep.

He tried not to feel heartbroken because he didn’t succeed on his mission immediately. He wanted to believe that his time was yet to come. This simply could not be the end of it. He would never give up on her ! He had never been more sure of anything in his entire life. She was the one for him and if he had to wait for her, he would. Well, wait was a word he didn’t know. He was desperately trying to figure out how to pull her over to his side.

At least his visit had resulted in befriending the most amazing people he had ever met. Another experience that made him happy. Proof lies in the following interview, in which he talked about the new found friendship.

The interview was aired on 25^th February 1983, on Entertainment Tonight, on national television and since Honey had no access to American Channels, she never knew. But Michael’s mother did see it and she wanted to know what was on his mind. She remembered how desperate he was before he went to visit his friend in Belgium. When he came back he was in a strange mood too. It was as if he was acting all the time, pretending that everything was alright. She tried to talk to him.

“Are you sure that you’re not going to get hurt ?”

“Mother!”

“I’m saying this for your own good, Michael. What will happen when she doesn’t change her mind?”

“Oh, but she will.”

Katherine shook her head. This was typically Michael, always thinking he could overcome everything. But he could not be in charge of another one’s mind. Would he then never learn ?

“You took your chance, you went to see her and she rejected you.”

“Oh no Mother, she didn’t ! She’s just scared.” He sighed. “She truly is an angel. The only thing she wants is one love for her entire life. I can give her that.”

“Then why is she scared ? You’re lovable.”

“I guess it’s my fame. Maybe she thinks that I will get tired of her because she is just a normal girl.”

“And you know for sure, that you won’t ? You know yourself best, Michael…”

“Ah Mother, you don’t know her. I think there’s nothing normal about her. She’s extraordinary ! She’s beautiful, gentle and sweet. And she has a passionate mind. She makes magic with her hands. She just fits me.”

“Michael…you’re daydreaming.” She rolled her eyes at him.

He hugged her. “Thank you for keeping me grounded, Mother. But I won’t fail. I just need some more time.”

“And I will write her the most beautiful love letters, she can ever imagine.” he thought by himself.

He retreated to his room. Normally he wrote all of his letters in his office, but this letter was to be written within his very personal atmosphere. And where else could he be more private than in his own bedroom ?

Dear Honey,

 Here I am, sitting on the edge of my bed, wishing you were here with me. Unfortunately you are on the other side of the world, leaving me to myself and my dreams.

I want to thank you for your friendship. Being with you during the Christmas holidays meant more to me than any award they could present me.

 Your family touched me to my heart. You are so lucky ! Your mother is an angel, as is mine. They guide us through this earthly life and comfort us when we need them. I know your father is your hero, a knight who will protect his castle and everyone in it. I envy you for the endearing relationship you have with him. Your little brother is an incredible kid ! I treasure his moonstone. It’s lying next to me, on my bed table.

 He was so right for giving me a moonstone. Since then my feelings for you have only grown. If there was a love meter, my love would rank the highest score.

Though it’s not the moonstone itself that initially brought this feeling to me. The minute I laid eyes upon you, I knew you were the one for me. So I was completely and over the top “moonstruck”.

 I feel as if I didn’t make my feelings clear for you and therefore maybe left you without knowing this :

 the love I feel for you is deep as the ocean, it reaches from the bottom of the sea to the top of the highest mountain. It touches the edge of the world. Or should I say that it reaches the stars at night ?

I love you more than life itself and if you ever give me a chance I will prove this to you.

Never has anyone touched me like you did and I mean not only my heart. When in your presence, my knees go weak and I cannot think anymore. I feel this trembling inside when you smile at me and when you touch me, I fall to pieces.

 You own my world, you own my soul, you own my life.

I had to write this to you to let you know what my feelings truly are, because while I was with you, it came out all wrong. I realize now that trying to seduce you to give in to me, must have given you the wrong impression. Let me say that this feeling I have for you outgrows any physical relationship a man and a woman can ever enjoy. This does not mean I do not want this, I do, I really do.

 Dear Honey, my sweet love, let me end with these simple words :

I love you !

 Michael

 When the letter was finished, he felt empty and tired. He didn’t realize that this would take so much of his energy. But it was good therapy though.

 As soon as the video for ‘Beat It’ was finished he took a few days off. It was better than he could ever had hoped for and he was very proud of himself. The song of course was quite self-explanatory, and making this short film was not too difficult at all. They just went along with the song, inspired by a Mc Donald’s commercial. His director Bob Giraldi had done a hell of a job.

So for now, he just wanted to hang out by the pool and maybe write another letter to Honey. How he wished for her to be by his side. His mind starting to stray off and before he knew it, his daydream was coming to life right before his very eyes. He could imagine her in a bathing suit, laying next to him, enjoying the sun.

“Mmm, Michael, this is more than good !” She sipped her cocktail and he licked his lips, imagining he was the straw. “Your pool is great ! I would love to swim tho’, but unfortunately I can’t.”

“You can’t swim ?” He was amazed that someone like her, with all her other abilities, just couldn’t swim.

“Well, I can, a little bit, but not good enough, really. I taught myself, when we were on vacation in Spain.”

“Well, I can teach you. Would you like that ? I will be very very careful not to let you drown.”

“Can I really trust you on this, Michael ?” She looked at him with her soft brown eyes . “I’m completely depending on you then. I know you have a lot of skills but teaching me to swim….? I don’t know…”

Ah, her eyes were so beautiful ! They were like brown velvet, surrounded by butterfly lashes. He could lose himself in them. In fact, it was him who would drown ! But not in the water…

He shook his head, took her hand in his and pulled her of the deck chair.

“C’mon girl, let’s go for it.” He gently lead her down the stairs to the un-deep section of the pool.

“Be careful not to fall…”

“Won’t you catch me then ?”

She made him go nuts with these ‘all girly’ remarks. Depending, catch her, trust him. He felt like a knight in shining armor, although he wore nothing more than his swimming shorts.

Once they made it into the water, Honey looked up at him with question marks in her eyes. He loved it when she turned to him for advice. This way, he could be of importance to her. His chest swelled at little with the pride he felt inside.

“Ok, master Michael, what do you want me to do ?”

He could think of a million things he wanted her to do, but he needed to keep his head cool. This girl was in need of swimming instructions.

“First we splash around a little, to get used to the water. Okay ?”

So they did, but actually he was a little naughty. It had NOTHING to do with getting used to the water. He just enjoyed her jumping up and down, everything bouncing at the right places. Heehee !

The sight of her was almost too much for him, so he picked her up and threw her a little further away, trying to clear his head of the vision he had of her in his arms, her lovely curves pressing against his body. “Oh god ! Please come to my rescue !” He prayed within himself.

“Aah Michael !! You said I could trust you.” she squealed.

He thought she looked like a mermaid when she came up to the surface of the water again.

“I did not say that… but baby, you can. I won’t let you down. Come here…”

“Don’t throw me in the water again, Michael. I hate to go under.”

“Well, we will practice this first then. Give me your hands.”

She took his hands in a firm grip. “Don’t let go of me now…”

“Okay, I got you. Now, slowly get down. Keep your eyes open, hold your breath ! Now we kneel, in the water. Keep looking at me !”

They sank together while she held on to him. This was not too bad. Once under water she looked into his big brown eyes and she knew she could trust him. Little by little he came closer. And just as she got in lack of breath, he covered her mouth and pulled her to the surface.

His lips touched hers and his tongue softly made his way into her mouth, exploring it all. Ah, she was so sweet…

As he caught his breath, he found her looking at him as if she had never seen him before.

“Wow, this is some exciting swimming lesson.” she whispered. “I think I might like this.”

He remembered what he promised her. She could trust him ! Mike, get yourself together !

“Next lesson…” His voice came from deep within as he tried to keep focusing on the teaching.

She looked at him with seducing eyes. Was she really ? Oh my, could this daydream get any better ?

“Just lay on my hands, Honey.” Now what was he trying to do to himself ? Was he crazy, putting himself in this tantalizing position !? “C’mon, get down.”

She positioned herself on his hands, laying down in the water.

“Okay, now you move your arms and legs, just as you saw me do earlier. Got it?”

She got it real quick, but he did put himself into trouble now ! As he held her, he felt the muscles of her stomach move in his hands. Boy, was he lucky to be wet already, because his hands just became all sweaty !

“I think you can do it, Honey ! You’re swell !” And not only because of her swimming, he thought. Looking at her, it seemed that her clothes were shrinking by the minute. Where there was first a decent Speedo one-piece bathing suit, there was now a little tiny bikini, that barely covered her behind. He once more licked his lips and realized that the incredible shrinking bikini definitely brought his mind to other sports than swimming.

Michael, think swimming instructions, swimming….

Splash !! What the heck ?!

 He woke out of his daydream as he got splashed soaking wet by one of his nephews, running around with a super soaker. Well, he saved him just in time, before he would embarrass himself.

Sober up now, Michael, and write her that letter !

My sweetest Honey

 I know that it’s still cold and wet in your country, but I’m sitting by the pool, dreaming of you laying here with me.

I know you are the opposite of the weather in your country. You’re warm and inviting. I think  you should better fit in here than in Belgium. But with you by my side, I would gladly come live over there too. The location of our home is not important, it’s us that counts.

 Because if you were around, I could do without sunshine. I would not ever notice the rain. Clouds would pass me by and I would not notice them. Even a thunder storm would not catch my attention. The weather would not affect us at all, because we would have our love to keep us warm. I truly think our love could shine, like the stars at night, or like the sun during the daytime. Would there be night or day ? I’m not sure. I wouldn’t notice anyway…

The clock would tick, without having any effect on my time. Because all I want is time with you, my love. Sweet memories fill my mind, but that is not merely enough. I want to be by your side.

If you were with me, my heart would beat the same beat as yours, my breath would be taken away by your presence, my eyes filled with joy just to see you.

If you would love me, I promise you I would never ever let you down.

I love you

 Michael

On march 25^th 1983, Michael made an important statement in the world of music and dance. He introduced his “Moonwalk” on the Motown 25^th anniversary special, while singing Billie Jean. All of the United States was in awe by this stunning performance and his status as a superstar was established for all times. Not only did he look more handsome than ever, his singing was unparalleled.

At first he wasn’t really satisfied but after hearing all the good comments and after reading all the positive reviews, he felt a little more sure of himself. It showed in the next letter he wrote to Honey.  He even bragged a little.

Dear Honey,

 I hope you’re doing fine. How is your family ? Please give them my regards. They are always on my mind.

And I have lots on my mind nowadays. I know you have no access to the American channels in Europe, and I doubt things like these will appear on the news channel, so therefore I include some cutouts from the newspapers. I really don’t want to show off. Or may I just a little bit ? I would like you to be proud of me, because all of this, I actually do for you. So, I thought I’d share this with you, as I think lovers do.

Well technically you are not my lover but I believe you will be one day. I really think we match together. But for now, I’ll settle for our friendship. I was so happy finding you. I still cannot believe it ! You are one of the nicest people I ever met. You’re honest and true and so are your friends. I love Barbara and Daniel. Will you please tell them that ?

 For you and me there is this promise for a sweet future and I truly wish it to become true. I would dance only for you and take you with me into eternity !

 Did I already tell you how much I love you ?

 Michael

Moonwalking with her would be so much more than just some ordinary dance steps. He would love to teach her how to dance his routine but then she would not be in his arms all the time. So instead he would take her slow-dancing. They would fly to the moon…. Up, up and away. He loved the thought of them dancing close together. He knew, she would fit perfectly in his arms, her head on his shoulder, his right arm around her waist, his left hand holding hers close to his heart. One square foot would be enough for them because he would pull her very near to him. Even without her by his side, he could smell her sweet perfume. He was completely intoxicated. She really smelled like honey and he felt like the bear, smacking his lips at the thought of tasting her. He felt her small frame all along his, one leg a little between his, following his guidance to the dance. Her left hand would be on his shoulder, sitting there like a butterfly, the most softest touch he had ever felt in his entire life. Her right hand would hold his, as if she wanted to say : “Take me to the moon, make me sugarfly with you.”

And when they were all alone, he would kiss her. Softly, tenderly. First he would let his lips rest on her forehead, reassuring her, he had nothing in mind but loving her. Then he would kiss her eyes closed, so she could dream away with him. Kissing her cheek would be a statement about their friendship, telling her he would be by her side, always. But as he was a man, there would be more, so his mouth would travel to her ear and whisper naughty things, his breath teasing and tickling. And then finally their lips would meet in a star struck kiss, a foreplay for what was to come.

It was in 1983 that Michael worked together with John Landis on the Thriller short movie, that would forever change the world of music video. And his inspiration came from “An American Werewolf in London”.

Sweet Honey

 How is it at school ? Do you think you will pass good exams ? I really hope so and I hope you will find a job real soon. Or maybe not, then I can invite you to come and decorate my bedroom. I like it right now but with your touch it would be phenomenal. You know me so well, so there would be much of myself in it.

 I’m sure you would turn it into a dreamy place. A place where I can hide from reality, from the paparazzi, from my managers, and even from my family. A place where we could be together, dreaming our life away. I care about you so much, I cannot even begin to explain. You’re always on my mind. Every love song I write, is written especially for you.

Would you come to me if I asked you ? Just to be with me and love me ? I long to have you in my arms, to kiss you and hold you until the break of dawn. I’m sure we could think of something to do.

 In my dreams you are already my life companion. I wish it to come true and I will do anything that’s in my power to accomplish this dream.

I love you so much.

 Michael

He wondered when he would ever see her again. While writing this letter, he indeed dreamed of her, being with him in his room, curtains closed, all cuddly and warm together under the blankets. Ah, the things they could do then…but he had no time…He had so much going on that he craved for some peace and quiet. And he couldn’t let go ! Not just yet ! The eighties were his !

 The Thriller video aired on December 2^nd 1983 and launched Michael into orbit all around the world.

It was then when he really felt alone. His success was gigantic but his loneliness even more. He missed Honey so much it almost hurt him physically. It was a year now since he had seen her the last time but that didn’t keep him from loving her more each day.

My love

 Christmas is coming near. I remember how lucky I was last year, spending the holidays with you and your family. It made me realize how important friendship is for me.

I never realized that being friends meant that we could tell each other anything. To me this is most soothing. I have so much that I should tell you, that I should talk over with you. Right now it seems that people are interested in me, but only when they can get something out of it.

I do not want to complain but this makes me feel so lonely. If only you were here with me. I know you would help me get over this feeling. You never ever asked me for one favor and that is something that I really appreciate.

Furthermore, you are for me the most important person in the world. Nothing can change that.

I just can’t stop loving you, but I will await your sign. I respect you and honor you, so I won’t force you into anything. This I swear to my heart.

So sweet Honey, I will call you one of these days. Can you already have some days off at your new job? I do have a surprise for you.

 All my love

Michael

 After Michael left at the end of 1982, Honey went on with her normal life. New Year’s day came and went. She celebrated it with John and it was quite nice. They attended a party at the dancing school, with all of his friends. As Barbara and Daniel weren’t much into to dancing, they were left out. Or was this because they didn’t get along with John ? It never occurred to her that this could be the reason why they never went out together.

John was really sweet to her. He treated her as if she was a porcelain doll. She found that quite nice, although sometimes it seemed that he thought she was not of the brightest people around. He admired her because she was creative and had real good taste, of that she was sure. So maybe she was wrong to think that he didn’t show much of an interest in what she did at school ? He was a man and as a rule men didn’t understand much of decorating or fashion. At least in her opinion.

 She found him very intelligent and followed his every career move. He was, to say the least, a very successful systems analyst. And that meant something in the eighties. She went with him to the job every time he invited her. He had to work a lot in the evenings, just to keep the system running. She loved the soft humming of the machines and was happy just to be with him, always listening, always loving.

 To her, John was the one who saved her when she was in deepest despair, after Michael turned her down in 1980. Was she mistaking friendship for love then ? He did come into her life when she needed him the most. But she never told him about her broken heart. She inhaled his friendship and loved him for loving her. He stepped in at the right time, and he took her away from Michael.

 Michael left a hole in her soul of which she thought she would never recover from. It was true, the moment she laid eyes on him, she was lost. She was so sure he would love her right back. At the first encounter, she already gave all she had. The first kiss held a promise for a sweet and happy future. She was so sure. And he threw it away. She knew he didn’t mean to hurt her, but he did. More than he would ever know and she did not want to be hurt like that ever again.

So she would never admit that he actually was the one for her and she chose for second best.

 But then maybe, if she would ever have gotten one of these letters, she would’ve changed her mind. But he didn’t send them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Grammy award show was broadcasted life on national television and as one of the nominees, Michael had graciously accepted the invitation to take part of it. He was in ecstasy. Previously he had already experienced the AMA’s and with all the prices he won there he felt like he was on top of the world. It was awesome. All the hard work was finally paying off. He really hoped the Grammys would be as great a success as the AMA’s. He was supposed to attend the ceremony with some of his best friends, and Quincy of course.

However there was still one more person he wanted to invite. He was so looking forward to see her again. He had missed her like hell. Although their relationship had not developed into romance yet, his friendship with Honey was very dear to him. When he thought of the word “friend” her name sprung to his mind immediately, as the first on the list. They had remained in contact through letters and postcards and an occasional phone call but to Michael that was not merely enough. He respected her decision to remain just friends but this didn’t decrease his longing to see her. He couldn’t think of anyone more important in his life at the time and this was the perfect occasion to invite her in.

He poured himself a glass of juice and laid back on his bed, making himself comfortable for a very important phone call. It was Sunday so she should be at home, at least if she wasn’t out with that character John… He hated that name ! Yek ! And thinking of his Honey being with John, made him feel itchy and rebellious.

“Hello ?”

“Honey ? Hiiii…It’s me, Michael !”

“MICHAEL !” she shouted.

Wow, his ear almost dropped off.

“Huh huh… I guess this means you’re glad to hear of me ?”

“Oooh Michael, I saw your Thriller video ! It is awesome ! I never saw anything like that before !! You’re all over MTV !! You look so handsome in it…well…most of the time…”

She laughed a bit. “Except when you turn into a werewolf…really scary…”

“Shall I come over and bite you ?”

She giggled. “As long as you’re the pretty boy and not the werewolf….”

He held back his breath. What was she doing ? Was she flirting with him ? He hadn’t expected her to do just that ! How on earth could he resist this challenge ? He simply had to play along ! He chuckled…

“So where should I start devouring you ? Mmmm… What about your fingertips. You know how much I love lollipops…I’m sure your fingers will taste just like them. Sweet…”

“Michael……..”

“I love strawberry taste but this time I will settle for honey.”

No sound. Ha ha, he had her in the palm of his hand. This was definitely going into the right direction. He felt so naughty tonight.

 “Are you alone, Honey ?” He whispered.

“Almost… I’m in the kitchen.”

Mmm, he loved it when she sounded breathless like this. He felt aroused already. What did she do to him ?!!

“Why don’t you retreat to your bedroom ? I wanna ask you something. You do have a phone there too, as I recall ?! Take me with you.” He lowered his voice.

Honey closed her eyes for a minute. So tempting.

“Honey, take me up the stairs…take me to your bedroom.”

It was as if he was hypnotizing her and there was no way she could resist his voice. Obediently she climbed the stairs and entered her room.

“Ok, I’m in my room.” She whispered. “Do we have anything to hide, Michael ?”

“Only if you want me to.” he waited… “If you want me too.” He added this little twist just for himself.

 He didn’t know what occured to him. He had butterflies in his stomach, really dark somewhat occult butterflies with wings that flickered against the walls of his insides. It felt as if they were threatening to overtake his normal gentle composure. Was he supposed to bring his relationship with Honey to a new level ? If he could, he would send some over to her, just to let her know how he felt about her. The butterflies would land inside of her and make her feel what he was experiencing. Torture ! There was no other way he could describe this yearning feeling. He felt himself dumbfounded of his own thoughts but he realized that he wanted her to be with him more than anything else in the world.

 “Think of me as the werewolf, Honey.” He said in a very low voice, enwrapping her in dark seduction. “A hungry werewolf. Hungry for meat.” He roared, making her shiver in anticipation. What was he up to ? And he went on. “I think I’ll have you for dinner. It’s been quite a while since I changed my diet. I’m getting bored with these vegetarian menu’s.”

“You’re the werewolf…?! I don’t want to be eaten by a werewolf.” She whined. “You scare me…”

“I can be your vampire too. Would you prefer that ? Vampires are kind a’ sexy, don’t you think so ? They sneak into your bedroom at night…”

“Hmm…When you invite them in first..”

“I was in your bedroom once, remember ? You let me in, baby. It’s your own fault.” He talked lower and slower, and it felt as if he was in the room with her. His voice got inside of her head and she almost looked around in search for him. Pff… some enchantment…

“So I will leave you no place to hide, little girl. I’m in and I see you. You won’t be able to escape me once I get my hands on you. I’ll hypnotize you and then….you’ll be totally helpless and at my mercy…Roar !”

A gasp of air escaped her while Honey fell down on her bed, with a thud. What was he up to?

At the noise he suddenly sounded like the old Michael again, worried about her safety. “Honey, what was that noise ? Did you hurt yourself ?”

“No Michael, I just sat down on the bed.” Now, why did she tell him that ? She knew he would take advantage of it.

“Oooh…good, that’s the right place to be when a vampire gets in to your room. And this vampire doesn’t want you to get hurt.” He was back at using his dark and sexy voice.

“Hm, I thought you were going to eat me ?” she managed to squeeze out. “Wouldn’t that be painful ?”

“I would make it pleasant, girl. I know what you would like me to do and you know that I know, don’t you ?” He was getting so close. “Mmm, your fingers already tasted lovely but I want more. And I’ll get more, rest assured…” Wow, that sounded almost threatening and she shivered again and she got herself under the covers. Her brain told her he was at the other end of the world but her body obviously didn’t. And he wasn’t likely to stop anytime soon.

“Well well well… what do I see peeking from under the covers ? Tiny little toes, like yummy sausages.” She almost heard him smack his lips. And how did he know she was covered now? “Honey….I’ll never get enough of you. You taste so good.”

“Michael, come on…”

“Are you ticklish ?”

“Hmpf…” Goose bumps took over her body and her toes curled. She just couldn’t answer that anymore. A burning feeling overtook all of her.

“Honey, I’m gonna get under your covers. Can you imagine me doing so? I think you’re gonna like that, don’t you ?”

“Michael…” Did the covers just move ?

“I would lick your legs slowly from your feet up… then nibble on your knees. Oh my god, you taste so fine. Then I’ll go all the way up, until you’ll be screaming for help. But no one will hear you. You’re completely under my spell. I’m in full control.”

“Huh…” she was indeed helpless and hypnotized by his low soft voice. She almost felt his touch.

“And then I would arrive at your belly. Ahw, it is so smooth and soft. My tongue inside your belly button, slurping and tasting. Mmm, goody goody…Nothing better than a taste of Honey belly. Aaah…but not enough for me yet. I’m suffering from serious case of gluttony. So sweetie, I’m coming up…and up….”

At that point she closed her eyes and sank into the cushions. He was killing her !

“And how about a shoulder ?” By now, he had a little naughty laugh in his voice, as if he knew what she had been thinking. He for sure, knew exactly what he was doing.

“I would nibble a bit more. My tongue twirling and licking….Mmm….sweet honey again. You taste so wonderful. But what do I see there ? Is that a neck ? A neck, dripping with sweet honey juice… I’m a vampire, I just can’t leave a neck alone. I must have it. Aaah Honey, this vampire is completely out of control…” He breathed heavily at that point, and howled into the phone. This was so surreal. And then an uncontrolled groan left his mouth.

“Michael, please stop it !”

“I cannot stop now. I’m almost there. I think you like it too, don’t you.”

“Oooh Michael, I do.” She sighed. Oops, did she really say that ?

“I’m bad to the bone but I’m still her to please you. So I would reach for your neck then, but no biting, just a little sucking in search for a soft place. Can you feel it, Honey ? Can you feel me giving you a love bite ? A mark saying ‘this is mine’…Honeeey ?” The way he said her name, made her go all liquid…

“Michael, oh my god…please…stop. We’re… Can’t do this…” This was wrong…she should be doing this with John…. Oh why did Michael make her feel this way ? What was that power he had over her ?

And he wasn’t all done yet. He went in for the kill.

“The vampire in me, would go up to your ear and lick it profoundly. Your ears are a real delicacy and I know how sensitive they are.”

She not only heard him breathing in her ear but could almost feel it too and that gave her goose bumps all over again. Not a word came out of her anymore. She just laid there with her eyes closed, letting this sensation flowing all over her.

 He smiled, preparing his fatal blow…After all, he was not a vampire, and he loved her so very much. He would never hurt her, he would enwrap her with his tender love and care and he wanted her to know that. His voice turned back into his own soft self.

 “But then, sweet Honey, the Michael in me, would chase away this awful selfish vampire. This Michael would stop right there and gently kiss your ear. I would not bite. I would be sweet to you. I would whisper itty bitty love words in to you. No more, no less.”

Ahw, why was he so sweet ? She felt her heart cringe.

“Michael, you’re gonna make me cry. Stop this please. You know, I can’t…”

On one hand he felt sorry for making her feel like this, but on the other hand he couldn’t have wished for a better reaction. He really didn’t intend to hurt her, but he wanted her so bad. She was so far away, and with another guy. That hurt him too. More than he could make her understand.

 The silence was a bit overwhelming but he just couldn’t speak. He had to regain his breath after what he just experienced. Even with her so far away and out of his reach, he still felt like she had him in a tight grip. He just couldn’t let go.

She too had been taken over by this fantasy he had spun around them, and laid back with her eyes closed. “Girl, get a grip !” she told herself. She slowly struggled to sit up.

“So Michael..”

“Yes..” his voice still sounded lazy and low, while he was slowly spiraling back to earth.

“Why then, did you call me ?”

“Hmm” Come on, Mike…It was difficult to sober up, but he had too. Maybe, in the future, they could make this little fantasy come true, but for now, he would have to settle for a normal conversation again. He breathed in deeply.

“I want to invite you to the Grammy’s. I would love to have you there.”

“Wow Michael, I‘m honored.”

“No, it’s the other way around. I would be honored if you would accept my invitation. And maybe you can bring some friends with you ? What about Barbara ? How is she, by the way?”

“She’s just fine. She’s doing great… very busy, just like me. And did you say friends ? Can I bring my other friends too ?”

“Sure, how many tickets do you need ? 10, 20 ?”

“Haha, noooo. Don’t overdo it… So, when is it ?”

“The end of February.”

“Oh, that’s a pity… I’ll have to come without John then. He’ll be away for his work.”

“Good, then you bring someone else.” Did he sound all too happy ?

“I think I’ll make it a whole girls trip then. 5 tickets would do then, me included.”

“I’ll send them to you, with the flight tickets. Shh..” he said as she began to protest. “I know what you’re gonna say, but this is a present from me to you and your friends, to celebrate our reunion. I would appreciate it if you accepted my invitation and everything with it. Okay ? I’ll arrange it all. Just take some time off. Don’t worry about a thing. I’m here to enjoy you.”

“Michael, you do it again.” She almost yelled at him.

“What ?” He grinned.

“You know what I’m talking about.”

“Okay, alright then… I’ll leave it for the time being but you can’t blame me for trying. I’ll call you by the end of this month, to confirm all the details.”

 Little did they know that their next conversation would be not all that pleasant.

 January 28, 1984 : Honey had been working all day and was very very tired. Her boss was a nice man but obviously he couldn’t do without her. She was always running from here to there. And she was quite new in the firm…All together she loved her job. It gave her the opportunity to gain some experience and maybe then fulfill her biggest dream : to start a business of her own. She had already talked about it with Barbara, who had the same diploma. It would be nice to establish a shop together, but they had decided to work for a boss first, for about one of two years at least. Their time would come.

Driving home in her car, she was listening to the news, as the next message struck her.

 “Yesterday, Michael Jackson, has been rushed to the hospital, suffering severe burns. Mr Jackson and his brothers were taping a commercial for Pepsi as some pyrotechnics accidentally set his hair on fire. He suffers second and third burns on his scalp. Michael Jackson is the author and singer of …”

 She didn’t hear the rest anymore. Her heart pounded in her ears !

Cars honked around her, as her arms got in an unintentional contraction. She quickly turned to the side and sat there with her head on the wheel.

“Oh my god, Michael !” she whispered.

A sudden knock at the car’s window startled her. A police officer looked inside.

“Are you alright, miss ? Are you ill?”

She shook her head fiercely and rolled down the window. “I…I’m sorry. I just got bad news.”

“You almost caused an accident there, miss. Shall I take you home ? My partner can drive behind us with your car.”

“Oh, no thanks. I’ll be alright. I just need a minute.”

 A few minutes later she was able to continue the drive home. She realized her mother had also heard the news. She sat at the kitchen table totally distressed as if Michael was one of her own children that got hurt. She embraced her daughter.

“Can you try and reach someone ?” Veronica asked. “We need to know if he’s alright.”

“Oh mama, he never gave me his number. I don’t know what to do.”

“You could send him a telegram.”

“When will he ever read this ? There will be so many messages. I have to think about it. I’ll be in my room.”

She fled out of the kitchen, almost in tears now, as it struck her once again in full force. He was hurt and she could not reach him ! It went right to her heart.

 When the phone rang, she jumped up and jerked it off the hook.

“Yes !”

It was her mom.

“Honey, it’s him. I’m putting him through.”

 “Hello, Honey ?”

“Michael ! Michael, how are you ?” She began to sob of relief, hearing his voice…”Oh my god Michael, I heard it on the radio. I was so extremely worried.”

His voice sounded as if he was sitting next to her, and he sounded normal. That was good, so good to know. She tried to stop crying, tried to breathe evenly.

“Honey, I’m well. Calm down. I’m okay…”

Honey felt really bad about her behavior. She should’ve been able to control herself and mentally slapped herself.

“I’m so sorry Michael. It’s me who should comfort you.” She took a few more deep breaths. “Is it alright for you to talk then ?”

“Oh sure. I’m already feeling a lot better. It hurts though. They gave me something against the pain. I feel for all of the people who have major burn injuries. At least mine is only at my scalp.”

“Oh Michael, you’re so brave !”

“Well no, I’m not. It’s just the plain truth. I only was here at the burn center last month, to visit some people here. I’m good, I really am. Please, you don’t need to worry.” He sounded normal, she thought.

“What happened then ?” Slowly she had regained her calm.

“I’m not sure. I was really tired at the time. It was already the sixth take… The pyrotechnical special effects just came out completely wrong. It went off too early and my hair caught fire.” He explained it very dryly, like a journalist reading the news. “When did you find out ?”

“I heard it on the radio, this morning.” Her knees went weak again, remembering how she felt right then, thinking he was hurt badly. “Is it a big burn ?”

“The third degree burn mark is very little, but I have second degree burns about a palm-size big. I can tell you, it scared the hell out of me. I really panicked for a moment.”

“Oh, I can imagine. How did you find out your hair was on fire ? Oh my god, the thought of it…”

“I don’t remember exactly. I was so bewildered. It didn’t even occur to me that my hair was burning. I just felt the pain. And then all of a sudden I was on the ground. ”

“What about your hair ?”

“It’s partly gone but it will grow back, I hope.”

“Oh, I’m sure it will.” She wanted to hug him and comfort him, but he was so far away.

“Do you want to know why I called you ?”

“Because you wanted to tell me about it, I guess.”

“Actually, I’m craving to be with you and your family. I remember how good you all took care of me when my foot was sprained.” He sounded sad. “But I know it’s impossible.”

“Oh Michael, I’m so sorry. I feel for you, I really do. I wish I could be with you too.”

“You do ?”

“I could bring you juices, cool your forehead if you were feverish, wash your feet..”

“You’re laughing at me ! That’s not nice !” But she could hear him smile and that was what she aimed at. “You always put me back with my two feet on the ground, Honey.”

“Well dreamer, someone has to.”

“Luckily I love you so much, otherwise I’d put the phone down.” He didn’t mean a thing of what he was saying, except for the loving part. “Now, you wanna know why I called too ?”

“Go ahead.”

“I sent you the tickets for the show and the airplane tickets too. You should receive them one of these days.”

“Michael, you didn’t have to call me just for that. You must rest and recover.” He was so thoughtful !

“And…it was important for me to let you know that I was alright.”

“Ah, so you wondered if I was worried ?”

“Well, if you put it that way… Were you worried ?” He sounded a bit out of breath. He really wanted to know.

“Michael, I almost got into a car accident ! That’s how much I was worried. You are my friend, Michael, and I care about my friends. It was devastating to hear you were injured.”

“I will be alright, I really will. I can’t wait to see you !”

“So, you will be able to go to the show ?”

“Yeah, of course. I’m so looking forward to it. I’ll get us all to the afterparty too. Would your friends like that?”

“Are you kidding ? They will go crazy !”

She heard some voices in the background.

“Honey, I have to go. Got a nurse here, who wants to do some things to me.” She heard him laughing softly and was almost jealous of the nurse, for being with him. What was she thinking ?!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Honey and her friends arrived a few days before the show was broadcasted. She brought Ally, Emma, Rachel, and Barbara with her, indeed an all-girls party. Their hotel was wonderful, one of the best in town, it seemed. Michael’s taste was impeccable of course. But there was something strange about the distribution of the rooms. They thought they would all be together, in one way or the other but strangely enough that was not the case. Ally, Barbara, Emma and Rachel had a 4 bedroom suite on the third floor. Because they had expected to get only a small room per person, they were much surprised of having a suite all for themselves. There was so much more freedom to do what they wanted. They ran from room to room, inspecting it all.

“Oh my god,“ Ally yelled out loud. “I’ve never seen such luxury before. No crap indeed.”

“My horse could fit in here.” said Emma. “I’ll bring him with me next time.”

Rachel simply had no words for it. She laughed as she opened the refrigerator. “Guys, it’s completely filled and there is a note in it from our host. Oh my god !”

“No, go away !”

“My dear guests, this trip is completely on me, and so is everything in this refrigerator. Please take whatever you want and order whatever you want. I would appreciate it.

Love, Michael Jackson.”

They screamed and danced around, laughing out loud.

“Michael Jackson wrote us a note ! Michael Jackson, guys ! Can you believe it? I will love Honey forever for this !”

Barbara was the only one who remained calm. She had already been there when she met Michael at Honey’s house earlier. She would never forget that day ! Back then she had been as excited as they were now. She could only hope that they would all have the opportunity to meet this sweet guy later on. Just like she did.

Honey was surprised that she was excluded from the suite. Was there something wrong ? Did he forget to book for her ?

The piccolo who had brought them to the third floor first, gestured her to follow him.

“Is there a problem ? Where am I to stay ?” she asked him.

“My orders are to bring you to the penthouse.”

“Oh, okay then.” She didn’t know if this should make her glad or not. Was someone playing a trick on her? “What am I to do at the penthouse then ?”

The piccolo looked at her as if she had said something really funny. In her place he would be excited.

“Well, Mister Jackson is staying at the penthouse. I’m sure he awaits you.”

But he was not. There was no Michael in sight. The penthouse was beautifully decorated and very very big. Being a decorator herself, she fully appreciated the grandeur of it all. Everything was in the right place. She unpacked her things in one of the bedrooms, which was assigned to her by the piccolo.

She just wondered why she was singled out. She would’ve preferred to stay with the girlfriends, would she not ? It had been quite some time since she met him last and she hoped she would not feel awkward in his presence, being all alone with him. And she hoped with all her heart that he wasn’t gonna try anything, as in forcing her to do something she wasn’t ready for. She knew how persuasive he could be and when he pulled his tricks on her, she was not sure if she would be able to resist him, like the last time.

She decided to take a shower first. She took off her clothes and got under the warm waterfall. Ah, this did her so much good. While the water was streaming down at her, she thought about how their friendship was evolving. Here she was, in a suite, just with him, knowing how seductive he could be. She remembered the whole vampire conversation, word for word. Where that came from, she didn’t want to know. She sure didn’t need him flirting with her because that was not what she had in mind.

She really needed to talk to him.

“Mmm, that was really good.” she murmured to herself as she came out of the bathroom, wrapped in a big towel, still drying off her hair. Not watching out where she was going, she almost jumped up as she came into collision with another body, a hard masculine one. “Michael !”

He grabbed her by the arms, steadying her, preventing her to trip over, his dark pools of brown chocolate drinking in her lovely features. Aah, he had missed her so much !

“Gosh Michael, you startled me! I didn’t expect to see anyone here in my room.” Oh wow, he looked great. And she was not prepared at all, she thought.

“I called for you but since you didn’t answer, I came in. I’m sorry if I scared you.” He looked her over inch by inch and then pulled her to him, in her towel. “But hey, let’s say hello first. I haven’t seen you for so long.”

He hugged her and kissed her softly on both cheeks, the soft breeze of his breath caressing her skin. “Hello, you…” He held her at arm’s length to take a good look at her again but then pulled her in once more to sniffle her hair. ”Mmm, you do smell nice. And you look amazing! Even with your hair still wet !”

He laughed because it peeked to all sides. She had real straight hair but then she sure got other curves, of which he suddenly became very much aware. It occurred to him that her wearing only a towel was not ideal for his well being. He thought, he was lucky to be dark, so maybe she didn’t notice him blush. Did he take the right decision to have her here alone with him ? He already felt his body react to her being this near and gulped down the lump that had been forming in his throat. She was the only girl that could draw such an immediate reaction on him.

“I’m so glad to see you too, but Michael, I’m not dressed!”

“Tell me about it.” he mumbled in her hair. He could not let her go yet.

“What ?”

He kissed her on her wet hair.

”Welcome to Los Angeles, Honey. I’m really happy you could make it over here. Thank you for being my guest.”

He knew he sounded stiff and alienated but he had to protect himself. The only thing he wanted to do was to tear down that towel and have his way with her. Oh god ! Maybe if he tried really hard, he could forget about the way she was (not) dressed.

In the meantime she felt embarrassed beyond compare, but she kept talking as if she always entertained handsome men, while only wearing a towel. She too, she knew that she sounded aloof and flat but she didn’t dare otherwise. If she had thrown herself at him as she normally would have welcomed him, she knew that they would be lost within the blink of an eye. It was better for all parties to keep a little distance.

“It was very nice to invite everyone of us here, Michael. My friends are really excited. I hope you do want to meet them later.”

“Well, I plan to. I’m looking forward to talk to Barbara again and I would love to meet all of your friends. We can dine together tonight, if that’s okay with you ? Do you think they will like that ?”

“Oh wow yes, I’m sure they will. But, huh, Michael, I really need to get dressed now.”

“Well, go ahead…don’t mind me…” He could not resist teasing her. At least that would never change! He giggled and she felt herself getting all soft inside. He was so endearing when he had fun. She immediately felt much more at ease. He would never hurt her.

But all together, he could not stay in here while she changed.

“Michael Jackson, you leave my room in this instant and then I’ll start dressing. Not a minute sooner. Got that, mister ?”

“Will I ever win the lottery ?” He winked at her (or tried to) but he still left the room, leaving her to herself and her thoughts. And he would never stop flirting either.

She did hurry. How could anyone let Michael Jackson wait ? Especially not when he looked so handsome ! She made a futile attempt to chase away the butterflies in her stomach but when she left her bedroom, they were still there. She would have to withstand him with pure willpower.

As she approached the living room, she smelled coffee. Apparently he ordered lunch, just for the two of them.

“Come and eat with me, Honey, please. I sent some lunch to your friends too. I guess they will need some time to rest, and so do you. Let me take care of you. Okay ?”

He gestured her to a chair and sat her down, his hand gently on her shoulder. He then poured out some coffee, black without sugar, just as she liked it, and made her some small sandwiches.

“Wow Michael, your household skills certainly improved !”

“Ha, don’t get any ideas. It’s just for today. I know you had a long flight. And after all, I am a gentleman.”

She kissed him on the cheek.

“You’re so sweet, Michael. Thank you for taking care of me. And I must admit, this sure is a very nice hotel.”

“I thought you would like it. Whenever I have business in L.A., I come over her. It’s more comfortable for me too. No driving around and risking to get caught by the paparazzi. Being this near to the Shrine Auditorium, makes it easier for me ànd my bodyguards at the moment. I have nothing to worry about. Everything is laid out for me.” He blushed a little. “Gee, I hope that didn’t sound cocky. It’s just that here we can all be together. I didn’t want you girls to be alone in a hotel in a strange city.”

“That’s so thoughtful of you.”

“I want nothing but the best, Honey. After all I work very hard and I believe that me, spending my money here, makes a lot of people happy.”

“Well, that is true. I never thought of it that way. Money makes the world go round, doesn’t it?”

“Well, “ he admitted “having money doesn’t hurt. I’ve known it otherwise. I can still remember our little house in Gary. So I am very grateful to have earned all of this.”

“So, tell me Michael, why am I here ? All alone, I mean.” She immediately took the bull by the horns. She really wanted to know.

“You’re not alone, Honey. You are with me.”

“You know what I mean, Michael. My friends are on the third floor, together. And I am here.”

“Ahw…please forgive me, Honey, I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. I just wanted to be alone with you. I’m in desperate need of a real friend.”

She thought he was speaking about his burns.

“Oh yes, of course ! Your poor head ! I almost forgot it. How is it now ?”

“It’s all right. Look, I’m wearing a little hairpiece now at the back of my head, just until it’s all grown back. It doesn’t show at all.”

“Ha, you still look pretty enough, sure of that.”

He smiled his broadest smile at her teasing him. “I’m so glad you’re here. I’ve been craving for someone who is normal and down to earth. Everything around me is going crazy.”

“Aren’t you happy then ? It is all going so well for you.”

“Yeah, it is and I am really happy. I enjoy it most of the time but sometimes it’s hard too. For me, a normal life is out of the question. Therefore, I need you. To keep me sane.”

He sat right next to her and while they ate, he never stopped touching her. He was so glad she was finally here with him. He was like a little boy discovering a new toy.

First he put her hair behind her ear so “it wouldn’t get in her way” while drinking coffee. As if that was necessary with her short hair…. Then he adjusted the collar of her blouse. And as he sat very close, his leg brushed against hers all the time.

“According to the magazines, you actually should be shy…” she said, looking at his leg, not sure what to think about it. Had he changed ? She never knew him being bashful around her but the media painted him as a painfully shy and somewhat weird person, always referring to that soft voice of his.

He turned towards her and took her hands in his.

“Honey, I was never shy with you. I’m just so much more at ease in your presence. You don’t treat me any different because I’m famous. You don’t know how much that means to me.”

“Ah Michael, that is so sweet. Thank you. I appreciate it, I do. I promise you I will never treat you in any other way. But then why are you different with other people ? I’ve read some pretty crazy interviews and I don’t recognize you at all in them.”

“You shouldn’t read that garbage, Honey. I know what they write about me. It’s disgusting. They are not interested in my music, they just see me as a way to sell their stuff. Do you know how much money there is involved in that business ? The advertising revenues are huge ! It’s always about the money !”

His brows frowned and he looked quite sad at the thought of how he was portrayed in the media. She realized this was a sensitive topic for him, but she didn’t understand. Everyone knew the tabloids didn’t always put the truth in print. Why did he worry so much ? Surely, people knew they were lying?

“Do you know how they talk about me ? Yes, I am shy among other people, but they point it out as being eccentric. Huh ! ”

She felt sorry for bringing this up, because it seemed really painful to him. On the other hand, she did not know this Michael yet. This part of his life had not been revealed to her. To her, he was her friend, not a celebrity. Yet, to a larger extend, this was him too. And she wanted to understand.

“I always say I have elephant skin, but sometimes it gets to me real bad. I’m a human being, after all. Sometimes, they make me wanna hide and then, when I do, they’ll say I’m reclusive ! No matter what I do, they always give another twist to it.”

“You should fight them, Michael.”

“Maybe, but then again I prefer to put my energy in my career.”

He put his arm around her shoulders.

“If they would see me with you, I’m sure they would tear you and your friends apart. They’re sharks ! That’s why I’m not going to the Grammy’s with you and your friends, but with Brooke Shields and Emmanuel Lewis. I’ll give them something to talk about, but not the real thing. Never ! You’ll be with your friends in the back, safe    from the press.”

After talking for a while, Honey yawned broadly behind her hand, not because their conversation was boring but she was getting very tired. Immediately, Michael felt guilty for keeping her awake so long, while her friends probably were already napping.

“Ahw Honey, you should’ve slapped me in the face ! You’re so tired and I keep on talking and talking.” It was true. She brought out the best in him. Normally he was a rather silent person but when around her, he wanted to share everything he ever experienced. There was nothing they could not talk about. He grinned. So actually it was her own fault, but of course he didn’t say that out loud.

He stood up. “Honey, you come with me. I know the perfect spot to relax.”

He took her by the hand and led her outside to the huge terrace. It looked like an Arabian fairy tale, in the middle of Los Angeles, lovely decorated with lots of pottery and big plants.

In the middle of it all, hidden away under a roof, made of bamboo, was a big comfortable outside bed, with lots of cushions in all different shades of white. 

“Come, sit with me and rest a little.” He crawled onto the bed and pulled her next to him. He adjusted some cushions behind her back and cradled her in his arms.

Honey looked around in awe. She had never seen anything like this. Whomever created this lovely haven must have been in a very romantic mood at the time.

“Michael, this is extremely beautiful. And this quiet in the middle of the city. Wow, it’s like an oasis.”

“It is. I love it too. Whenever I stay here I have to come out here to chill. It gives me a chance to get away from all of it once in a while without travelling abroad to an exotic country. Do you need any more shade ?”

“Oh no, it’s perfect like this. In Belgium it’s just cold right now, so this is a relief.”

Still, he covered her with a little white blanket and shielded her from the wind with his own body.

“You’re right, it’s nice here. Not too warm though. You should get some rest, Honey.”

“Ahw… I do. I’m tired.” She yawned again.

He pulled her a little closer to his chest. Never he had felt this protective over a girl before. Most of the time it was him who needed to be shielded. But this girl really touched his manly side. With her he felt like an ancient warrior, a knight ! He would stand on the barricades for her !

On the other hand, he was a troubadour so what else could he do for her than sing ? He started to hum a lullaby.

“Michael, I’m not a baby.” she chuckled.

“Shall I tell you a story instead ?”

“Mmm nooo, just be quiet. I’ll listen to your heartbeat.”

“Wow, this is the first time a girl tells me to shut up.”

“You talk too much. Shht !”

He finally stopped talking and softly put a little kiss on her head. She found herself lucky to have such a good friend like Michael. He was sweet and trustful. They could talk for hours and still not get bored of each other. She never met a guy as friendly and kind as him, except for John of course.

Michael began to stroke her head very softly, always repeating the same movement, like a parent that caressed  his child to sleep. The slow rhythm of his hand brushing through her hair made her close her eyes and she let herself drift away. Her breathing became regular and she fell asleep with her head on his chest, her arm innocently wrapping his waist.

Michael closed his eyes too, enjoying this sweet moment, just being together. There was nothing sexual about their embrace but still his heart beat a 100 miles per hour. He didn’t think it possible but meeting her had only increased his loving feeling. How could it not ?! She was everything he had ever wanted in a girl. Now even more beautiful than when he first met her. There was this aura of kindness around her and yet, she didn’t seem weak. He felt as if she was his complete match and he was sure they should be together for all times. If only he could convince her too. Would these days together bring them nearer ?

It was more than 3 hours later when Honey finally woke up. She was still on the outside bed, however now all alone, missing his warm embrace. She heard familiar voices from inside the penthouse and saw her friends chitchatting with Michael. Probably he had send them a message, inviting them over ! That was so nice of him ! She stretched her muscles while getting up. This nap had done her so much good !

Inside, the girls immediately noticed that his attention was no longer with them. When Honey slowly strolled into the room, he got up from his chair and approached her quickly.

“Did you rest well ?” he asked softly “Do you need to freshen up a bit ?”

“Yes, to both questions. It won’t take long.”

While she was in the bathroom, he tried to get his attention back to the conversation. He liked her friends very much, and thought they were all pretty special. But Honey was still more dear to him so when she came back, he arranged her to sit next to him. Even though she had missed a great deal, she could easily pick in on the conversation. She soon realized that he was doing his very best to make them feel at home. How sweet he was…

“What are you guys talking about ?” she asked.

“We were talking about Emma’s horses just now…”

“Well, I told you about Einstein.” Emma said. “He is my favorite although he’s pretty stubborn. He’s no horse for a beginner !”

“I used to ride too, but now I lack the time.” Michael said.

“Whenever you return to Belgium, I’m sure I can arrange some slow old mare for you.” Emma giggled. Her statement caused an hilarious reaction from all of them. They could already picture him, on this old horse, trying to get it to move forward.

“At this time, I’m sure that would be enough for me.” he laughed.

“Don’t you get any exercise then ? “ Ally asked.

“Oh yes, I do. Mostly on Sunday, I dance all day long. And I fast to cleanse my body. That’s my exercise.”

“No eating ? I would surely drop dead !” Ally laughed. “I love to eat !”

“Don’t we all ?” Rachel said. “But I love to dance though. Can’t you teach us something ?”

“Oh, I have this thing, called the moonwalk. Would you like to try ?”

Of course they would and who could teach them better than the one and only original Moonwalker ?

They had so much fun ! The great Michael Jackson giving them dancing lessons ! Honey just received their eternal gratitude for bumping into him, all those years ago at the seaside. But she sucked big time at dancing. It really was not her thing ! She hopped around like a wounded kangaroo and made them all laugh. Michael found it endearing and the more he tried on getting her to do the right steps, the more she tripped over her own feet. He was glad his dancing skills counted for two !

She ended up, hanging on to him, laughing and giggling.

“I thought you followed dancing lessons ?” he asked, hiccupping from laughing.

“I do, but this is something completely different. I can do ballroom and latin dancing. But to be honest, I’m not too good at that either.”

But she didn’t trip once when he waltzed with her through the room. That he should remember for their wedding dance, he thought….

While they were dancing, the table was being set for dinner.

“I would like to invite you guys to a proper restaurant, but I feel much more comfortable here. You know, because of the staring and the hysteria. I hope you don’t mind ?”

“Oh no,” Rachel shouted real loud. “We love to be with you anywhere !” She slapped her hand on her mouth, being a little embarrassed for her honest reaction.

He laughed softly and put his arm around her shoulders.

“Sweet Rachel. Thank you so much. You make me feel normal. You all do.”

Dinner was more than nice. Michael himself was a vegetarian but he made sure there were different dishes for everyone to choose from.

They really had a good time and felt sorry to leave, but as Michael put it : he did need his beauty sleep, because tomorrow was an important night for him.

Before they left, Barbara took Honey aside.

“Are you sure you’re making the right decision ?”

“Barbara, don’t you start with me! You sound just like my mother. I’m sure. I do love him.”

“You have to tell him. He deserves to know …”

“I will, after tomorrow. If he…”

“What ?”

“Nothing.” but actually she wanted to say “If he behaves tonight.”

Alone at last, he encouraged her to put on something easy, so they could relax a bit before they went to sleep. He loved this time of day, just before getting to bed, letting the events of the day sink into his memories. And this one day would be engraved in his soul forever !

He showed up wearing a black pair of pajamas, with red hearts on it, and Honey (oh, what a coincidence) put on white pajamas, also with red hearts.

They laughed as they saw each other. It was comical ! .

“Do you want some hot milk or something ?”

“Oh yes please, with honey in it.”

Room service was such a good thing, she thought. Easy to get used to it. She felt spoilt.

“Your friends are really lovely. You’re so lucky to have them.”

“Yeah ! I know ! I appreciate them very much. We are all very close to each other. Actually, they are more like family to me. I did miss a sister when I was growing up but having them, made up for it. I love each and every one of them.”

“It’s a pity Daniel couldn’t join tho’. Next time I come to Belgium, I’ll visit his store !”

“I’m sure he would love that. But this time it’s you against the girls. As it always is, isn’t it ?”

He smiled broadly. “I like girls more than guys.”

“Lucky for us. We like you too.” She nodded.

“I never asked you this, but are you a fan, Honey ?”

“That’s a difficult question. I think I know you too well. How can I be a fan, when I am already your friend ? I like everything you do. I like the old songs, I like the new songs. And I adore the videos.”

“You do ?”

“Yeah, it’s funny. Seeing you in the vids, makes me proud to know you.”

“Ahw Honey !! That is sweet.”

“Well, you are my friend Michael, although you don’t write that much.” She nudged him in the chest, her lips slightly pouted. “I sometimes wondered if you forgot about me.”

“Oh noooo ! How could I ? But I sent you lots of postcards !”

“Yeah, you did. I know you haven’t got much time either, always on the road … Aren’t you constantly exhausted ?”

He loved it when she was worried about him. How he would love to come home at night to a loving wife. They would have dinner together, which they prepared themselves and chat about what happened during the day. And she would always ask him questions like this. Did he eat lunch ? Did he take a break now and then ?

“Michael ?” she insisted, as his mind obviously wandered off.

“Oh sorry… exhausted ? Huh, well no. I’m young and quite healthy.”

“I’m sure lots of people take good care of you.”

“They are paid to do so. I would prefer your care.” His eyes hooked in hers.

“I do care ! In my own way. I try to keep you normal. If it wasn’t for me, you could easily get vain. I know you !”

“Ouch, you hurt my feelings ! I’m not vain.” He smiled. “But, I must admit, my looks are important. I must keep all you girls interested.”

“Well, you are pretty.” She laughed.

“Honey, you make me blush. Besides, guys are handsome, not pretty.”

“I don’t care. I think you’re pretty. You’re my prettiest friend.” Now she really laughed out loud.

“You’re laughing at me again.” He pouted his lips.

“Noooo ! I would not ever do that to any of my friends.” she chuckled.

“Come here ! I’ll get you!” He slapped her with a pillow.

“What ?! You slap a woman ?! I’m gonna scream so loud, the neighbors will come running over to rescue me.” She slapped him right back.

Soon they were caught in a ‘violent’ pillow fight, laughing and screaming and slapping. However she made sure not to slap on his head too hard. He didn’t deserve to be beaten up for real. Ha !

“Oh my God, Michael ! she asked, trying to catch her breath again. “You have a big event tomorrow ! Shouldn’t you go rest ? I thought, we were to have a quiet evening?!”

He smiled sweetly. “You’re something, Honey. You’re so caring. I love being your friend ! Can I ask you something ?”

“Anything Michael…”

“Will you sleep with me tonight ?”

Honey fell back on the couch and began blushing fiercely. Her face turned all warm and red. “What…?”

“Oh please, don’t get me wrong. Just sleep, nothing more, really. I’m so nervous for tomorrow. I think I will not be able to sleep alone. I could need some comforting arms.”

Huh ? Michael, nervous ? Now really ? She didn’t know if to believe him.

“Michael, I don’t think…”

“Please Honey, I mean no harm. I will not try anything on you. I will be a good boy.”

“It’s the same as putting the cat next to the milk..”

“I really mean this, Honey. I need someone so bad.”

He took her hands in his. “You are my best friend, Honey. Consider this.”

She wondered how he could change his mood so quickly. First he was all laughs and now he seemed so serious. And he let her look inside his heart. His eyes were wide open, unlocking the window to his soul. Then he lowered his head and kissed her hands, glancing up at her from under his eyelashes. Could she really trust him ?

She felt like giving in, but still hesitated. What if he…

“Honey, please. I get very lonely sometimes. Can you imagine me up here and you and your friends a few floors below ? That’s why I wanted you to stay with me anyway. I know, I’m selfish right now, but I do need you.”

“Can you promise me not to try anything, Michael ?”

“I promise ! You can trust me.”

He saw in her eyes that she was about to give in, so he got up real quick and pulled her with him before she could change her mind again.

“C’mon girl. I’ll show you my room.” He led her into his bedroom, which was much bigger than hers.

“Wow, you have a great room !!” She stood in awe, looking at the big four poster bed. There certainly was enough space for them. In fact the bed was so big that a whole family could fit in there.

Michael threw back the covers and invited her next to him. She literally had to crawl on it.

He pulled her next to him and covered them with the blankets. Then he put out the light, using the light switch at the head board.

She giggled. “Well, being in bed with Michael Jackson, never was one of my childhood dreams.”

“And now ?”

“I am not a child anymore.”

“No, you are a beautiful woman. And you are my friend, aren’t you ?”

“You know I am, Michael. It sounds as if you are not sure of that ? You keep asking me.”

“Sometimes I think I’m boring…” He continued.“ What is there to tell you about me ? Only a little part of me is the exciting entertainer. When I’m not on stage or in public, I like being at ease and living a quiet life. I love to hang out like we did tonight, in my pajamas, just doing nothing. And most people just don’t want to see me that way. I bore them. It happened to me once, you know… I was invited to a dinner party but I couldn’t get into the conversation and when I did, they looked at me and just carried on talking to each other as if I hadn’t said anything. I even invited them to my house to come see my animals but did you think they accepted my invitation ? Nooo, of course not. They would rather hang out in a disco, drinking and partying. It was all so fake. And I cannot fake. I’m just not like that. So maybe I’m just boring.”

“Michael !” She sat up. She couldn’t see him because it was dark, but she felt him rising too. “How could you ever think that ? Are we pitying ourselves here ?”

“No no. No self pity. But sometimes I think the only thing I can contribute to the world is my singing.”

“Oh Michael, don’t you understand ? Through your singing you can get attention for the things you find important. Didn’t we talk about that on the phone a few months ago ? I remember you crying because of all the poor and hungry children. You said to me that you would go out there and use your fame in order to help the children and all of the poor people in the world.” She reached out and grabbed his hand. “So, don’t you ever lower yourself like this anymore ! You are a wonderful performer but even more, you are a wonderful person. Don’t you forget that !”

“Ahw, thank you so much, Honey…. I really don’t want to sound pitiful but sometimes I just want to be just me.”

They lowered themselves back to the cushions.

“Honey ?” he whispered.

“Yes Michael ?”

“Would you spoon up with me ?”

“That’s asking for trouble, Michael. But we can hold hands and our feet can be friends.”

It was his turn to giggle. She talked some strange English now and then. “Friendly feet. Ok, I’ll settle for that.”

They drifted away and soon they were fast asleep. And in the morning as they woke up, they were spooned anyway.

The Grammy Awards Show was wonderful, although Michael attended it with Brooke Shields and Emmanuel Lewis. But they all sat in the back, cheering and applauding. For them, he took his sunglasses off.

Honey was so proud being his friend. Not only did he look great but he was a genius ! He won all these awards, proving the world once again he was indeed the greatest entertainer alive :

• Beat it – Best Male Rock Vocal Performance
• Beat it – Record Of The Year
• Billie Jean – Best Male R&B Vocal Performance
• Billie Jean – Best R&B Song
• Thriller – Album Of The Year
• Thriller – Best Engineered Recording, Non Classical
• Thriller – Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
• Best recording for children – .E.T.

He had them invited to the after party also. A lot of other ‘random’ people were invited along with them so they were not to be harassed by the press. A few snapshots were made here and there but Michael made sure he was never in the same picture with either one of them alone. He really didn’t want the press to know that these girls were his special friends because then one and one could be put together easily. He wanted to keep Honey for himself.

For them it was of course a once in a lifetime event. Watching all these celebrities parade in front of them was already a big treat. They knew most of them from the music scene or the movies but seeing them live was quite something else. Some of them looked just the same but others were almost unrecognizable. And of course there was the attention Michael himself gave to them. Watching him move in his ‘natural’ surroundings, was a very special treat, because even though he was a normal guy, as they had all witnessed already, his job certainly was not. It was all glamour and glitter and he fitted in perfectly, dressed up for the occasion, with his sequenced military jacket and his white glove. He was an entertainer after all and because he was the big winner that night, everyone wanted to be in his presence.

They had a lot of trouble getting through the crowd of photographers and journalists but once inside, he gestured them close to him and made sure they got to talk with most of the celebrities. He dealt with the curious glances from his famous friends, who tried to figure out where and how Michael got to meet these lovely girls. He laughed their curiosity away, joking about once having tasted Belgian chocolate and making sure he would never have any shortage of it. He winked at Honey and suggestively threw a glance at her lips, when he was sure no one paid attention. He was playing a dangerous game ! He even didn’t tell any of his family or friends that he had his Belgian friends over but if he kept acting like this, his secret admiration for one of them would soon jump out of the closet.

For the girls, this party was nothing like the ones they used to attend at home ! It was so much more glamorous ! Everywhere they looked their eyes met with luxury creations by the most famous designers. These people didn’t seem to have a care in the world and were dressed by their stylist from head to toe. But the Belgian “delegation” had done their best to fit in altogether.

Ally looked exquisite and mysterious this evening, dressed up in shiny black leather. She stood out because of her length and grace and made every man look at her twice. She immediately bonded with Brooke Shields, being not so petite herself. She could overlook the other women easily and laughed as she saw the attention Emma got.

“Emma, I think your cleavage is a little too deep.” She whispered as she saw Michael throwing a glance at it, his face flushing red. It was indeed difficult to not notice it which surely had not been Emma’s intention. She was an innocent little lady but with a body like that, she made a hell of an impression. The other male guests were drawn to her immediately, especially one of Michael’s brothers, who made sure Emma was never without a drink or any other refreshment.

Michael watched Jackie put himself out on behalf of Emma and laughed in his beard. His brother would soon find out that Belgian girls were hard to catch ! He was relieved however that Jackie didn’t pay as much attention to Honey. That would have caused a big problem !

“I wish I had your length.” Rachel said to Ally.

“Ah, sweet Rachel, you do look cute.”

And she did. She was more like a sexy tomboy, like Cyndi Lauper, her dark hair lightened up with purple streaks. Any man would agree she looked like candy, in that tight little pink dress. And well, Rachel was sweet like that too. And always fun to be with.

Barbara who stuck to Honey’s side, looked lovely as always, wearing the most beautiful colors. Because she was tall too, she could get away with it.

They got a lot of attention from the famous guests, who were very friendly to them. The only time Honey felt uncomfortable was when Michael’s family passed by. She was sure his mother looked at her several times, as if she wanted to determine who she was. And it was Michael’s fault ‘cause he couldn’t take his eyes of her. He thought Honey looked the loveliest of them all. She wore a tight white dress, of which the skirt was embroidered with one delicate grey sequenced flower. The dress itself left one shoulder bare and how he wished to cover it with kisses…. But then all hell would break loose. Reporters would be all over her and that risk he was not willing to take yet. Instead he settled for a sneaky caress now and then. She wasn’t even aware that he was touching her on purpose but he wished the party would already be over so they could go home and cuddle up together. The previous night he really enjoyed their chatting and playing.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t until very late at night that they arrived back in the hotel. They were all very tired. Honey almost fell asleep in the elevator, barely being able to stand up straight. Luckily she had this knight at her side, who would protect his maiden all times, even from the sleep bug that bit her.

They wished Ally, Emma, Rachel and Barbara good night and headed for their suite at the rooftop. Even if they wanted to, they were both too tired to stay up much longer. After a little chat about the past evening they each retreated to their own room. Michael didn’t ask her to sleep with him this evening, so she laid down, alone in her own bed.

♥♥♥

It was pitch black around her and she couldn’t see a thing. She was laying flat on her back, eyes closed, dreaming of the past few days. Coming to L.A. and staying with Michael had been a wonderful experience, short but really nice, tiring, but fulfilling at the same time. They met some great people at the party and she could still picture them all one for one, all dressed up to the occasion. Her mind was filled with the colors of the evening and it was spinning around like if she was on a merry go round. She would never forget this evening and let herself drift off to sleep and dream about it.

And dreaming she did until a sudden draft made her open her eyes. Yet there was nothing to see. It must’ve been her imagination. She closed her eyes again, and flew away on the wings of unconsciousness once more.

The mattress softly moved as if someone came to lie down next to her, and the blankets shifted a little. But still it was pitch black in the room. She couldn’t see a thing. At the same time the movement didn’t scare her either. On the contrary, it comforted her in her loneliness. Whatever it was, whomever it may be, made her feel safe and secure and relaxed.

Another movement and she suddenly felt someone breathing into her ear, a soft sweet warm breath, as if someone was very near to her. Was there really ? A hand reached behind her and lifted her head from the cushion, oh so gently. Soft moist lips started exploring the corners of her mouth and placed tiny kisses all around it. Her heart jumped a beat and a soft sigh escaped her. The lips became a bit more daring and started to invade hers for serious now. The pressure on her mouth caused it to open and a soft familiar tongue glided in to meet with hers. It ran over her teeth and started a seductive dance in the depths of her mouth. Strong arms now folded around her as she let him in voluntarily. It had already been a long time ago but she would never forget the sensation of being kissed by this one person, whom she fell in love with so many years ago. She put her arms around his neck and pulled him to her, stretching her body against his, all the way. If this was a dream, it almost felt real. Her heart raced in her chest as he deepened his kiss even more. Her head was spinning and she thought she would surely faint even in her sleep. He became bolder and went from her mouth to her neck and, without words, telling her about his longing for her, his desire to become one with her. She arched her back to give him better access to her body and he gladly accepted the invitation. One hand moved from her back to her side, his thumb slightly brushing the side of her breast. A moan escaped her and she pulled back a little, granting him permission to take what he so clearly wanted.

“I love you so much…” a soft voice came from the dark right before she was taken away by the strong arms of Morpheus.

And when morning came, she still did not know if this had really been happening or that it was just a dream.

“I love it ! No work today! Just a day to relax…” Michael stretched himself.

Honey felt the urge to tickle his long slender chest, but she better would not. There was a serious matter that she had to talk through with him and as they had to leave later that day, it became really urgent too. But how was she to bring it to him ? She would think about it while chitchatting. It would come to her.

“I can relate to that ! I can be so lazy sometimes. Just doing nothing, dreaming away over a romantic novel.” She nodded at him. “I love a day off, although I enjoy my job too. By the way, did I tell you of our plans ?”

“What plans ?”

“Barbara and I are going to start a business together. Well, maybe not right away, but soon. The plans are forming in our heads, so to speak. We are going to establish a shop for interior decorating. And then we will hire out our services too.”

“That’s a great idea ! You think there’s a market for these things in Belgium ?”

“Oh yes, there is for sure ! And we will try to put down our own line of furniture too. Barbara specialized in that matter.”

“I am so proud of you !” He scooted closer to her and looked her deep in the eyes. “Oh Honey, I really hate to see you leave. It will break my poor little heart. Tell me, what must I do to make you stay ? Ask you to marry me ?”

Oh no, why did he say this ? Oh Michael ! It didn’t leave her any choice. She had to tell him now. This was her cue.

“I have to tell you something, Michael.”

The way she said this, sounded ominous and his smile immediately froze on his face. This was not going the right way, he knew it ! He felt a grey cloud approaching, and it was already darkening these past glorious days.

“What’s wrong, Honey ? What is it that you have to tell me ?”

She took his hands in hers. Her eyes saddened and she swallowed several times after each other. This would be so difficult. She didn’t want to but he had the right to know.

“I hate to do this to you. But there’s no better way to tell you….Please Michael, don’t be mad at me. You know how much I value you, as a friend.”

In his eyes she saw already rainy clouds drifting in. It was as if he actually knew what she was going to say.

“So ?”

“John asked me to marry him. And…”

She saw all hope floating away from him, the all color drained from his face, warmth leaving his body, leaving behind an empty shell.

“No Honey ! No !” He pulled his hands away. “You can’t..Oh no, you can’t…”

“And I said yes.”

There was not a muscle that moved in his entire body after the words she finally managed to say. He just sat there, hiding his face from her, afraid of the strong emotions that built up inside of him. He felt as if life had just left him and that he died that very instant. This could not be happening !

“Michael, you know how much I like you…”

“Don’t !” he shouted at her. His eyes were like black coals, revealing all the pain and anger inside of him. “I don’t want to hear about it.” he said in a softer tone. “No ! No! No!” He shook his head as if he wanted to shake off the cleaving pain he felt as his heart was torn from his chest.

“Please Michael, I need to explain.”

“But I understand ! I understand it very well !” His voice was not more than a whisper but it seemed as if he cried these words out.

“No, you don’t. You cannot possibly understand, as I don’t understand it myself. This has never happened to me before. I have these 2 wonderful men in my life and I love them both. That you must believe, Michael, I love you very much….”

“But not enough.” His eyes were filled with so much despair that she almost cried in his place. Was she doing the right thing ?

“Michael, you don’t know how much I love you. Yet we cannot be more than friends. Please let me explain.” She tried to take his hands in hers but he jerked away. “Please Michael…”

“Oh Honey, every word you say, hurts me to my core. I can’t…”

It was she who began to cry now, because she could feel his pain. She knew how he felt. She had been there too, a long time ago, when he left her with her aching heart. But she could never let him know that. So in order to protect herself from any further heartache, she had to tell him something a completely different story. She hated to lie to him but at the same time she knew that he was too much for her. She would die if he would leave her once again

“Oh Michael, your life is not the one I want. I’m not the one for you. You live twice the speed of what I can handle. I would be absorbed by it before I could get accustomed to it. It just would not work out for me. I need simplicity and a life of my own. And most of all, I need to feel safe.” She softly sobbed and his heart shattered into a thousand pieces. However, he had to hold on. He had to try.

“I can make sure you’d have that. Please…” He knew he was pleading but this was not the time to maintain his pride. He was fighting for his life…

“How then ? More bodyguards ? More secrets in your life ? Michael, you would get tired of leading 2 lives. You were made for showbiz, but I’m not.”

“Must I then still pay for this one mistake I made ?” He had already slapped himself over and over for rejected her love that one cold winter day and now his mistake was finally catching up on him. He realized she was lying about the reasons why she chose John over him, but at the same time he knew she would never admit that to him.

“That has nothing to do with it. I’m not the kind of woman you need. You’ll see that one day.” How she hated the lies she was telling him. But if he would know that she loved him truly, deeply, more than her own life, she would be lost. And she was so afraid to be hurt again.

“Not ever. No, don’t touch me !” he cried out as she reached out for him. “I cannot bare it right now. Why didn’t you tell me this before ?”

“Michael, it has been a year since we saw each other. There wasn’t any sign that you still felt about me like this.”

Why didn’t he send these love letters ? He was so stupid ! He let her slip through his fingers. His eyes teared up and he put his face into his hands. What did he do ? Why ?

Her soft voice, filled with sadness pierced through his clouded mind.“Michael ? Michael, please… I thought we were friends first. Was I wrong then ?”

He breathed heavily, trying to get his emotions under control. He wanted to cry out loud, to kick something! He felt as if he was losing his mind. Everything spun around him while he was trying to steady himself. His hands clenched to the couch in search of support.

“Friendship, think about the friendship !” he said to himself, lifting his head, his eyes searching for hers. She was right. They still had something special going on.

“Oh Honey, we are friends. We are. We are…” his voice trembled of holding the emotion back. “But this is hard for me. I really thought there could be more. Just let me be for a while.”

“I’ll keep in touch, Michael. You know that. You have hundreds of my letters, already. I’ll keep on writing. You can call me day or night.” Her eyes hooking into his. He must see that she meant what she just said. But then he turned away from her again, shutting her out.

“And what would he say ? Your husband to be ?”

“He doesn’t know. He knows nothing about you. I thought that’s how you wanted it to be ?”

“So actually you’re cheating on him ?” He realized this was not nice of him, but he hurt so much !

“That’s not fair, Michael. That never was my plan. You know, I’m not like that. It is you who wanted to remain in the shadows.”

“Honey please, you are making a big mistake.” He pleaded for his own life and she was ripping his heart in two.

“No Michael ! I love him ! He’s caring and smart.” She almost shouted it out, just to re-assure herself.

Michael came closer to her. His eyes were burning as if he was feverish but that had nothing to do with it. She saw a fire that she had never seen before.

“Does he make you feel the same way, as I do ? He asked provocatively. “I know you tremble inside, when I come near to you.”

“Michael !”

“I know, Honey, I can feel it.” His eyes narrowed and she felt as if he was trying to get into her head.

“Michael, don’t do this, please !”

“Why are you afraid ? I know you love me. Why won’t you admit it ?”

He pulled her into his arms and she felt what he felt. An all consuming love. It scared the hell out of her. She did not want to endure the sensation that was threatening to take over her sanity and backed away.

“Let me be, Michael. I beg you, just be my friend.” She whispered. “I cannot live without you, but I cannot live with you, either. I’m so confused.” She started to cry again.

A knock on the door, disturbed them. They had to let go now.

“It’s high time to go to the airport, miss. Your friends are already in the lobby.” a voice shouted through the door.

“Oh my god, Honey please…”

She shook her head but now he pulled her into his arms, with a force he didn’t know he had it in him. His heart was still whole, he felt it racing in his chest and he wanted hers to feel it too. He wanted their hearts to join, if not in love, than … in friendship.

“I’m sorry, Honey. I’m sorry I made you cry.” His embrace changed. It became different, comforting, almost friendly, and very very gentle. She felt his sweetness while his arms crept around her. She saw it in his eyes too.

Oh Michael, he thought of her first, putting his own feelings out on the sideline. The last thing he wanted was to make her unhappy. To him, and that he just realized at that very moment, it was all about her. She was much more important than his own life. Her wellbeing was top priority.

“Please Honey, please stop crying.” he put his finger under her chin and made her look up at him. His eyes poured over with tenderness. ”We can be friends, if you want us to.” he put his forehead against hers. “This was not my plan, but I respect your choice. It’s not mine, but if I have to settle for friendship, I will. So remember my sweetest, if you ever need me, just call me.”

 

to be continued………..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next time Michael visited Belgium was with the Bad Tour on the 23^rd of August 1988. The concert took place on the festival grounds of Werchter, one of the biggest concert sites in Belgium. Michael had send several tickets for her and her friends and Honey was really looking forward to attend the show. She was very excited. Would she get the chance to meet him ? Would he have the time to see her anyway ?

They did stay in contact over the years, mostly by telephone. It was only during this last year that the number of their phone calls had been reduced to a minimum. And with him touring, their last contact dated from a couple of months ago. The only sign of life were postcards from every different country he visited. Sometimes with a message but often with only his name.

But nevertheless before that, their friendship had been growing steadily, slowly taking them to another level. They both became more mature. Sometimes it felt like growing up together, like they were family. And even being apart they had created a very intimate relationship. It’s true what they say : it’s easier to talk on the phone and in a way they got to know each other really well. They talked about almost everything but never ever about their last encounter. At that time, she had made her wishes very clear and Michael tried to understand and respect them. But still he never gave up on her. On the contrary, it was him who tightened their bonds by calling her at least once a month. But he never mentioned it anymore.

He never stopped loving her and sometimes talking to her was hurtful, especially in the beginning. If this was the price he had to pay to keep her in his life, he would do so. He was by far not ready to give her up. He felt it deep down inside. Their time would come. And as the years passed, he grew into it and was glad to count himself among her best friends. And she was his, always interested in everything he had to say, always listening. They never spoke about her marriage to John or about any of Michael’s relationships with other women. And Michael never brought up his feelings for her again. Instead he tried to show her his commitment by always being there for her, like a real friend would. Talking about persistency !

Apart from that, they talked about his career and about her new business with Barbara. There weren’t many topics that were left untouched, except from the weather. J They talked about their family too. Honey knew exactly how many cousins and nephews he already had and it seemed as if she knew them all personally, because he just couldn’t stop talking about the children. He made it very clear that he loved them all dearly and to Honey it seemed that he was probably the most playful uncle around. She could imagine him fooling around with a bunch of kids crawling all over him. And when he cried because he too wanted to have children of his own so bad, she comforted him. But there were many happy times too and they laughed a lot. They shared so much that after all this time, it was still a mystery how it could be that they were still apart. But she had John…

And John never knew about Michael. He thought Honey was just a big fan and sometimes even made fun of her. He laughed because she really was into popmusic and because she was completely over the top in awe of Michael’s newest album “Bad”. Therefore she didn’t want John to know that she knew Michael in person. If he didn’t appreciate Michael’s music, he didn’t deserve to know the man himself. Furthermore, she wasn’t sure if he would keep it to himself either. Maybe he would tell his friends and she didn’t trust them at all. They all thought they were so smart and teased her because she was a fan of W*cko J*cko.

As a result to all of that, her letters were still delivered at her parents’ place and Michael mostly called when John was at work. At the time people with John’s profession (a computer analyst) had to work shifts to keep the computer running, so that was actually very convenient. She could always tell Michael when he should call. And if Michael thought this was strange, he never said a word about it. During these precious phone calls, she was his. And what about her ? Was she cheating ? Sometimes she did feel bad about hiding it from John but when she talked it over with Barbara, she never tried to convince her to stop being secretive about Michael. Not even her parents confronted her with it. On the contrary, they were always very interested in Michael’s activities. Could it be that they preferred Michael over John ?

But that was months ago. Michael started the second leg of his BAD tour in February, and it was since then the contact had fallen out a bit.

She was very glad with the tickets that were delivered for her and her friends. Maybe this would cheer her up a little. These last few months her life had been nothing but difficult and painful. She was going through some rough times with John. For four years they were married and she really gave the best she could, but never it was good enough. She came to know that he and his friends despised all she stood for. They spit upon Barbara and Daniel and her other friends and ridiculed everything she was interested in. They made fun of her job because to them it was beneath their dignity ! They didn’t care that her business was very successful and that she was making much more money than they were. It was really hurtful to Honey because when they married, she did expect some appreciation from John’s friends too. But after “it” happened, he even he didn’t grant her any… Sometimes he treated her as if she was “quantité negligable” or not worth talking to. And except for that one little thing, she didn’t cheat on him technically?! But there was so much more… Over the course of the last year, she and John simply quarreled too many time. And at long last, there wasn’t much loving left. They didn’t belong together anymore. And although they still struggled to keep their marriage going, it seemed that a divorce was the only outcome to their situation. It did hurt her a lot more than she could ever express to someone. She always thought that John was her lifeline after that unfortunate event at the seaside back in 1980. Was this her fault ? Didn’t she love him enough ? Was she really the stupid woman, he claimed her to be?

Sadness was on her side lately and she could sure use some cheering up. So the concert was a present sent from above.

Little did she know, that there was even more to come ! Her dear friend Barbara was the one who took the initiative to write to Michael and ask him if he could arrange to meet Honey after the show. She didn’t mention anything about the divorce because she knew Honey had never ever talked to Michael about her relationship with John. And she respected that choice. She just told Michael that she wanted to do something special for Honey because of their lifelong friendship. But there was more to it. If ever there was a chance of changing Honey’s mind about Michael, this would be the moment. Barbara was convinced that Honey was finally realizing how important Michael was to her and how wrong she had been all those years ago. She could still remember how sad Honey had been after they left L.A. in 1984. She never understood how Honey could’ve chosen John over Michael and she felt sorry for her friend because she was so scared about these feelings. It was true, Michael had rejected her first but he deserved a second chance. And so did Honey !

Honey was very excited to see him perform, as where her friends. It was after all their first experience with his stage magic. And they were for sure the only people in the audience that knew him more personally than musically. And of course they had the best places, right up front. It made their heart jump up in anticipation. Would he notice them ? Would he maybe say something to them ?

The show started when a huge bank of lights rose in the front of the stage and lowered slowly to reveal him and his dancers ! Wow ! He was definitely the man !! Looking gorgeous as ever. And when the music started, he had them all in the palm of his hand, young and old, woman or man. The entire stadium was at his feet even before he had even sung a single note. Just his presence was enough to already send some teenagers to the red cross post !

Bad Era Sexiness…..Yeah !!!

His energy was unequalled and every single one of them felt it as if he was standing next to them. It beamed wide out, all over the meadow, reaching the 55.000 spectators. His fans who came to watch their hero at work were not disappointed. He gave it all. Not alone was he extremely handsome with his long curly hair and slender body but he sang his heart out and he danced like no one could ! He left all his dancers behind him and took the stage with force !

Every song was like a sweet enchantment, which touched all the nerves in their bodies. The whole audience was under his spell, from the first row till the last one. And it was not only his singing, or even not only his dancing. He delivered a complete show, played with them and gave them all he could. His charisma took their breath away.

And while moving his body to the music, building up the tension, dancing and grooving, he still managed to look unbelievably hot. He knew how to give the ladies a treat !

It could not be denied that whenever he set foot on stage, he breathed sex. He swayed his hips as if he were to say :“come and get me.” His feet pulled the rhythm to him and his pelvis pushed it towards them, his sexiness undeniable. He went for it all the way !

When Michael set foot on stage, he was nervous for the first time in his entire career, because he knew she was going to be there. Luckily he could do this show with his eyes closed and his mind turned off, because when he laid eyes on her for the first time in more than 4 years, he was blown away once more. Over the years his love for her had never died. On the contrary, keeping in touch as often as they did, had only assured him that she was the one for him and that his time would come. In all these years he stood at the sideline, patiently waiting for the right time to make his move. And now, wow, she looked more beautiful than ever before. The pretty young girl had grown up to be a gorgeous sexy woman. But actually, he hadn’t expected less than that. As he worked his show, he knew that this time his sensual moves were addressed to her and her alone.

She could just look him straight in the eye and she knew from that moment that this time there would be no escaping. He wasn’t a boy anymore. This was a mature man who knew what he wanted and his magic was simply too powerful. Her heart jumped as he let his body talk for him. How in heaven’s name did he know he had to do that to just that ? She realized that the attraction he had towards her hadn’t changed for one bit and tried to gulp down the lump of excitement that had formed in her throat. Seeing him in the flesh for the first time in four years, made her mind leap back in time. She wanted to remember all their phone calls and their sweet friendship but it was the taste of their kisses that forced its way to her memories. Finally seeing him perform in his sexy ways and suggestive moves made her give in to her blood boiling in her veins and her head began to spin. On stage he was “bad” and just that pulled her over the line. What a great man he was, she thought and how stupid she had been.

During one of the costume changes the stage manager approached Honey and handed her a little note. She was not really surprised to recognize his handwriting but still the beating of her heart thundered in her ears. Her hands trembled while reading his short message :

“Meet me in my hotel, alone. Follow the man who delivered the note. Always yours, Michael.”

That was so sweet ! Oh Michael ! During these last months she realized that she made a big mistake in marrying John. Why on earth did she ever think he was the love of her life ? Stupid stupid stupid ! Seeing Michael again made her finally understand that it had been him all along. She was ready to admit that to herself but still these powerful feelings scared her! Would she be able to confess it to him to ? Their friendship was worth everything to her and she did not want to spoil that because of a bad love affair. Imagine what would happen if it went wrong ? She would lose everything ! She winced at the thought. Was she ready to risk that? The love she felt for him had been simmering since the day they met, and was now like a volcano about to burst out. However, would she be able to guide them into the right direction ? Had he perhaps moved on? The thought suddenly struck her like lightning ! Was there someone special in his life? It had been a while since their last phone call and to be honest, she had never asked him either. But then again they never talked about the matters of the heart. They danced around it, carefully, because they didn’t want to cross the invisible line that she herself had set out. A guy like him could have hundreds of girls, he just had to pick one. So why would he wait for someone like her ? Someone who hurt him to the core, someone who had denied what was so obvious for everyone else.

After the show, Honey followed the stage manager, just as Michael asked her. A car was waiting for them to take them to a hotel in the middle of the beautiful town of Leuven. She was taken to the penthouse where Michael was staying. The first sight of him struck her. He was waiting for her, looking just gorgeous. His long curly hair still a little wet from the shower he just took, his clothes casual but sexy, blacks pants, bright yellow shirt, and barefoot.

He opened his arms wide for her and she didn’t hesitate to step into his embrace. She wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up to him. She drank in his being as one being lost in the desert and finding an oasis at long last.

He had changed. His round boyish features had been replaced by the sharp and strong lines of a grown man. His nose was a little thinner than when she last met him and his chin definitely was more pronounced but the biggest difference must’ve been his change in color. Where before he had been a chocolate dream, he now looked like a delicious cup of latte. His skin once dark looked more like coffee and cream, but still it hadn’t lost its smooth glow.

But his eyes were still the same, dark pools filled with love. He let her search them and enter his heart. And she saw that he was beautiful as ever. The “Bad” man was no different than the “Thriller” boy.

She tiptoed and softly touched his face with her lips. First his left cheek, then his right and then again his left, kissing him three times, the Flemish way. She felt like coming home.

She seemed so serious, he thought. But lovely too, as always. Her hair was short now, like a shiny helmet encasing her head. She wore a short black dress with long transparent sleeves, and buttons from the collar to her waist. Black lacquered shoes with very high heels completed the picture. He swallowed. She was a sexy little woman….

He took her with him to a large couch, in the middle of the room. To Honey, after standing up on her high heels all through the concert, it looked very inviting. She gratefully let herself fall on the creamy white cushions. Michael seated himself right next to her, looking her over from top till toe and back. He didn’t even know where to start…

“Mmm Honey… wow, you look great.” He swallowed the lump in his throat away. “What did you think of the show ?”

“Oh Michael, it was awesome ! But then, it’s you who is awesome ! You’re such a great performer. Thanks again for sending me the tickets.”

He was thrilled by her comment. She thought he was great !! Oh wow !

“Gosh Honey, it has been such a long time.” He couldn’t take his eyes off her. “Much too long…I missed you so much.”

She blushed at his gaze. It was one thing when he looked at her when he was on the stage and at a certain distance but sitting this close and seeing his big brown eyes wandering all over her, made her heart jump to her throat. She rapidly started talking about something else.

“Aren’t you tired ?”

“No, the adrenaline is still racing through my body. This is the part I do not like! Most of the time I can’t even sleep after a show, so we can talk all night, if you want to. Can I get you anything? A glass of red wine maybe ? I remember you like red wine.”

“Oh, yes I would love some.”

He got up and poured the wine in two large glasses. He handed one over to Honey.

“We must toast !”

She put the glass down and sighed deeply. “Besides meeting you again, there’s nothing to toast about. There is something I didn’t tell you yet.”

“What do you mean ?”

All at once she started to cry. Michael put down his glass too and came to sit next to her. She must feel really bad, if she gave expression to her feelings in his presence.

“Oh my god, Honey. What happened ? You can tell me…”

“It’s a mess, Michael. It’s all going terribly wrong !“

“Honey, tell me !” He cupped her chin and made her look in his eyes. “Come on..” he said softly.

He knew it was difficult for her, just to open up to anyone, but he felt that there was something really bad going on in her life. And a little voice in his head whispered to him that he had to take this chance if he wanted to help her.

Honey didn’t know what was happening. Even if he didn’t say all that much, she couldn’t help herself. It was the first time in months that she actually cried. Was it him who did that to her? She shook her head, trying to see clear, but he took it otherwise. He thought she was backing out once more and that he would not let happen this time. So he persisted.

“Honey, talk to me. You can trust me. I’m your friend, remember ?” He took her hands in his and stroke her fingers very gently, meaning to soothe her.

She tried to figure out how she should tell this. She felt so stupid.

“Oh Michael, I… I ….I  made a big mistake. A very b…big mistake. I don’t know what to do anymore.” Her shoulders shook as she sobbed. “M..my m…marriage is falling apart, it all went so horribly wrong. I don’t know what happened. I really did everything I could to make it work. I even don’t know why I ever fell in love with him. He has changed so much. Or maybe I did, I don’t know.”

“I remember you falling in love. You said he was sweet and nice and that he loved you very much.”Michael would never ever forget the day that she announced she had a boyfriend. Nor the day that she said she was going to marry him. He felt as if he died twice already. He would not be a victim today. He wanted to take this in his own hands and turn it out for the best.

“Come on then.” He encouraged her to talk. “Tell me what’s happening.”

“I don’t know. I thought I was safe with him. But now…”

She cried even harder and Michael didn’t know what else to do than to take her in his arms and hug her. He caressed her hair with his big hands, trying to make the hurt go away.

“He’s really hateful to me. He picks on me making me feel stupid. And his friends too. They hate me!” She sobbed “I’m not stupid !”

“Of course you’re not. Don’t you believe them !” What she said, enraged him. What had they done to her ? She didn’t deserve that ! He was not a violent man, but he could just kick their asses.

“The only thing they can talk about is computers and maths ! And just because I’m not all into that, I’m being ignored and laughed at ! And he…he acts as if I don’t exist.”

“Oh Honey, I’m so sorry. I wish I could make it all go away. But you should talk to him instead of me.”

“There’s nothing more to talk about, Michael. It’s over. It’s done. We are having a divorce!”

She just sat there crying. His heart ached for her and he held her even closer. He could do nothing more than comfort her. But he was glad that she finally let him in her world, in her mind. He really felt bad about it, but he was also very happy about the fact that John and Honey were getting divorced. He hated himself for this awful feeling of happiness, at the expense of her grieve, and he tried to comfort her even more.

“Honey please, you’re wonderful. You’re beautiful, you’re smart, you’re witty. Don’t lose all of that because of one guy. He’s the one who’s wrong. And his friends, well, they are not worth your tears. So please stop crying. You’re perfect.”

The sobbing became less intense.

“Do you think so ? I’m not that perfect. Maybe I did something to drive him off.”

“Honey, when a man and a woman truly love each other, there must be some kind of tolerance and to me it seemed that this was not the case. Maybe you didn’t love each other enough ?”

She finally stopped crying. Her eyes were red and her hair was a mess, but never before she looked so beautiful to him.

“I’m sorry, Michael. This is not the way that I pictured our first encounter in 4 years.”

“The most important thing is that you are here, with me. I can’t say it enough, I missed you so very much.”

Now she took her turn on hugging him. She came closer, her arms around his neck, with nothing in mind but innocently thanking him.

“Michael ?” she whispered.

“Yes…” He started trembling deep inside, at the feeling of her breath against his cheek.

“Thank you so very much for being my friend. You’ll never know how much I appreciate this. I come here with my sorrow while you just had an exhausting show. I don’t know how to thank you for listening, Michael. You made me feel better already.”

He still didn’t know what happened then at that very moment, but being this close to her, made his heart almost jump out of his chest. The physical attraction had not lessened for one tiny bit and he decided right there and then that he could not let her go anymore. He could not and he would not ! He had enough of it ! Always, he wanted more than being a friend and he felt that this was the right time to show her. For years he longed for her and now he was to take his chance ! He would not let her get away this time !

He put his hand behind her head and brought her face near to his. Her eyes went wide open, as he put his lips against hers. He opened his mouth a bit and licked her lower lip. Was this clear enough? Would she get the message ? He himself knew exactly what he was aiming for but he wanted to make sure that she understood. And that whenever she gave in, there was no turning back. This was a flood that could not be stopped!

At first she was startled because she didn’t expect this to happen. But he was Michael ! He knew her through and through. He would not ever do anything to harm her. She felt the wave of his love washing her over and pulling her under. How could she to deny this any longer ? Maybe this was truly meant to be?

Their tongues found each other in a kiss pure, yet passionate. He tasted the salt of her tears and he pledged himself that he would never let anything bad happen to her anymore. He wanted to protect her and more than anything else in the world he wanted her by his side for all times. His body ached in anticipation of her reaction.

Honey felt the sensation of his embrace all to her toes, and laid back in his arms as if she’d never left. How did she survive these years ? She had been such a fool ! But then she just stopped thinking and let him have his way. She was not up to resisting, not anymore. This was just as in that ‘dream’ she had, so long ago. She put her arms around his neck and returned his kisses with a passion she didn’t know she had in her. Yet in her marriage…Her marriage!

“Michael, my divorce hasn’t been declared yet. I’m still married. I cannot do this.”

She tried to push him back, but he did not let go. He stopped kissing her though and looked at her.

“Not this time, Honey. I won’t let you off the hook this time. I’ve never stopped loving you. And I know you didn’t either.” His voice was soft but his words were firm. He would not let her go ! His eyes caressed her face. “For once, be honest with yourself. You want me too. Don’t be scared, baby. Please trust me. I will never ever let you down. I promise.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He pulled her closer and she realized how much he desired her. And she wanted desired him too. She was ready to admit it to herself finally but she also knew that if they gave in to the desire of becoming one, there was no way back. Michael Jackson was not a person to mess with. She knew he was sweet but he was not a boy anymore. And she knew that once he set his mind to something, he always got it. And did she want to be his prey ? Her heart called to her to say yes, her body urged her to give in, but her mind was still a little behind.

“Michael, this is going too fast.” Her voice trembled a bit.

“Too fast ?” he softly laughed. “Are you kidding me ? How can you even say that ? Please Honey, don’t…”

“But…we only just kissed…”

“So ? In my dreams I’ve kissed you a thousand times. And I know you dreamt about it too. You only would never admit it to yourself. But now, technically you’re free, Honey. You can do whatever you want. The only one who is holding you back, is you.” He knew her so well. What could she say, he was right in every way. The passion in his eyes was a reflection of the feeling that was growing inside of her.

“We’ve known each other for so long. I cannot wait anymore, Honey. I won’t. Give in to me…” he whispered. “Please… I want you to be mine….”

With the back of his hand, he gently stroked her cheek. His lips touched hers again, over and over. Yet, he held back the passion but he laid all his tender feelings for her into his kisses, pleading her to surrender and at the same time convincing her that she was safe.

But still, she said nothing. Honey’s heart was slowly taking over her mind. The combination of his caresses and his tender words, pulled her into a sweet spiral of love. How could she say no to this beautiful gentle man ?

He made sure what he was aiming for, as he turned to her neck and although she couldn’t see his lips touching her she could feel him bury his face there, imagine him closing his eyes…

“Michael…” she sighed. His lips sucked in a little skin and then gently started to wander around, nibbling and tasting, licking and softly biting. She held back her breath as he met the collar of her dress. One by one he started to undo the buttons and then he followed this path by his tongue. She smelled so sweet, her skin tasted so good. He could never get enough of her. His eyes were wide open now, taking in her lovely features, and he saw her literally melting under him.

“Oh Michael…”

His lips kissed every bit of bare skin. He wanted her to become familiar with his touch, so he gently massaged her back, trying to make her feel at ease. His big hands fit perfectly around her little waist. She was so tiny that his fingers almost met each other. While he laid her down, he caressed her hips, her legs, and pressed his own body in all of his length against her. His hands went back up again and he touched the sides of her breasts with his knuckles. She didn’t refuse him, but opened her eyes and looked at his hands and then at his face.

He whispered again : “Let me love you.”

The way he said this, made Honey finally give in. She pulled him down to her mouth and kissed him back. Her hands started to trail his body in a way he could only have dreamed of. Michael’s head began to spin with happiness. He felt tears coming up to his eyes and his legs started to turn into syrup. She did it. She gave in ! It was almost too much for him to comprehend. After all these years !

She tasted the salt of his tears in their kiss and opened her eyes.

“Michael, what’s wrong ?”

“Nothing baby, nothing. It’s all perfect now. I waited so long for you. I was thirsty and could not drink. I was hungry and could not eat. So, this is a feast for me. You cannot imagine how I feel right now. These are tears of happiness.”

“I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.”

He smiled a little devilishly. “But you’re gonna make it up to me, right ?”

She giggled and kissed the palm of his hand. “If you’ll try your magic on me, I will see to that.”

His eyes turned big and dark with desire and he whispered in her hair “If we do it, we do it properly, not on some couch.”

He lifted her up and carried her to the bedroom.

He laid her on the bed and took off his shirt.

“I want to see you. Take off your dress, baby.” Hearing him call her like that, sent shivers down her spine. She gladly obeyed.

He looked at her with his dark eyes, filled with desire.

“You’re beautiful. Take off your bra too…”

As she did, he sighed and came back to her.

When his bare chest touched hers there was nothing that could have separated them anymore. His long curly hair surrounded their faces as a velvet curtain. There was no outside world, just the two of them on a cloud of love and desire. To them, they were in the center of the universe.

“Please love me, Michael”

How he had longed to hear her say these words. He almost lost his mind, but he restrained himself, as he would proof this was not just lust, but love, pure and honest. This was what he had always dreamed of and he would not let this go to waste. He pulled her even closer and she felt his desire against her hips. His left hand cupped her breast and he kissed it very softly. She bent her body backwards as if asking for more and he was happy to oblige. His hand followed his way down, making circles on her belly, teasing her.

“Michael !”

“You are gorgeous.” he whispered and let his fingers travel the edge of her panties. “Baby, I want to be one with you, more than anything in the world.” His thumb caressed the soft skin above the fabric.

He met her lips again in a powerful kiss and he took down the last lace cover. She trembled as she felt his hand coming near her and then he touched her so very softly at the center of her womanhood, that she wasn’t even sure it was real. His kiss deepened even more and when his hand increased the pressure, he made her lose every touch with reality.

She unloosened his belt and started to undo the buttons of his trousers, but he took her hands and put them above her head.

“No my lovely one, I certainly do not need any encouragement. Just let me do what I want to do. I have been dreaming about this for so long. I know what I want.” His mouth followed the path from her breasts to her stomach. She looked at him moving down to her thighs, her knees, her feet. He then got up from the bed and stood there looking at her.

“You are the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen. You don’t know how much I love you.”

“Michael …” she begged.”Please, come to me.”

He got out of his pants and underwear. Gosh, he was one beautiful man, she thought, inspecting him from top to toe. He smiled at her and crawled back on the bed as a panther hunting down his prey. He looked her straight in the eyes and while making them one, he whispered : “Now, you’re mine.”

Her mind went completely blank and the only thing that existed was the rhythm of the loving they shared. Being a dancer, he held the perfect beat, leading her to a place where she truly never had been before. He put his hands beside her head and held his body up a little so that his weight would not bother her. By creating this little distance he made her even more eager to come to him. She kept pace with him, gave him everything she had, following his lead.

He didn’t let himself lose full control until she had reached her point of no return. But when she began to tremble, crying out his name, he let it all out. After craving so long for them to come together, his groan, when he released himself of these years of yearning, echoed in the room. Wave after wave washed him over and rushed him to the shore. He was saved.

She had always known that he would be a great lover but she had never foreseen this experience. He had brought his stage sexiness to her and her alone and she was aware of the fact that a lot of women would die to be in her place. But she didn’t see him as Michael Jackson, the performer. To her he was this guy she met at the seaside, simply Michael Jackson, her friend. She caressed his face as he just laid there looking at her.

“What are you thinking of ?” he asked.

“Is it not the woman, who is always supposed to ask that ?”

He smiled and kissed her on the lips. “I want to know everything about you. I want to feel what you feel, I want to see what you see, I want to hear what you hear.” He pulled her closer to him. “I want to be inside your head.” Just as she thought he couldn’t be closer, he tightened his grip even more.

“I want you to know that now that I have you, I will never ever let you go. You’re mine.”

His kisses travelled over her face, to her shoulders, his long hair caressing her body. Love once more took over their minds. This time he gave her the chance to do some research herself. She too wanted to know everything about him and right now she was in need of some ‘physical education’. The combination of his great looks and his sweet character, attracted her ever since she laid eyes on him. And it turned her on in a way she had never expected. Her hands stroke his bare chest and her thumbs drew little circles around his tiny nipples.

He closed his eyes at her touch and whispered very softly : “I’m ready for your magic hands, baby. I waited so long for you to touch me this way. After I met you, no woman could measure up to you. So please, have me.”

She went up to his shoulders and disappeared behind his back. Her fingers scurried down his spine to where his back was curved. He opened his eyes again and it seemed as if they turned black when she reached his bottom. He was a dancer and it showed in his strong and sensitive legs and firm buttocks. He was all muscles and made it very clear to her he could go for another round. Her soft hands, made him gasp as she suddenly touched him at the proof of his desire. He held back his breath as her fingers ran him up and down, discovering his manhood. He never ever could have dreamed that a woman’s touch would be so powerful. He crossed all borders by overcoming his natural shyness and by allowing her to touch him in such an intimate way. She made him forget where he was and for one moment he even didn’t remember his own name.

“Honey…” he moaned, his breath shallow, his head spinning.

“Yes Michael ?”

“What do you do to me, woman ? Argh !”

“Don’t I give you pleasure ?” she whispered in his ear.

“Oh yes, you do ! I love you. But this is sweet torture and I cannot hold it any longer. I want to go there with you. Come here…” He pulled her on top and reunited their bodies with one quick move. This time they just let the rhythm itself take over and lead them to the edge of their love.

“Michael ?”

“My love…”

“You’re yummie.”

“You’re not too bad yourself but I don’t think I could go for a third round.”

“Never say never, Michael….”

And she proved to him that he could, until the break of dawn.

Honey opened her eyes, late next morning, to discover Michael laying on his side near to her, watching her and taking in her whole persona. His gaze almost scared her, as it was so intense. He looked as if he could just devour her. Now that she was awake he lifted his hand to touch her cheek and follow the line to her jaw and then to her mouth. His thumb caressed her lower lip while his hand cupped her chin.

“Hi, you beautiful.” he whispered.

“Good morning…” She yawned and stretched herself. “Did you sleep well ?”

“Ah I did! And you do not know how much I enjoy this moment. Waking up together…This is the best morning I ever experienced.” He pulled her close to him and kissed her on the forehead. “It was an amazing night, Honey. You’re a naughty woman !”

“Haha, I hope I didn’t scare you ?”

“Afraid of you, a little kitten ? Don’t forget that I am the panther. You know I am. I can eat you anytime.”

“Don’t get any ideas, Bagheera.” She had a flashback. She named him like that, the first time they met. And now he was even more dangerous to her, as he had captured her heart.

She looked down at his body, halfway hidden under the sheets. He giggled, pretending he was shy.

“Baby, don’t look at me like this. I’ve nothing left after last night.”

She acted as if she was stunned. “Really Michael, I expected more of you.” And then let her hands travel down his body.

“You’re bad, girl.”

All of a sudden her hands stopped caressing him. Her fingers touched the skin on his side. She looked at him with question marks in her eyes.

“Michael, what are those spots on your body ? I didn’t notice this last night.” She touched one of them with her other hand. He backed away from her.

“It’s nothing. Just this thing I have.”

“Are you ill, Michael ?” By the tone of her voice, he could hear that she was very worried.

He just sat on the side of the bed, with his back towards her. He didn’t want to talk about it but she, of all people, deserved to know. He had to tell her about the vitiligo, although it horrified him. By not talking about it, he could pretend it wasn’t there. When it was completely covered up by is make-up artist, no one even noticed. So once in a while, he stuck his head in the ground, like an ostrich, avoiding reality. He could hardly bare thinking about it, least of all talk about it.

“I’m not ill. I have a pigmentation disorder. My pigmentation is destroyed bit by bit.”

She wrapped herself in the sheets and sat next to him, covering him up too, as if she wanted to protect him.

“Oh Michael, that must be devastating !”

“Tell me about it.” He shrugged his shoulders.

“Can this be cured ?”

“Would I still have it then ?” He almost shouted at her. “I’m sorry, Honey. It’s just…it’s scary. I don’t know where this will end.”

This must have been devastating for him, not knowing where next he would start to discolor. And seeing himself change from black to white, simply horrifying. It’s like losing yourself… She put her arms around him and laid her head upon his shoulder.

“I’m so sorry, Michael.” At the sight of the sheets all smeared over with make-up, she hugged him even closer.

“Whenever I go out, I must wear tons of make-up. It’s already lighter now, but you should’ve seen it during the Thriller era. When I was in Belgium, it wasn’t that obvious yet. But later on, I had these tests and I was diagnosed with vitiligo. I can tell you, it was hell touring. And I have lupus too.”

“Oh my god, Michael. So all this time, when people accused you of not wanting to be black…. Why didn’t you tell me ? I wish…..”

“Honey, you were married to another man. I did not want to burden you with my problems.”

“Sh*t, forgot all about him.”

The way Michael looked at her, made her suddenly laugh out loud, lightening up the conversation.

“Oh my God, I’ve been a bad girl.” She really looked very guilty. “This is so not my style. It’s not because we’re having a divorce, that I must already take another man.”

“Oh baby, I’ll take the blame. I seduced you.”

“Yes, you did. You took advantage of my weakness!” But she laughed while saying this and kissed him on the cheek. She felt so much at ease with him. He was her best friend after all and that was a comfortable situation to start with.

“I’m gonna take a shower.” Michael said, kissing her on the nose. She had the cutest little nose he had ever seen and it was very kissable. It reminded him of Feline, Bambi’s companion. So sweet.

“Mm, good idea. I’m coming with you…”

“What ?” He almost tripped over his own feet, looking at her as if she spoke a different language.

“I said..”

“I heard what you said. But…”

She took his hand and lead him to the shower.

“Shamone Michael..”

“Well, I don’t know. I’ve never showered with a woman before.”

“Ha, you are a shower virgin ? Mmm, then I must take care that it turns out grand. You can leave that to me, pretty boy.”

Michael loved it when she called him that. He was turned on every time again by the way she pronounced these words. On one hand he was looking forward to shower with her but he had never done anything intimate like that with anyone before. In private he was not easily embarrassed but still he started to blush all over his body. Honey thought it was very endearing and right before they stepped into the shower cabin, she kissed him with all her might, pressing herself up to him. Hence he stepped under the shower with an open mind and a lot of anticipation.

They started with washing each other’s hair which, when it came to hers, was easy enough. Her hair was so short that it only took him a few minutes. He made fun of her, pulling it all straight up as if she were a punker. He laughed when she made a funny face to him.

“Don’t laugh at my hair, Jackson. Not all of us are blessed with manes like yours. Wait till I get my way with you…”

And when she tried to wash his, with all those curls, it became a real mess. He began to look like a poodle.

He chuckled and took her hands off his head. “I’ll take care of my hair myself, Honey, before I have nothing left. Luckily you’re a decorator and not a hairdresser.”

His second thoughts about sharing the shower had flushed down the drain. He found it not only very amusing but comforting too and he felt very much at ease. Actually being in the same bathroom, and under the shower, created a feeling of togetherness, as if they had been married for a long time. He smiled at her and kissed her once again on the nose, before he took care of his hair.

She, for herself, had made up her mind when she saw him standing there with his hands up in the air, the length of his body exposed to her and at her complete disposal. Some shock therapy wouldn’t hurt him ! She understood that he didn’t have much experience at all, although there was nothing to complain about regarding his lover’s skills. Last night he had proven to be the perfect inamorato. He must have had some lady friends but maybe not of the kind that would share a bathroom with him. So she decided to tease him and make it a bit of a thriller for him. She had all kinds of things in mind of what she could do to him. Mmm….At least he could not escape, as she stood nearest to the shower door.

With his arms up and his hands in his hair, he was her perfect victim. He looked so gorgeous that it would be a shame no to touch him. His torso was slim, yet sinewy. His stomach was flat and he had the most cutest little outie she had ever seen. In fact she had never seen an outie on a man before. His buttocks were firm from all the dancing and his legs were long and powerful. And his manhood… just blew her mind away. Who said that a man could not be beautiful ? Well, he or she was wrong. So, she took the shower cream and put some on her hands. Having his eyes closed, to avoid the shampoo getting in, he didn’t see it coming at all. He was innocently concentrating on washing his hair, humming a little tune. At her unexpected touch he startled and almost hit his crown against the shower head.

“Gosh Honey, what…?”

“Don’t you have this song “Enjoy yourself ?” She whispered against his wet chest. “Well Michael, enjoy yourself with me.”

She soaped his whole body with her bare hands, her fingers massaging the soap into his skin. His broad shoulders, his back received a full massage. She gently pulled at his tiny nipple with her soapy fingers and they immediately became erect when she blew a little air on them too. She saw him swallow when she travelled down over the small path of tiny hairs that led to his love tool. When she reached that particular sensitive area and wrapped her fingers around it, he gasped and his hands clenched to her shoulders. He never could have imagined that a down to earth thing like showering could be turned into an erotic fantasy. He learned fast.

But before they could undertake any further action, they heard the door of the hotel room slam close.

“Michael !” a woman’s voice shouted. They spiraled back to earth on the sound of another human being interrupting there heavenly game.

“Gee…” Michael closed his eyes and tried to control his emotions. He gently took her hands from his body and kissed them before putting them to her sides. The look in his eyes expressed his regret of having to break this up. Stepping from under the shower, he still breathed heavily, but managed to shout an answer.

“Be right there, Gillian.” For a moment he leaned against the bathroom wall, feeling sorry for himself. His eyes twinkled as he looked at Honey, still under the streaming water, looking kind of lost without him.

“You‘re bringing me a lot of trouble, girl.” he whispered. “Better get dried up too. Here’s a robe.”

He wrapped himself in a big towel and left for the other room. She heard him shout at the woman.

“I’ll be right with you, Gillian. I need to get dressed.”

She heard the woman laugh. “Need Michael ? Don’t bother…”

“Gillian !”

“Ok, ok, no flirting. I know.”

Honey hurried to get into the bedroom, her hair still standing straight up, as usual when she came from under the shower. She just saw Michael disappear through the door, talking to this unknown woman, who dared to flirt with him. She had to be quick !

“What’s up, Gillian ?”

“Frank sent me with these papers for you to sign.”

“Ok then.”

“I hope you don’t mind me coming here ? I just try to do my job.” she said in a soft voice.

“Oh Gillian, I’m not angry, but I thought Frank knew I wanted to rest a little. This tour is really getting to me.”

“I know, sweetheart, still 8 more shows here in Europe and then you’ll have some days off.”

Did she call him “sweetheart”? Honey dressed in all possible speed and then burst into the room.

Ouch, this was a gorgeous woman, with golden hair, long legs and a very beautiful face. What was her relationship to Michael ?

“Well well, Michael, what have you been up to ?” Gillian asked, while smiling at Honey with a condescending look. “Did you take this little fan with you ? That’s so not like you.”

She looked Honey over from top to toe and said : “Shall I escort you out, dear ?”

Honey was taken aback by the woman’s direct approach. She wasn’t just another fan ! She began to speak as Michael himself pulled her to him and laid his arm around her shoulders.

“Gillian, it is my entire pleasure to introduce you to Honey.”

The woman stopped smiling and looked from Michael to Honey and back.

“Honey and I have a history together. I told you about my friend in Belgium, didn’t I ? Well, this is her. We’ve known each other for 8 years now, so you could hardly say I picked her up.” He laughed at Honey “Technically I did, but that’s another story.”

“Nice to meet you, Gillian.” Honey held out her hand, expecting a friendly handshake, but the woman acted as if she didn’t see it. Now that made her feel ridiculous.

Honey always granted everyone the benefit of a doubt but she felt in her guts that this surely was not a nice woman. Even if she smiled, it didn’t reach her eyes. How did someone like that end up in Michael’s close surroundings ?

“Do you want some breakfast up here, for you and your little….lady ?” Gillian asked. The hesitation was just meant for Honey to understand. Michael, being a man, didn’t notice it at all. Her way of acting told him something completely different. He heard only the soft voice and saw only the “shy” look from under her eyelashes.

Oh my god, Honey thought by herself, this woman could act in a play on Broadway. She made him believe she was as bashful as he was, but in fact she wasn’t shy at all. And Michael, being a guy, fell into her trap easily. Honey realized that if she was to fight Gillian, she would have to use the same disgusting weapons ! She hated psychological warfare !

“Gillian, how thoughtful of you.” Michael smiled at the woman. “That would be wonderful.”

“I guess, I can order you the usual? And for you, miss ?”

“Please call her Honey. And as I remember it well, pancakes with dark syrup and coffee. Right Honey?”

She nodded and felt a bit stupid. Although Michael had taken the wind out of Gillian’s sails, she could not appreciate Michael deciding in her place. She could talk for herself and as soon as Gillian had left the room, that’s exactly what she told Michael.

She held up her finger as if she was scolding a little boy, and tried to explain to him that she was used to arrange all things by herself. He didn’t seem the least bit impressed and his big brown eyes looked at her in a funny way. Was he listening to her anyway ? His eyebrows were raised and he pressed his lips together as if he was desperately trying not to laugh.

“Why are you looking at me like that, Michael ? Did I say something strange ?” English was not her native language so maybe she had said a wrong word here or there.

He shook his head and pulled her in his arms and snuggled her neck. “Strong women turn me on.”

She slapped his shoulders and laughed too. But she still had to ask him. “What about Gillian ?”

“She’s beautiful and a good assistant.”

“And ?”

He cupped her chin. “You’re jealous. That I like very much.” and he laughed broadly.

“I’m not jealous. I just….”

“Yeah, yeah, sure.” His smile almost broke his face in two. He swept her up into his arms and carried her to the bed again, while giggling like a little boy.

“No Michael, breakfast is coming. We cannot.”

“Oh, but we can. I’m always in charge.”

“I think at this moment, little Michael is in charge.” she said in a dry way.

The look on his face was so extremely funny that she just could not stop laughing. Of course that killed his desire completely, but at least they had a good laugh.

During breakfast, they didn’t eat all too much but they talked all the more. They had quite some catching up to do.

He had cherished the moment when talking to her on the phone, but since the beginning of the second leg of the Bad tour, he barely had a chance to contact her.

Ouch, who was he lying to ? He had every chance to call her and even to see her if he wanted to. But he was afraid of losing his self-control. He had always known that one look at her would be enough to raise the fire within him, just as it did last night. He would never have been able to control himself. All his efforts of the last years would have vanished into thin air. If he only had known she was in trouble, he would have come to the rescue. To be clear, not of the marriage but of Honey herself.

During this tour he had a lot of difficulties restraining his composure, all because he was so near to her. The worst was the opening concert. Just hours before he had to perform in Rome, he sneaked out of his hotel, disguised of course, to walk the streets alone. He couldn’t stand to stay inside because this was the day that she married John in 1984. Why had they chosen this day of all to start the concert tour in Europe ?

His sudden disappearance, created a massive panic attack amongst his security. They searched the streets, the bars, all of Rome. But he just wanted to get away from his hectic surroundings and figure out how he was to survive this tour. How was he to perform when he felt like this ? Did he make a mistake coming to Europe for such a long period of time?

Finally he regained his self-control and returned to the hotel in a taxi, all by himself. He would manage. He had to !

He pulled her a little closer, just to convince himself everything was alright now. He couldn’t stand the thought of losing her again. It would kill him.

“I feel awful about these last months. I was so close to you and I didn’t even call you. I’m sorry for not being there when you needed me.”

“Michael, what would you have done ? You have enough on your mind, as it is.”

“Don’t you know by now that you are the most important person in my life? That our love is everything to me ?”

“You’re so sweet.” She gave him a little peck on his lips.

“Oh, Honey, I don’t want you to go back to him. Do you still live in the same house?”

“Michael ! No, of course not ! What do you think of me ?” She looked offended and he felt bad immediately. “The divorce is final but it takes time to round off all the paper work. We still have to go to court two more times.”

“Why?”

“We’re in Belgium, Michael. It’s just the way it goes. There is no need to worry, sweetie.”

“I love you so much. I couldn’t bear to lose you one more time.”

There, he said it ! He looked at her, waiting for her answer.

“Michael, I’m here, am I not ?“

He tried to shake the doubts off his mind. He was so scared of losing her !

“The house is being sold. I live with Barbara and Daniel at the moment. They have room to spare.”

That was a relief ! He let his breath out again, realizing he had been holding it in.

“And your parents ?”

“Well, I could take the apartment at my parents place but they worry too much.”

“They should. They are your parents.”

“You still live at home…”

“No…. I finally got my own place now. Didn’t I tell you about Neverland ?”

“Michael, you’re not such a fantastic writer and we didn’t talk to each other for ages !! How could I know then ?”

He kissed her. “I’m sorry…”

“It’s not your fault, sweetie. I was the one who married someone else.”

They were silent for a bit, each reflecting upon the past but not ready to talk it through yet.

“So how about decorating my Neverland ?”

Talking about coming straight out with it. He surprised himself once more. He really didn’t need a decorator. He needed her, simple and true !

“What do you mean ?”

He took her hand in his.

“Come with me. Come live with me at Neverland.”

“Oh ! Me Wendy, you Peter ?”

“You’re laughing at me !”

“No, no..” she quickly reassured him. “I think it’s sweet. It just makes me a bit nervous. You shouldn’t ask this. It’s too soon. I’m not divorced yet.”

“Did you feel that last night ? Did it make any difference ?”

“No…” she smiled at him. “But can you make sure ?”

“Look who’s in charge now ?”

“Shut up and kiss me.”

He put his arms around her and pulled her on his lap. He nibbled on her ear and his lips moved slowly between her ear lobe and her mouth. He made her crazy. She tried to catch his lips but he escaped every time. He was such a tease !

“Michael!”

“Mmm…” He kissed her nose, her eyes, but still not her lips. With both her hands she held his head still. “Kiss me” She pressed her lips against his, making sure he could not escape her this time. Oh, he tasted so fine and sweet after breakfast. She still couldn’t understand why in heaven’s name she ever married John.

“I like you so very much.” she whispered.

He knew that admitting this to him was already a big deal for her and held her even more close. He would settle for this, for now.

“Honey… If you let me take care of you, it will all work out just fine.”

“Hmm…” she shrugged against him and kissed his neck. The touch sent shivers down his spine and gave him goose bumps all over. Could this day get any better ?

A sudden knock on the door took them out of their love spell, but Michael still held her on his lap, as he answered.

“Come in.” he smiled boyishly. “At your own risk.”

It was Frank, his manager and good friend. The man was short but impressive and Honey had the feeling that he was looking right through her, trying to fathom her. His eyes were scanning her as if he wanted to make up for himself if she was any good. She looked fine to him so he wondered why Gillian told him otherwise.

“Good morning, miss.”

Honey thought by herself that she liked this man a lot. He was Michael’s friend.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Did you have breakfast yet, Frank ?”

“Mike, it’s almost noon. Where have you been man ?”

“Huh..”

“That was not a question, so no need to answer. But I do want to discuss some other things.”

Honey tried to get up from his lap but Michael held her too tight. He was far from ready to letting her go.

“I have to go home, Michael.”

“No please stay, we’ll be ready in a few minutes.”

“I can’t. I have to take care of my business. I have a store to run.”

“Can’t you call somebody to help you out?” He made it sound as if this business of hers was not a serious matter but decided not to go into this.

“Barbara can easily handle it by herself but I still have to speak to her. And not by telephone. And I do need some fresh clothes too.”

“Ok, on one condition.”

“Oh, am I to be conditioned ?”

She raised her eyebrows and released herself from his hands She stood up and put both of her hands to her sides.
Frank watched them and couldn’t help himself laughing inside. This was Michael, trying to get a grip on the situation, as usual, but this girl would not be taken in easily. He smiled as Michael tried to talk himself out of trouble.

“That was not what I meant. I just want to make it easier.” He took her hands in his. “How much time do you need ? I would like to spend the evening with you, and maybe tomorrow.”

Frank interrupted him. “Our flight to London leaves at 7 tonight.”

“I cannot go to London with you. Even if I want to. I have to work.” Honey protested.

“But surely you can have some time off ?”

“Yes, but I have a business appointment the day after tomorrow.”

“So, if we can arrange you to get back tomorrow evening, will you then please, please, come with me?”

How could she resist him, with his soft pleading voice and his big chocolate eyes ? His thumbs were massaging her hands, in order to put some more loving power to his words. Of course she gave in ! What else could she do ?

“Well, alright then. But I must be sure. We have a very important business meeting and it would not be fair to let Barbara take care of it all by herself.”

“You’re sweet. I’m soooo looking forward to spending time with you. Frank, can you see to this please?”

“Okay Mike, I’ll get right to it.” He picked up the phone and arranged it immediately, or better, he told the person on the other end of the line to take care of it. Honey presumed it was this Gillian, so she hoped everything would turn out just fine.

As she returned home, Barbara just had her lunch break and was very curious to know all about her visit to Michael.

“It was awesome, Barbara. He’s incredible.” Her eyes went all dreamy.

“Ah, I understand. What did you do ? You were away all night.”

Honey just smiled at her friend.

“He’s the most sexy man in all of the world. Barbara, you cannot imagine what he is like.”

Barbara shook her head and smiled at Honey. “I think he finally got what he wanted.” she hugged Honey. “I’m so glad for you. He brought the sparkles back to your eyes.”

“I think I made a mistake when I married John.”

“I KNOW you made a mistake. Everybody knew, except you. Don’t you remember what your mom suggested ?”

“That I rather just go live with him but not marry him ? Is that what you mean ?”

“Well yeah. Then you wouldn’t have all the trouble of going through a divorce right now. It was so obvious that he was not the one for you.”

“And Michael is ?”

“That’s something you will have to find out, won’t you ?”

Honey told Barbara about the little trip to London.

“He arranged it all. I just had to say yes. Sometimes it’s so easy to be in his presence. But I made him promise to get me back in time, for our meeting.

“Honey ! Why did you do that ? I can easily take care of it by myself.”

”We’re in this together, Barbara.”

“You and your responsibility ! You take it too far ! This is the love of your life and you let him out of your sight ? He’s been patient for 8 years and what do you do ? You leave him alone !”

“But…”

“I don’t believe you!” Barbara fiercely shook her head. “He’s gonna have his hands full with you !

Honey smiled sheepishly. “I am who I am. I’m sorry.”

“You must really learn to enjoy yourself.”

“I can tell you, I enjoyed every minute. And I will enjoy every moment being with him tonight and tomorrow. And you know what…?”

“Tell me.”

“He wants me to come with him to his home.”

“Honey, that’s great !” Barbara hugged her again.

“I guess, but it’s too soon…”

“How can that be ? You’ve known each other for almost 8 years !”

“That’s not true. We write, we talk, but will that be enough ? I want to take it slow.”

“I think you’re too late to take it slow.” Barbara winked at her. “Listen to me, it has been years since you had a nice holiday. I suggest that you take a few weeks whenever you’re up to it and get going.”

“I’m not even divorced yet.”

“Well, I guess he will be touring for some time, so you will have plenty of time to prepare.”

“But the store, our business..”

“Honey, you drive me crazy ! Stop it ! There’s nothing I can’t handle. And besides, I can always call you. C’mon Honey, go and enjoy yourself.”

Their flight to London was very short, but it gave Honey a chance to take in a glimpse of his world. The airplane was chartered just for him and his entourage. So there was room enough for the two of them to be seated in the back, on their own. They just talked and cuddled together. Michael tried to explain what she was supposed to do when in public. He didn’t want her to become part of this circus yet, at least not for the public eye to see. He still had to think this over and decide how to handle this, as he did not want her to be hurt by the media. He knew the media, but she was new to this and he did not have the heart to throw her in front of the lions not just yet. So, from the minute they got on the plane till they got off, Michael held her hand in his, showing everyone she was his girl.

But the moment they got off the plane, she had to stay away from him, and was forced to walk next to Gillian. And Gillian treated her like a dog !
“Don’t look at him ! Keep your eyes to the floor and don’t make eye contact ! etc etc…” She even told her to help her carry her bag, as if Honey did not have enough trouble with her own luggage. But polite as she was, she didn’t want to refuse. It was so not worthwhile to make trouble over it. Michael wanted her to lay low, so she did. Now everyone would surely think she was just part of his entourage or maybe even did not notice her at all.  All eyes were fixed on him of course. Honey was a bit overwhelmed by the amount of fans who came to greet him and even more blinded by the flashlights of at least a 100 cameras. She could never be prepared for all of this and was grateful to be kept out of sight.

Nevertheless, Honey thought that being in his presence was incredibly comfortable. Everything was worked out to perfection and there was nothing left to chance. As usual he got the best of the best, so again the hotel suite was breathtaking. She was smuggled in by Frank, as even the hotel personnel were not to know anything about her. It was kind of exciting ! As she just brought one overnight bag with her, her stuff could easily be put next to his, in the bedroom closet. They both found this a very intimate thing to do and just like with the shower gave them that intimate feeling of togetherness. Michael did see another bag with her before, but he must’ve been dreaming, because when he looked for it, it wasn’t there anymore. Once they got settled, he started jumping on the bed.

“Michael ! You can’t do that ! You’re gonna break it !”

“No, I won’t ! I’m quite experienced at this and these kind of beds are strooooooong.”

She giggled as he jumped of the bed, right next to her. He took her in his arms and twirled around the room with her.

“I love you, ♫ I love you, I love you ♪” he sang to her.

He danced and twirled with her until she was out of breath.

“Oh la la, you’re not too healthy ! You need to exercise more.” he laughed.

“Now, I have no time. I must work, remember.”

“I exercise and I work.”

“That’s different. You have personnel to do everything else for you. You don’t have to clean or cook. So, I tell you, I have no time.”

“Mmm, then we must take care of that, don’t we ? If you come to Neverland with me, you’ll have plenty of time. And I can be your personal trainer. I’ll put some strength in those weak muscles of yours.” he pinched her biceps.

“Ouch !”

“See, you’re a weakling.”

“I’m not a weakling.” she began to tickle him and now it was her turn to chase him around the room. They were soon both out of breath from laughing and fell on the bed, their arms spread out wide. Honey turned to him with a big smile.

“You make me happy, Michael.”

“Glad to oblige, dear.” he said in a silly English accent.

Her hands softly brushed his face and she couldn’t resist kissing him. “You’re lovable, pretty boy.”

“So are you, baby.” He snuggled against her. “You make this hotel room a home already.” He sighed “I wish we could stay here, but we must get ready.”

“We do ?”

“Yep, Frank and Gillian are coming to dinner. Room service will be here in exactly…half an hour.

“What ?!” She jumped up. “C’mon Michael, you cannot do this. You should’ve told me before. I have nothing to wear for dinner.”

“Yes, you have.”

“No, I have not.”

He got up and took a large box out of the wardrobe. He pulled out a lovely red halterneck dress, and silver slippers.

“For you… I thought you would look lovely in it.”

She gave him a quick kiss and ran to the bathroom. When she came out again, she made a very pretty picture.

“Oh Michael, this is beautiful. But how did you know my size ?”

“I asked Barbara.” He pulled her to him and made her twirl in front of him. “Mmmmm…”

“Barbara ? I didn’t know you had her number.” Honey was amazed.

“I have all of your friends’ numbers and addresses but I write the most to Barbara and Daniel. They all write to me too, you know.” He blushed a little, giving away one of his secrets.

“Oh !! No one told me that before. Why didn’t they ?”

“I’m to blame for that. I asked them to tell no one about it. Not even each other, not even you. So they kept it a good secret ! Don’t you think they are really trustful ?”

“Yeah, they are.“ She was really surprised. He had been spinning this web of friends and she was in the middle of it, not aware of anything. It made her feel safe and loved, but at the same time awkward and a little afraid of what was to come next. She was so very much behind with everything…

“So now, you’re the only one who knows of all of them.”

“All of them ?”

“Barbara, Daniel, Ally, Emma and sweet Rachel.”

“And they could keep themselves from telling it to me ? Wow ! But why keep it a secret ?”

“Oh Honey, you don’t know the press yet. They are sharks. They even bother my friends to get information about me and I don’t want any of this to happen to you. Furthermore I don’t want ANYTHING to happen to you.”

“Michael, when I come with you to Neverland, they will know.”

“No, they won’t. I still have to work that out but I think that for the first time being, you should keep low profile.”

She backed up. “That’s not how…”

“We are not going to quarrel over this. It’s for your own safety.” He pulled her back to him. “There are lots of bad people in this world, people who want to hurt me or my loved ones. I won’t give them any chance of getting near to you, even if that means keeping you a secret. You are too important to me. I can’t stand thinking about anything happening to you. I still need to think about how I will arrange all of this. Please understand.”

“But I feel as if you are ashamed of me.”

“Ashamed ? No Honey, I’m proud and honored to be with you. I would shout it from the roof tops, but I can’t. I repeat, I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“Michael, nothing’s going to happen to me.”

“Please, Honey, no arguing here ! Just listen to me !” He was getting really upset.

She sighed, rolled her eyes and put her arms around his neck.

“So, who is going to protect me from you ? Huh ?” She whispered in his ear and sucked his earlobe.

Oooh, he was fast ! In one single move he took her in his arms and pushed her against the wall, kissing her passionately. Uhuh, where was his shyness ?

“Michael…” Her eyes grew big as he reached under her dress. He started to caress her leg. His big hands were warm, his fingers soft as they gently grazed her bare skin.

“Mmm, baby….” He whispered seductively. “You shouldn’t be so sexy.”

“Oooh Michael… stop it… we’re expecting guests.”

“I can’t.” He pushed into her and she felt his arousal against her hip. “I feel like a teenager being around you. I can’t possibly control myself. Oh baby, I don’t know what you do to me, but I like it !”

His fingertips reached her panties and crept under the hem, his nails softly scraping against her skin. What he said she did to him, he did to her too.

No other man could wind her up so easily. She moaned against his mouth.

“Honey, I must…”

But then again a knock on the door, ended their game. They were cursed !

He hid his face in the crook of her neck, trying to regain his breath. “Oh my god, what do you do to me ? You are dangerous ! I lose myself every time when you’re around.”

It was she who pulled away first. He sighed and tried to adjust her clothes again. “I’m so sorry…I shouldn’t behave like this. You bring out the devil in me…”

It was true ! Whenever he saw her, he just wanted to make love to her. He spun all of these naughty fantasies in his head but then sometimes it became too much and he went off like a rocket. He felt like if he was a kid, left unguarded in a candy store. He wanted to have a taste of it all and could almost not restrain himself when in her presence. But was this so wrong when one was in love ? She gave him an immediate answer.

“Oh Michael, you’re doing nothing wrong. You’re a true angel. An angel of love. So don’t be sorry ! I can take it. I’m not made of porcelain.”

Again, a knock on the door. “C’mon Mike ! Open the door.” It was Frank and he sounded a bit impatient.

“Ahw, we’ll talk about this later. Will you please open the door, Honey? I’m gonna throw some water to my face.”
He hurried to the bathroom and left her to attend to his guests. Her stomach already turned around at the thought of meeting Gillian again. There was something about this woman that revolted her but she could not yet put a finger on it. This was so not like her because she always used to give everyone the benefit of a doubt. She would give it another try though, just for Michael. As she opened the door, she only saw Frank and almost felt relieved.

“Good evening, Honey. You look very beautiful tonight !” He kissed her on the cheek. “Gillian will be here in a minute. Where’s Mike ?”

She turned all red. “He’s in the bathroom.”

“And he left you all alone, with nothing to drink ? Tsh tsh !” 

He took the phone and ordered some wine, water and orange juice.  This Frank guy was bold, she thought, but then again one should be, being Michael Jackson’s manager. She could also see he truly loved his “boss” and would never betray him. She was glad he liked her, because if it would be the other way around, she would not be allowed to be as near to Michael as she was now. Frank did have a lot of power. There was no doubt about that.

As Michael returned a few moments later, still looking a bit confused, Frank just grinned at her and whispered in her ear :

“You got him on your hook there, Honey.”

“What did you say, Frank ?” Michael asked.

“Oh nothing important. We were talking about fishing.”

When Gillian entered the room, Honey suddenly felt most insignificant. Gillian wore a gorgeous white evening dress, with a very low cleavage. She was a very beautiful woman and clearly a professional regarding men.  Of course Gillian drank white wine instead of red, very ladylike. Furthermore she just ate some salad, and very graciously too, while Honey had a good appetite and ate some of all of the dishes.
It was Gillian too who directed the talking. The two men did not seem to notice but Honey did. She could not join any of the conversation because she didn’t know anything about the topics that were brought up.  It was clear what she aimed for. Gillian just wanted to shut her out and this made her angry but most of all very of sad. It happened to her before with John and his friends and now she would have to fight the same battle all over again ! She almost lost the courage to stay at the table. If it was not for Michael she would have left the room…

But then she looked at him and her mood changed immediately for the better. He was watching her with these big brown eyes of his, filled with passion and desire, but also with a trace of laughter. He sat next to Gillian, now and then nodding his head and answering when asked a question, but his attention was clearly somewhere else. With every bite he took, he looked at Honey. Every time his lips surrounded his fork it was as if he was licking her fingers. He saluted her whenever he brought his glass to his mouth. And then he winked at her (of course with both eyes)! What ?! She almost jumped up as his feet, only wearing stockings, met hers under the table. Her eyes grew all big as his right foot travelled up her leg, to her knee and back down. Then again, back upwards, trying to get a bit further than her knees. Oh sweet Michael ! Playing footsy with her !!

Without knowing, he made this whole dinner so much more pleasant for her. Of course the other two didn’t know what he was doing exactly but the interaction between their eyes gave them away a little bit. Frank liked what he saw. He thought that this girl was the best thing that could ever have happened to Michael. He never had seen him that cheerful before.

But then there was Gillian, looking at Honey with eyes blazing with anger. She grabbed Michael’s arm while talking, trying to get his full attention. She did not succeed completely but he still didn’t pull his arm away. He didn’t know how Honey felt about Gillian. He thought she was just a little jealous, so when he saw Honey looking at Gillian’s hand on his arm, he raised his eyebrows as if he dared her. Was he trying her out ? That he should never have done ! He would learn all too quickly that if Honey was given a challenge like that, she would not run away from it. “Accidently” she dropped her napkin, near to his seat. Before he could reach for it and hand it over to her, she ducked down and with a big smile on her face, she got hold of his ankle, without anyone else noticing. She put on her most innocent face, lowered her eyelids as if she was thinking about something. And then tickled his foot !

“Hmpf !” he almost choked and jumped up.

But she got what she wanted. Gillian had to let go of his arm.

“Anything wrong, Michael ? Been a little greedy ?” Honey asked very sweetly.

He didn’t answer right away, but his look clearly told her that he would get her for this. She could hardly wait ! And neither could he.
She knew he was putting up an act as he started yawning when they had their dessert. How could a man in the prime of his life be tired at this hour ?! But Frank, being a man himself, got the message, loud and clear. He winked at Honey and kissed her hand like he was a nobleman. “Milady, I leave you alone with this jester ! Call me when you ever need me and I come galloping to your rescue.” Michael rolled his eyes and started pushing him to the door.

“Come on, Gillian,” Frank said, “we’ll get our coffee in the lobby and leave those two lovebirds to themselves.”

“But…” It was obvious Gillian did not want to leave Michael with Honey, but Frank almost dragged her out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You evil woman !” Michael said to her when they were alone.

“Me ? I didn’t do anything !?”

“So, you’re playing innocent, huh ? Oh girl, you know very well what you did.”

She already put a little distance between them and shook her head laughing while showing him the palms of her hands. “Me little old me ?”

“You tickled me. I’ll get you for that.” He tried to reach for her but she backed up even further.

“Haha, then you’ll first have to catch me.”

She kicked the slippers off her feet and jumped behind the table, laughing provocatively.

“Oh, you want to play ?” Michael shouted “I’m always in for any game, baby !”

He came round at the other side of the table and tried to grab her but already she fled behind the couch, still giggling and waving to him.
He took a leap at her, but as she backed up, he fell right over the back of the couch, his legs trashing in the air. While he tried to get back into balance, she just couldn’t stop laughing and had to support herself to the wall to keep herself from falling !

“Just try to catch me !” She laughed out loud and ran away again, as soon as he was back on his feet. She could not take the risk of staying in his presence too long, because he was fast ! He almost caught her in the hallway, but she ducked under his arm heading back to the living room.

They fooled around like two puppies, jumping and running, chasing each other. Every time he almost got a hold on her, she fled behind another piece of furniture, or hid in a different room. And this suite had many places where she could hide. But then again, so could he.
Finally she ran out of breath and stood still for just one moment only. Now, where was he ? She pricked up her ears, like a dog, trying to find out where he hung out, but he was all silent. Her breath was catching on speed, on the thought of him catching her. Ooh, this was so exciting…

“Michael ?” No response. “Michael ?” She tiptoed to the doorway between the living room and the bedroom. Dammit ! Where did he go ?

“Gotcha !”

She jumped up and screamed his ears off as he almost threw himself upon her.

“Michael, you…” She punched him (not too hard though) with her fists on his chest.

“I got you!” He whispered in her ear. “I won ! And you are my prize ! Rrrroar !! I am a werewolf and I’m baaaaad ! I’ll eat you alive. You remember ?”
She did! That was the most exciting telephone conversation she ever had in her life.

“Must I scream like a maiden then ?”

“Ha ! I’ll make you scream but you’ll love it ! I can promise you that.” he said with a seductive fire playing in his eyes. He looked as if he was on stage, passionate and very sexy. You can surely imagine it, but this time, it was not for the public to see. He scooped her up and carried her into the bedroom.

“Mmm, this is a difficult choice to make. Where shall I start devouring you ? You look so tasty, every part of you.” He bit her in her neck ! He really did !

“Michael ! You bit me for real !”

“Ahw, I got carried away ! I’m so sorry!” But he didn’t mean a word he said. “You do deserve it tho’, you little teaser ! You tickled me while I was in a serious conversation !”

“Serious, hmpf !

All she wants is to get me out of here and take my place. Why don’t you see that ? Or are you like any man, just following your…” Before she could even say the word, he covered her mouth in a kiss. His tongue entwined with hers and he explored every corner of her mouth. In the meantime, his hands roamed her body in such a way that she thought he had more than one set of hands ! He was all over her ! She clung to him like a koala to a tree, because when she would let him loose, she would certainly fall down.  He untied the bow of her dress in her neck and it fell to the ground like a red cotton ball, soon followed by his shirt and his t-shirt. His hands had a firm grip on her buttocks, pulling her so close to him that his belt buckle left a mark on her stomach.

“Ouch, Michael, your belt. It hurts me.” She pushed him away a little and examined the imprint it made on her body. “Look what you did ! Are you trying to get me hospitalized ? First you bite me and now…”

“Oh Baby, I’m sorry. I’ll kiss it away.” He whispered softly, but he didn’t show any remorse. Instead he kneeled before her, with a naughty look on his face and kissed the mark on her stomach.

“Feels better ?” His voice suddenly dropped a few octaves and this should have warned her.

“Mmm…” He then stuck his tongue in her belly button, licking her as if he found a leftover in an ice cream cone.

“Michael…you’re tickling me ! Michael !”

He lowered his head even more, one arm around her legs, while his right hand took down her panties in one tug.

“I told you I would get you.” He whispered and pulled her to his face.

She almost fainted when his hands cupped her buttocks and his lips found their way to the center of her womanhood. Oh god ! The sudden delight was too much for her ! She squirmed to loosen herself and tried to pull him up but he would not let go. His hands squeezed her behind and as she could not escape his tantalizing mouth, she buried her hands in his hair, in order not to fall.

“Mmm…you taste like my favorite lollipop…”

The touch of his breath, while he whispered these words, aroused her even more. He explored every little corner of her, kissing and sucking. When she screamed out his name, he indulged to her pleading to stop. He lifted her up and laid her softly on the bed. He stood next to her and took off the rest of his clothes.

“Honey, you are so extremely gorgeous. I lost you and now I found you. I can honestly say that I love you more each day !”

Then he laid himself down between her legs and made them one. There was truly nothing more beautiful than their lovemaking. With Michael, Honey found out that it could be tender, it could be passionate, it could be slow, it could be fast. He was always a gentleman but when in bed he became a tiger, a lion, a beast and he took her to places where she never had been before, to heights of which she didn’t know they existed. He touched her so softly inside, out. It was just perfect. He was perfect.

As they laid together afterwards, cuddled up, with her head on his shoulder, he felt a something warm and wet on his chest. Was she crying ?

“Honey ? Hey baby, what’s the matter ?”

He lifted up her chin and looked at her face. Tears were falling from her soft brown eyes. His heart ached. He could bear anything but see her cry. What happened ? He thought they just made some wonderful music together but maybe he had hurt her ?

“Baby, you worry me. Did I do something wrong ? Please, talk to me.” He urged softly.

“It’s not you, Michael. I know, I should be happy and I really want to laugh but I just can’t help it.” Her shoulders shook and she buried her face in his neck. “We’ve lost so many years! And all because of me.”

“Are you crying for lost years ? Oh baby…Hush now. I don’t want you to think like this. You shouldn’t do this to yourself. We’re together now, that’s all that counts.” He pulled her even closer. “And you know what ? I will never let you go, not ever.” He took her hand in his and kissed her palm.

“You’re mine ! The doggone, the girl is mine !” He giggled.

“You’re so sweet ! I don’t deserve you !”

“Mmm, you don’t know all of my habits yet ! Maybe I pick my nose while I drive…or…Oh, I’m messy ! That I am !”

A little smile broke through her tears. He felt relieved immediately.

“I asked you before, Honey, please come to Neverland.”

“And then ? How…”

“Honey, you worry too much. It will work out just fine. I’ll take care of everything. I have people who can arrange all of that. Just simply do the things I say.”

Now, that he shouldn’t have said to an independent woman like Honey. She sat up immediately.

“Michael, I’m not a doll. I have feelings. You can’t ask me to do just what you want. I’ve been making my own decisions since ages.”

He leered at her breasts and licked his lips.

“And don’t look at me as if I am a banquet !”

She tossed herself at her other side, with her back to him. But that side of her, he loved too. He shrugged himself to her back and put his arm around her waist so that she could not move.

“C’mon baby, you know I respect you and honor you.”He softly whispered into her ear. And then he went on with this low voice. “But you shouldn’t be so sexy. I cannot think straight when in your presence. My mind runs empty when I see you.”

“Oooh, I know where the content of your brain runs to. You don’t have to tell me. You are a man after all !”

Michael’s mouth fell open at her answer and then he burst out laughing. “You’re something, girl!”

“Mmm, and right now I can feel you thinking…”

Her statement made him laugh uncontrollably. He just couldn’t stop and she laughed along with him. He was glad the tears were gone and they were back to being cuddly and playful. He could handle a lot but he could not handle her tears. As his feelings were so obvious, they gave in to the love game once more. They would talk in the morning, he thought.

Rrring !! Rrring !!

“Mmm…” Michael grumbled when he heard the phone ring. “Someone pick up that stupid phone!” He turned around and put his head under the pillow.

Rrring !! Rrring !!

“Michael ! The phone !” Honey shook his shoulder.

“Pick it up !” His voice sounded muffled from under the pillow.

“It’s your phone ! It’s your hotel room ! Why should I pick it up ? What if it’s the press ? Ho, I got an idea ! I should pick it up and make an announcement ! I declare that Michael Jackson is all mine…Then they’ll know what to write about!”

That did the trick. He took the phone of the hook.

“Yessss ? Helloooo ?…..Ah Gillian, good morning….”

Honey put her arm over her eyes to cover up her feelings. Why did that woman have to call him when they were so happily cuddled up together. After all it had been an “exhausting” night and they still wallowed themselves in the exiting moments they shared ? Was this woman trying to keep him away from her ? Honey was not someone who judged someone after the first meeting but her guts were very perspicuous this time. She would not give Gillian the chance to drive a wedge between them ! She decided to fight with all the weapons she had.  Subsequent to that decision, she looked at Michael from under her eyelashes and let escape a little moan. Then she stretched herself all the way, while making sure the sheet slid of her body, revealing her breasts. She saw his eyes turn dark with emotion (read : lust) and rolled against him. With the phone in his one hand, he put the other on her waist, and bent down for a silent kiss.

“A problem ? Yes, Gillian ?” The next moment he stiffened and the smile disappeared from his face.  “Ok, I understand….No no, you’re not to blame….Ah ah, I see….I’m sorry too….So then arrange for a car in one hour ?…Thank you…See you later…Bye.”

He put down the phone and sank back into the cushions, pulling Honey very close to him. She felt that there was something completely wrong and put her hands to his face to turn it to her.

“Michael, sweetie. What was all that about ?”

“There has been a mistake when they booked your flight home. Don’t know how it happened exactly…”

“And…” but actually she already knew what he was about to say.

“You have to leave in one hour.” His eyes expressed how disappointed he was and how much he feared her reaction. Maybe it was not such a big deal, but they just found each other again and every minute counted. He did not want to let her go !!

“Oh no ! Michael !” She didn’t say it out loud but she was sure that Gillian arranged all of this on purpose ! She just couldn’t stand the woman !

“You can still have a quick breakfast. I don’t eat on Sundays.”

“Yeah, I remember, but I don’t want breakfast either.” She looked so sad. “When will I see you then?”

He put his hand on her chin and lifted it up so that he could see her in the eyes. “I want to take you with me, for the rest of this tour. I really do. Yet, I know it’s impossible. We have things to arrange for when you come to Neverland.”

“Michael !”

He knew what she was gonna say but he did not want to discuss this anymore, not today.

“Please baby, not right now. We are not going to argue about it now. Ok?”

“I guess you’re right. I’ll get ready.”

Her shoulders were still hanging down when she got out of bathroom, but then, so were his. This was so unfair !  He picked up the red dress and put it in her bag.

“Wear this, when you come to me. The red is becoming you so much.”

She put her arms round his neck and lifted her head so he could kiss her. And that’s how they spent the remaining time, just hugging and kissing. He wrote down the telephone number to the store, so he could get in touch with her wherever he was. As he was touring it was difficult to give her any number (cell phones were not in use yet, I think) but he promised to call her as often as he could. She only hoped he was better at phoning than at writing.

As she left, he had to stay behind in the hotel room, and she did nothing but cry. She cried all the way to the airport, all the way home too. People looked at her and some even came up to her, asking what was wrong. She just shook her head because what was she to say ? “I just spend the night with Michael Jackson and I already miss him so very much…” That was ridiculous.

Luckily she had Barbara and Daniel to come home to and they took good care of her as always. When Honey told them about the trick Gillian pulled on them, Barbara shook her head.

“Did he say nothing about it ?” she asked in disbelief.

“Nope, he genuinely thinks it was a mistake. I tell you, she is out to get me. I’m sure that if she could, she would have made the plane crash ! You should see how she looks at me !”

“And this Frank, doesn’t he see it ? He works with her all the time.”

“He is a man and she is a very beautiful woman, all legs, long blond hair and big breasts. Who am I to compete with her ?”

“Honey, you are pretty ! Don’t you let her get you down ! She’s a witch !”

Honey still wasn’t sure. She knew Michael loved her but Gillian was not too be trusted in any way and she was scared that if she tried to influence him, he would easily give in to her evil ways. He thought everyone was as innocent as he was. He would not cheat on her, no way, but maybe Gillian could spoil his mind…

She was only home for like one hour when the phone rang. It was Daniel who picked it up and by the look on his face, he was very surprised. And when Honey heard him talk, she jumped up and ran to him.

“Michael, my friend ! How are you ?…Yes, she’s here….I will…Ok, here she comes.”

“Michael ? “ she whispered in the phone. Daniel and Barbara left her alone so that she could have some privacy.

“I told you, I would call you. I just finished rehearsing. How are you baby ? I hated seeing you leave, crying like that…”

“I know, it’s stupid, but I just couldn’t help myself. I feel torn apart.” She did, she felt as if her heart had been ripped out. It was true, she had to leave sometime but this was too unexpected. She had counted to stay with him till the evening

“Oh baby, so do I. I do. On the other hand, we have our whole future ahead of us. We must be patient just a little bit longer. But you can start preparing already.”

“Preparing…?”

“To come to Neverland.”

He didn’t give it up, she thought. Did he really love her that much ? She was still very insecure about it. That man could have any woman on earth. So why her ? What was so special about her ?

“Honey, why don’t you say anything ?”

“Michael, I would love to come to Neverland.” At one point she felt relieved, giving in to him, but it made her feel vulnerable and she didn’t know if she was ready to completely open up to him yet. She was still very scared of being hurt again.

“Pfww..I thought you would never say that ! I must leave you by yourself more often then if it helps my case.”

“That’s not nice, Michael.”

“No, it isn’t. I know. And I’m sorry, baby. Just slap me on the head next time we meet.”

She laughed and that was exactly what he was aiming for. He didn’t want her to be sad. So by the time they got off the phone, Honey was feeling quite happy again.

The next day, after the concert in Wembley Stadium, he called her again. This time, she made sure she could take the phone in her room.

“Hey baby..” his voice sounded so sweet, and she fell out of breath for a moment. That man had the strangest power over her. How come she hadn’t realized that before ?

“How are you doing, Honey ?”

“Michael hiiii ! How was your concert ?”

“Great ! And how did your meeting go ? Did you get the contract ?”

“Oh yes, we did ! Thank you for asking. You’re really thoughtful. But we are not gonna talk business, are we ?”

“Mmmm, I guess we’re not. I miss you…”

“Sweetie, I miss you too. At least I can say that I haven’t been alone much. I had dinner with Daniel and Barbara. And tomorrow all of our friends are coming over.”

“Ahw, I would love to be there with you all. That’s what I miss most, when I’m on tour. Do you think we could manage to get all that eventually ? I mean, I love the stage but afterwards I feel so lonely sometimes. I would love to come home after a show and just relax and sit with family and friends.” He really poured out his heart.

“That’s what we all long for after a day’s work…” She was so sensible sometimes. But she was right, he should not complain. At least, he got to do what he liked most of all. He could not imagine doing anything else. He realized he was a lucky guy.

“I know, Honey, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t miss you. And it won’t be till next month to have some more days off. I will be in Germany on the 4th though. Sounds good huh ? I will be very near to where you live, so I’m gonna send a driver to pick you up and bring you to me, after the concert.”

She sighed. He was doing it again, pulling the strings without even asking if it was alright with her. But then again, she had no reason to turn him down. Why should she ? After all, the 5th was a Monday and their shop was always closed on Mondays. So this time, it wouldn’t hurt to give in to him. But still they did have to talk about his tendency to take the matters into his own hand without consulting her. Ha, but would he ever change ?

“Okay then.” she said.

“What ? You sound strange. Did I not do the right thing ?”

“Oh yes, Michael, you did, but…Oh well, let’s not talk about it now. I missed you too, you know.”

He chuckled because by now he knew so well what she was going to say. He loved this part of a relationship, getting to know each other, bit by bit. Challenging each other’s boundaries… He found that very exciting.

When he had his 30th birthday, she arranged a sweet gift for him, although she was not with him at the time. She had been a little naughty and had drawn Frank in, so he could give it to him. She had already brought the gift with her when she was with him in London…. Sneaky…

So on his birthday Michael received a big box, beautifully wrapped and the content smelling deliciously. With it came a little note in which she asked him to call her before he started to unwrap her gift. Of course he did….

“Happy Birthday, my pretty boy ! I’m so glad to hear of you today ! I would love to give my wishes to you personally. I wish I could be with you to celebrate…”

“Ahw, I do too, baby. The fans sang Happy Birthday to me tho’.”

“Oh, that is lovely. I have a song for you too.” and then she started to sing : ♫“Lang zal hij leven ! ♪Lang zal hij leven ! ♫Lang zal hij leven in de Gloria.♪ In de Gloria. In de Gloriaaaaaaaaaaa ! ♪Hip hip hip hoera ! “♫♪

He almost covered his ears at the Flemish birthday song because she really couldn’t sing in tune. He smiled from ear to ear though.

“How is my birthday boy ?”

“I had a wonderful and exciting concert tonight ! There was an air chase!“

“Oh, how come ?”

“There was this plane flying above the crowd, and it was below 200 feet ! I don’t know why this happened. The police chased him away!”

“Oh no ! Are you alright, sweetie ?!”

“Yeah, I’m okay.” He confirmed. “It was hot on stage tho ! I just got out of the shower, trying to cool down…”

“And getting ready for bed ? Without me ?”

Wow, she sounded like a tease tonight, he thought. Why could he not be with her ?

“Well, I am. What have you been up to ?”

“I went out with Barbara to a vernissage…It was verrrry nice.”

“And did they serve champagne ?” He began to understand why she was so relaxed and it quite amused him. The champagne did her good…

“Mmm yessss. Very good one indeed. Will you please open my present ?”

“Okay, I’m at it now. I’m taking the bow off. It’s a beautiful bow by the way. If ever I need a present to be wrapped, I’ll ask you.”

“Oh hurry, hurry ! Open it.”

“Nooooo, I’m enjoying this too much.” He laughed because she was so anxious. “Okay, I’m unwrapping this lovely paper. It is really nice, with the little angels on it.”

She heard him shred the paper.

“Michael, come on. Open the box !”

“Mmm, it smells good. What is all this ?”

As he opened the present, there was one big box in it, and several little packages. And they all smelled good. There was one package with ginger bread, stuffed with apples and raisins. And then another with a pot of honey. There was also a big box with Belgian chocolates, the best in the world.

“Ah Honey, you’re sugaring me !”

“Next time, I’ll cover you in honey and lick it off…And I’ll put the chocolates on your…”

“Honey !!”

How he really wished he was with her, because it seemed that after a little champagne, she loosened up quite a bit. He should remember that !!
The mystery was a big package, wrapped in paper also. It was not heavy though. What could this be ?

“Did you get to the big package already, Michael ?”

“Yeah just…” He took off the paper. It was a plain shoe box, with nothing on it. He opened it and started laughing really loud. “Oh baby !! How did you know ? Did I tell you….?”

“I know !! I saw you looking back then !”

“Wow, and you remembered ?”

“I remember everything vividly, Michael. I remember just how you looked. You were wearing a duffel coat.”

“I did. I still like duffel coats. They are warm and cozy, like you..What else do you remember?”

“The hot chocolate…and the cream. I loved the cream. I wanted to kiss it from your lips…”

“Oh my god, so did I !”

“And then the butterflies…I never went back afterwards.”

“Why ? Why didn’t you ?”

But she talked over it. The memories were just too painful to share. She needed some more time.

“You met my family too that day. And my mother said that you had the same name as Michael, the archangel, the first one next to God. Well, you are an angel…you make me fly…”she whispered.  Her voice almost made him liquefy.

“Ahw baby, I wish I was with you right now…I love you so much !”

“Mmm…me too. Love you, I mean.”

“You have a great memory too ! And a great ability to search out gifts. I love this so very much. But to see you wearing them, would be a thrill.”

“Well, maybe we can have a holiday is Switzerland, then I’ll wear them in the snow. We do not have much snow here…”

“Or you can wear them at another occasion ?”

“Mmm ?”

“I want you with just your moonboots on, nothing else…”

“Michael !” If he could hear her blush, the sound would be deafening.

The next time they met, was in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. She was brought directly to his hotel, right after the show, just as he promised.

“Michael !” She threw herself at him, the moment she entered the room. And then retreated quickly as his clothes were sticky and his skin was sweaty from the show.

“Yek, you go and shower, boy!”

He chuckled and disappeared to the bathroom, but not without throwing a naughty look at her before he closed the door. “You can always join me…”

“Is that an invitation Michael Jackson ?”

Her clothes disappeared in a flash of lightning and she ran after him in the bathroom. He raised his eyebrows in disbelief as she came running to him in her birthday suit (what a beautiful sight) and laughed as they almost tumbled into the shower cabin.  They made sweet love for more than an hour, under the streaming water, getting all wrinkled, but satisfied. Never before, Michael felt so much at ease with a woman. Apart from Honey, he was not used to share his bathing rituals with anyone else and that made it even more exciting. Afterwards they enjoyed drying each other off and he wrapped her up like a present in one of the big robes. He tied the cord of the robe in a bow, promising her he would gladly untie it later that night. In the meantime, room service had provided them with different kind of fruits and beverages, so they relaxed, laying on the bed, eating and chatting.

“Now that I got you here, I’d suggest we talk about our future.” Michael insisted, while feeding her a delicious juicy pear. With her mouth full, Honey could not answer right away, so he went on.

”I have thought it over and over and I made a decision. I really need you in my life, Honey, as quick as possible. I can’t bear to be without you anymore. 8 years ! It has been a long wait for me, you know.”

He fed her a big strawberry.

“I was thinking, after you have arranged your divorce and then when my tour ends, we’ll settle down at Neverland. To me that would be the perfect place to start our life together. The weather is great, it’s spacious and quiet, away from the media…What more do we need ?”

He put two grapes at a time between her lips.

“On one hand, I would like for everyone to know about you, but on the other hand, as long as I can keep it secret, I will. I don’t want them to get all over you yet. I want you all for myself, just for a little while longer.”

He shoved another piece of fruit into her mouth, so she still couldn’t speak. And he went on.

“Maybe I can cover it up by hiring your firm to decorate my house. So when someone asks about the gorgeous woman living with Michael Jackson there will be a perfect sensible explanation. Don’t you think this would be the easiest way to cope with the tabloids?”

Before she could answer, he pulled her to him and started kissing her. His lips pressed against hers and urged her to let him in, but she knew what he was trying to do. He just wanted to be in charge once again ! She had to admit, he was very creative in doing so. She would give in just a little bit but there were things to be set straight first. Otherwise he would never learn. So even though she enjoyed his kiss very much, she pushed him back gently but firmly.

“Michael, we are not talking.”

“Oh ?? Are we not ?” He acted surprised and pulled her back to his chest. “I did….”

She interrupted him. “You were talking, not me! You do this every time and you know very well how I feel about you ruling the whole situation.”

As she pulled away, she thought her body language was very clear and that this time he had to keep quiet for a change. She scolded at him like his former nanny did, raising her index finger at him, her eyebrows frowned. There was one big difference : she sure didn’t look like his nanny!
She sat up straight.

“Michael Jackson, you’ve got to listen to me now !” His eyes grew big at her severe tone and he raised his brows, rolling his eyes at her. But at least he shut up…

Honey was glad she finally got the chance to make her statement, but she still had the feeling that he didn’t take her serious. Although he was waiting patiently for her to talk, she could swear she saw a glimpse of a smile in his eyes. That made her raising her voice just a little, to make sure that he at least heard what she had to say.

“You said, WE had to talk about our future ! So here you go, planning it all out, on your own. You even did not hear me out at all ! I ask you, where is my voice here ? I have something to say in it too.”

He really tried to hold back his smile but the twitching of his lips, gave him away. She was so cute !  Now she was sure he was laughing at her. She pinched his arm.

“Ouch ! Why did you do that for ?”

“You’re laughing at me !” She pouted.

“Mmm, I like it when you get aroused like this ! You are so incredibly sexy!”

He leaned forward and put one hand behind her head and the other at the bow of her robe, and kissed her again. He pulled her in like a fisherman pulls in a fish on a hook. “Actually, I don’t want to talk about it now. I know ! I know ! I started it but I was wrong. This is not the right time, nor the right place. Tomorrow we’ll have to part once more.” He looked at her from under his eyelashes. “I don’t want to spend our time on arguments…We have only one night together..”

He was so right. They would talk about it later, besides she liked to be the fish.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She knew it was him, when the phone rang. But then again, he tried to call her every day. She was getting a serious lack of sleep because of the time differences, while he was touring the States. But when he didn’t call, she didn’t sleep well either. So the choice was quickly made

“Hi baby..” His soft voice sounded very far away and she pressed the receiver closer to her ear. If she could, she would crawl through the phone and join him. She melted when he called her ‘baby’ and her heart ached from being apart.

“Mikey, I miss you so much! Why are you so far away ? I wanna hold you so much !” She sighed and then realized that it made no sense complaining. Thus she tried to compose herself. “So what city are you in today ?”

“I’m in Washington DC, baby. I’m longing to see you too. God, you have no idea how much I want you here with me.” He sighed too. “I swear, this will never happen again. After we start our life together, I will never ever be separated from you for this long. You’ll just have to tour with me. But for now, I really need to see you as soon as possible, Honey. I can’t take this any longer.”

“Oh Michael, you’re so sweet ! It’s hard for me too.” She laid back on her bed, the phone stuck to her ear.

“We should take this to a higher level, Honey.”

“What do you mean, Michael ?”

“I want you to meet my parents !”

At first she thought she heard him wrong. Meeting his parents ? Already ? They were together for how long now ? Two months ?

“Michael, I don’t know if I’m up to this. I mean, I’m not sure if I’m ready to step out of our cocoon yet.”

“Ahw baby, don’t worry…I will always keep you safe and protected. But you see, I need to make plans for our future. Because I dream of you every night and I think of you every minute of the day. I really don’t want to wait any longer. I just want us to be together. I know I’m old enough to make my own decisions, but I would feel much more comfortable if you would meet my parents first, before you come and live with me. I’m going to buy you a ticket to L.A. How does that sound ?”

“Michael, Michael, Michael….You really can’t stop arranging things for me, huh ? I didn’t agree yet.”

“I don’t mean to push you, Honey, but I cannot slow down anymore. I want it to become real… I’ve waited for so long for this relationship to happen. So now, I want to do it properly and introduce you to my parents. Is that so hard to understand ?”

“But Michael… you can do whatever you want ! You’re 30 years old. You don’t need your parents blessing. Why can’t we go on like this, just for a little bit longer ?”

He sounded a bit hurt when he answered her. “I know all that, Honey. But I want to share my happiness with my family. Let me put it this way : do your parents know by now?”

“Yes, they do.” She had to admit he was right and immediately felt bit stupid. Maybe she was being difficult over nothing.

“Well then, I want to share it with my family too. I didn’t tell them yet.”

“Can’t you just call them and… well… send them a photograph of me… Must I already meet them ?” Immediately she wished she hadn’t said that. That was not nice of her and she mentally slapped herself !

“Honey ! Why do you say something like that ?” He sounded hurt indeed. “Your parents already know me, so there is a big difference. Mine deserve the same chance ! They need to meet you in person and then they’ll know why I fell in love with you. You’re beautiful Honey, but a picture says nothing about the woman I love so much.”

Honey’s mind was racing. She knew that in order to continue, there was no way, they could avoid meeting each other’s family. She too wanted a proper relationship, not some sort of liaison without meaning. The truth was that she still felt very insecure about it. Being with Michael was the best that could’ve ever happened to her but she felt she was not ready yet for his family. When he invited them to the Grammy’s, she met him in his own natural environment. She had witnessed the immense difference between their ways of living, between their backgrounds, and between their families and friends too. How would his parents react to her ? She was not in the business nor did she have the same amount of money. Or maybe they just wanted a nice Afro-American girl for him ? And she knew he had many siblings. How would they react to her ? Would they welcome her in their midst ? She tried to put her doubts into words.

“And what if they don’t like me ?”

“They will !!”

“Michael, you don’t understand…” She thought of John’s parents and how much they had resented her family. She had some stories to tell about them… but not now. Still it left her scarred and scared.

“Honey, I think you are deliberately pig-headed….”

She felt really uncomfortable now, confronted with her own emotions. Her heart pumped at least 100 miles per hour and her head started to ache. She panicked. She should talk about how she felt but how could she explain ? What could she say to clarify her point ? This was one of these situations that made her wanting to run away. He would never understand ! So why should she bother ? It was always the same…When Honey was emotionally driven into a corner, she ran short for words and then, unintentionally, she covered herself in silence, not knowing what to do or say. Not many people were able to get close to her then, now even less than before after the disaster that was her marriage.

“Honey, hello ?” She was still there, he could hear her breathe. “Honey baby, I’m sorry…I shouldn’t have said that. I know you’re not pig-headed. Please, talk to me.” Why did she have to be so far away ? Was he so wrong asking her to meet his parents ? He needed to look into her eyes and see what she wanted to tell him. When she closed up like this, her eyes were truly the only window to her soul. Luckily Michael was blessed with great persistency and he would not let her off the hook, that easily. He would not allow her to stop talking to him !

He pleaded : “Honey, c’mon baby, you know you can tell me. Try me. Give me a chance. That’s all I ask of you. Baby, it’s me, Michael. Hey, c’mon…”

He felt relieved as he heard her clearing her throat. He almost heard her heart pumping.

“I don’t know how to put this…You know I’m not good with words…”

“Try me, Honey….I’m here for you. Just let the words come out. I’ll help you.”

“Well…Michael…I have been thinking about this, since the last time we met. You are the most famous person, walking this earth. You are successful and very very rich. There is not a woman that does not want you to be hers….”

“Ahw Honey, you should not think like this. I love you just as any man should love a woman. You know that.”

“I know but…”

What was she trying to say ?!

“Go on, baby…I’m sorry I interrupted you.”

“I have a completely different upbringing. I’m not even religious…I am just a regular girl. I work for my money…I live on the other side of the ocean. I’m sure your parents had someone else in mind for you. They will think I’m after your money or that I’m star struck. And then maybe they will try to talk you out of it.”

The words came tumbling out while her voice trembled and faded away.

Michael frowned his eyebrows. He should have known it was about all that. Ahw, he wished he was with her so he could hold her and comfort her. He would tell her everything was going to be alright. But she was not in his arms so he would try to ease her with his words. He took a deep breath.

“Baby… you listen to me, okay ?! Just hear what I have to say…Honey ?!”

“Okay…”

“First of all, you are an intelligent woman. You have a business of your own. You work for your money and you have never asked me for anything. That’s what I like about you. A lot of women may want me, but I want only you. You understand ?”

“Yes..but…”

“Sssh… hush, I’m not ready yet. So…second : we met a long time ago, before fame took over, remember ? When I got your letter, in which you announced you got yourself a boyfriend, I told my mother all about you. It was actually her idea to visit you at Christmas all those years ago. She will always be at my side, and she knows how much I love you. She will love you for loving me. Okay ? Are you still with me ?”

“I am…”

“Good… So third : we’re talking about my parents. It’s normal that they worry. You should not take it personally, whatever they will say when you’ll first meet. You shouldn’t be so scared. Once they’ll get to know you, they will see who you really are. But you must give them that chance…Will you promise me that ? Honey ??”

“But…”

“No buts, Honey. Trust me. Just be your normal lovely self and everything will work out just fine.”

“You think so ?” She sounded a bit better already and he sighed in relief. Pfff…

“I’m sure. Just leave it to me.” Did he hear a little laugh ? Much better ! “And then last but not least, I love you. You said that maybe someone would try to talk me out of this relationship ? Well, they may try, but they will never succeed. Do you believe me ?” She heard him loud and clear this time.

“Yes…okay…” His words were comforting and sweet and she felt as, even if he were so far away, his arms were around here, keeping her warm and safe.

“Honey ?…You’re still there ?”

Of course she was. She felt sooo ridiculous but oh so relieved. He did understand and he would be there for her.

“Oh Michael, you made me feel a lot better. I’m sorry to be such a pain in the ass…”

“Well, you know I love you, just the way you are. Even if you would be an alien with 5 eyes and 3 ears, I would love you.”

She smiled now. He could “hear” it…

“What if I had a scales ?” she asked.

“Oh, scales. Mmm, I would wear a protective shield then…”

She felt so much better. The conversation had suddenly taken a whole different course, thanks to his persistence. He was right. She shouldn’t worry all that much. She decided to let him take her on this journey and played along.

“You would, huh ?”

“Yeah, with just one hole in it.”

Silence…but not for long.

“Michael ! Is that all you can think of ? Where is the love ?” Of course she knew he loved her for more than that. But she loved the playing, just like him.

“Honey, you know where my love is…” He spoke in a real low voice now and she laughed even more. He was so funny. He was the only one able to change her mood in seconds.

“Okay, serious now. I’ll ask my mother if we can stay over at her place in Encino, during the second half of November. Not all the rooms in Neverland are quite ready yet and I want you all together.”

“Michael, you didn’t even ask if that time is convenient for me…Are you sure I will be free then ?”

But inside, she laughed. She couldn’t resist teasing him. She knew he was trying really hard not to arrange all kinds of stuff without her, but he still had a long way to go.

“Oh oh, I did it again, didn’t I ?” She could almost see him smile sheepishly. “Well, sometimes you just have to halt me, okay ?”

“I’ll remind you, pretty boy.”

Her voice made him have goose bumps all over.

“Ahw baby, I miss you so much. I can hardly wait to get my hands on you.”

“Michael !! Don’t say those things over the phone !!” But of course she didn’t mean that 

It was getting more and more difficult for both of them as time went by. He called regularly but even that was not enough anymore. They wanted to be together !

Michael knew one thing for sure : in spirit he missed her but it was his body that ached, missing her presence, her touch. Even his eyes were playing tricks at him.

Tonight he had played in Detroit, at The Palace of Auburn Hills and he could have sworn he saw her in the audience, while performing IJCSLY. Luckily Sheryl had noticed his confusion and shaved the performance. She covered up for his absent-mindedness and sang quite a bit of his part too. She took it calmly and the public almost didn’t notice it was on purpose. He almost freaked out when he got off the stage, expecting to see her jump out of the shadows and seriously wondering if he was getting mad. Frank just laughed at him ! He could be so blunt sometimes.

But now they were on the phone, and he was his naughty self again. He found his relief in talking to her and teasing her a little bit. It was her fault he was seeing things anyway !

“What ? I didn’t say anything wrong…” He laughed. “I just want to get my hands on you, maybe give you a good massage.”

“A massage ? Ahw, with those big hands of yours..”

“Huhuh ! I do know your back hurts from time to time.”

“Does it ? Since when ?” She held back her breath, expecting him to come up with a funny answer. He was in a good mood tonight and she loved him for it !

“Yeah, because you have a lack of MJ-exercise lately.” he said lazily, “You are in need, baby.”

“Oooh… am I then ?” She gulped and suspected him to try and seduce her over the phone. And he did a good job ! The sound of his lazy voice whispering in her ear, got her all hot and bothered already.

“And I can help you out, Honey. Just lay back and enjoy…” He kept talking to her, whispering, and suggesting naughty things they could do. Honey listened to him with astonishment. Sometimes he was so shy and almost embarrassed when she teased him and talked a little dirty. She thought he didn’t like talking about sex. But then sometimes, without any precedent, he was giving her a piece of her own cake ! He never ceased to amaze her.

“When we meet, I will kiss you until you’re out of breath…”

“I like how you kiss, Michael. Your lips are so soft….” Oh, only thinking about them… She sighed.

“And when you are out of breath I’ll start all over again and give you mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Breathe in, breathe out, such a slow rhythm, making you ready for some easy loving…And then I will lick you all over.”

“All over ?”

“Mm mm, you like it when I suck on your earlobes, don’t you ?”

“Yesss…”

“I will start there then, while moving my body slowly over yours… Ahw…” He made one of his famous little sexy noises and she almost fainted. “I’ll leave you with a mark.”

“A mark ?”

“Mmm… I’ll suck on your neck for a little while until…”

“Michael, you can’t ! We’re too old for hickeys !”

“Says who ? I want everyone to know that you’re mine and mine alone. I’m gonna claim you, girl.”

“Oooh…You’re possessive !”

“Verrrrrrrrrrrry much ! Didn’t you know that by now ? I don’t want to share you in any way.”

“What are you talking about ? It’s me who has to do the sharing. With your fans…”

“Ah, but they haven’t seen me like you have.”

“True ! Lucky me…”

“At least you know that…” She heard him smile through the phone. He was conceited but she let him be. She knew he had issues with how he looked, so who was she to disagree when now he felt at ease with her ?! Aaah… she would show him how he effected her. And how hot he was in her opinion. She would take her turn now ! He had teased her long enough ! He left her in need and she wanted him to feel as turned on as she was.

“Michael ?”

“Yes baby…”

“What are you wearing ?”

“My pajama bottoms…why do you wanna know ?”

“And nothing else ?”

“Noooo….Honey ! Don’t even go there…”

“Down there ? Can’t I go down there, Michael ? Would you refuse me if I tried ?”

“Honey, you can’t talk to me like that !”

“Why not, Michael ? Are you shy ?”

She could almost hear him pull in his lower lip. And when he made that particular little movement, she knew he would play along with her fantasy. She knew him well enough by now ! And she would not give him any chance to retreat ! He was hers !

“Michael ?”

“Yes Honey…” he sounded breathless already…

“Can you imagine my index finger, circling your lips …And you are trying to bite it…”

“I can feel it…” His mouth fell open, because it was true ! He felt a soft fluttering on his lips.

She whispered in his ear : “Keep the thought, sweetie. And follow it with your eyes now. You’re not alone anymore. I’m there with you… Can you feel it ?”

God help him ! He really felt someone touching his chest. Did he just moan ? Was he himself touching his chest or… ?

“Michael ? I licked my index finger and my thumb just now… They are a little wet. Ooh… they are pinching your nipples. I love your nipples…They are so soft and little. And when I touch them, like now, they become erect, just as mine do, when you touch me…”

He kept silent for a long time, just trying to catch his breath. His vivid imagination provoked something else to become painfully erect.

“Are you still there, Michael ?” she asked because he didn’t react verbally. She could not see what she caused.

“Honey baby, please….don’t…”

“Are you begging ? You know you don’t want to stop…Look at my indexfinger, Michael. It’s going down to your belly button, tickling you a bit … and then even further down to your pajamas…”

“Noooooo….”

“Yes, take it down…”

“No Honey ! Stop right now ! Argh ! Just stop ! I can’t take it, not without you…” he groaned.

“Ooh but I’m there… I’m with you all the way, sweetie…Can’t you feel my hands on you ? I’m touching you, caressing you. Mmm…”

As her voice purred in his ear, his own breath became irregular and shallow. He was very much aroused and his self-control was shattered when she whispered that her lips were now following her hands. “Oh god… oh god… Honey….” he moaned as his body took over. He just couldn’t help it. She put a spell on him and she deliberately left him in a pool of desire. What was he to do but give in ? He moaned.

“Michael ?”

Nothing… just some muffled sounds. Was he crying ?

“Michael ? What happened ?”

Very slowly he fell back to earth, like a feather on the wind… He laid back on his bed with the phone on his chest and his arm over his eyes, trying to get back to reality. What had she done to him ?

“Michael !”

He heard her yelling and slowly put the phone back to his ear. His cheeks were flushed and his whole body felt hot as if he was having a fever. Finally he managed to have his voice back.

“I’m here, baby.” he croaked.

“Michael ? What happened ? Where were you ?”

“I was here…” he sighed, “Honey ?”

“Yes Michael ?”

“Listen to me…We’re not gonna have phone sex…This is too much….”

“We’re not hurting anyone…it’s just fun…”

“Argh Honey, you don’t know….”

He heard her chuckle as she answered. “Sweetie, I know !. I told you I was with you.”

“But Honey, imagine someone listening in on us !”

“I don’t care ! At least they’ll know that MJ is a passionate and very sexy man !”

“Only for you, baby…You know that !”

She sighed, missing him more than ever. She’d better not tell him that she was caught up in her own game herself…And then they still had to wait until November to get together.

Have mercy !

Days had never seemed so long and they spent many sleepless nights talking to each other, complaining about the time moving so slowly. In their eyes, it took forever…

But then finally Honey could set foot on American ground, much sooner than foreseen. Michael suffered from swollen vocal chords and had to postpone some of the concerts in The Memorial Sports Arena. In a way she felt bad for him but at the same time she couldn’t be happier. At least they didn’t have to wait any longer. Love was on its way!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When she left the airport a limousine waited for her to get her to the Encino Compound. She could definitely appreciate the drive to Hayvenhurst in this very luxurious vehicle. After the first class flight this was the icing on the cake. And although she was quite tired after the long trip from Belgium to the USA, she was much too excited to rest her mind. She was very nervous too and felt like being lead to the guillotine… Meeting his parents seemed like an incredible task to her even tho’ he had told her over and over again that there was nothing to be afraid of. The bad experience with John’s parents had left her heart scarred and she hoped she would not have to relive that.

And of course she could hardly wait to see Michael again, to kiss him, to hold him, to make love to him…

Honey couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw Hayvenhurst for the first time. It was a very exquisite Tudor style house, with beautiful mowed lawns and surrounded by lots of trees. Even though it was a big estate it seemed very cozy and a real family home. It was not exactly her taste but she could imagine Michael living here.

When the limo finally arrived at the front door of the mansion, Michael and his parents were already waiting for her.

Honey couldn’t wait to get out of the car and leap into his arms but as that would really give a bad impression, she restricted herself to stepping out like a lady should. And she contained herself walking towards them, trying not to jump up and down. Her eyes twinkled though while looking at him.

Of course he had no reason to control himself, he was at home ! He ran of the porch and swept her up in his arms, twirling around with her like he was a dervish. His big eyes didn’t leave her for one second, his smile was plastered on his face.

She laughed, while she held on tight to his shoulders : “Oh Michael, I’m gonna get dizzy… Put me down.”

He let her slide down his body and put his arms around her, pulling her into a bear hug. She kissed him on the cheek, shy in front of his parents, not sure what they would be thinking of his display of joy.

“Welcome to Hayvenhurst, baby girl. You cannot imagine how glad I am to see you. Ahw, I missed you so much.” He whispered and then kissed her too, softly but yet firm on the lips, for everyone to see. She was his ! He put his arm around her shoulders and pushed her forward to the porch, to finally meet his parents.

“Joseph, Mother, this is Honey, the lady in my life.” He looked so proud ! Honey shook hands with both, smiling and politely saying hello. She simply had to make a good impression ! She knew this was sooo important to him, and she didn’t want to let him down.

Joseph scared her. She really could not figure him out. He shook her hand but he showed no emotions what so ever. He just looked her over, piercing her with his dark eyes, his mouth a straight line. She did not know what to think of him.

As for Michael’s mother, she pulled her right into her arms, hugging her as only a mother can. Honey liked her immediately and she realized from whom Michael got his sweet composure.

“I’m so glad I can finally meet you, Honey. Michael talked so much about you. It seems that I already know you. Welcome, dear.” Katherine had a soft voice just like Michael and she seemed genuinely kind too.

“I prepared some sandwiches and coffee. I’m sure you are hungry after that long flight. Michael told me you prefer coffee over tea, so I hope that’s alright with you ?”

“Thank you for your efforts, Mrs Jackson.” Honey answered politely, “I really appreciate you for having me over.”

“Any friend of Michael is welcome in our home, child. Please step inside.”

Katherine led them into the parlor where they were served different sandwiches, coffee and other beverages. Honey looked around and decided that this house was nothing of her taste. There was too much of everything. On the other hand, she felt at home immediately. There were a lot of family photographs and they warmed the atmosphere. And it had been Michael’s home for years. She was sure that the fairylike surroundings were his doing.

While lowering themselves on one of the sofas, Michael held on to her as if he were never to let her go again. He devoured her with his eyes and pulled her very close. He snuggled her neck with his nose, inhaling her sweet scent. Memories of them together, made his cheeks flush. He desperately tried to compose himself. Here he was, sitting in his mother’s parlor, with thoughts of Honey, lying naked next to him, haunting his mind. It was a good thing that Honey pushed him away a little, waking him from his daydreams. She saw in his eyes what he was thinking of but this was not the right time and certainly not the right place.

“Michael, “ she whispered. “We’re in company…”

“Mmm…” It was so difficult to keep his head cool at this moment. He sighed deeply because all he wanted to do was cuddle and kiss. But he had to be polite and sit up.

“I hope you like the refreshments.” Katherine said softly. “I didn’t know of your habits, so I took a wild guess.”

“Everything is just fine. Thank you so much for your effort.” Honey answered.”The trip was long and the food really not too tasteful.” She wrinkled her nose at the thought of the rubberlike bread that had been served during her flight.

“Oh, we know. We’re so glad to be able to fly a private jet if necessary, so we don’t have to put up with that poor quality.” Joseph sniffed his nose at the thought.

“Oh yeah, but I was so hungry that I ate it all the same. At least, I was lucky enough to have food in my stomach. There are already enough people starving on this planet. I’m so grateful to be not one of them.”

Joseph looked from her to Michael and back and scratched his head. Was she like Michael ?”

To Joseph all his son’s compassion for the less fortunate, was a bit too exaggerated and to his opinion Michael talked too much about it too. If this girl was like him, they would fit fine together, but he surely hoped she would not give him any ideas of spending even more of his money on charity.

It was never easy to have a conversation with complete strangers but Honey tried the best she could, even though she was really tired. She wanted to leave a very good first impression. Michael didn’t help though. All he did was stare at her.

As Honey yawned behind her hand, Katherine got up and reached out her hand.

“Come, I will show you to your room. You must be tired.”

“But…” Michael protested.

“Michael, don’t be so selfish. Can’t you see this girl needs some rest?” Katherine’s comment put him in his place. He shrugged his shoulders and got up, but that was not what Katherine wanted. She pushed him back down. “You stay here and talk to your father. I’ll show Honey to her room.”

Even though Michael was an adult and could do whatever pleased him, whenever he was at home with his parents he felt like that little boy again and didn’t even think about going in against his mother. So he sat down politely.

With a soft hand, Katherine lead Honey out of the room and upstairs. There were many bedrooms and guestrooms and Honey was dazzled by the size of this house. Her parent’s place wasn’t bad either but this house was huge ! She would get lost for sure !

She was a little bit disappointed, because, even though her room was very nice and spacious and had its own bathroom, it was obvious that this was not Michael’s bedroom. Were they supposed to sleep apart from each other ?

Katherine sat on the bed, and patted on the spot next to her, asking Honey to sit down. Honey immediately sensed that this was to be one of these woman to woman talks.

“Mrs Jackson, thank you very much for your hospitality. I appreciate it very much.”

“Please call me Katherine. Mrs Jackson makes me feel old.”

“Katherine then…thank you.”

“When Michael told me about you, so long ago, I knew you were special to him, but seeing you here in the flesh, makes me understand what he sees in you.”

“Thank you Katherine. That is really nice of you.”

“Well, you’re the one he waited for.”

Honey blushed in shame. It was one thing hearing Michael say he waited for her, but hearing it from his mother made her feel embarrassed, as if she had tortured him purposely. But Katherine was a very sensitive person, just like Michael, and she sensed her inconvenience. She took both of Honey’s hands in hers.

“Please Honey, don’t feel uncomfortable. It’s not your fault and it’s not Michael’s either. It was an unfortunate coincidence. You were both so young then. I know he wanted it all but he didn’t know how to handle it. He wanted his record to succeed and he thought he had to choose. He paid a high price for his success, Honey. He worked very hard. In a way, I think that he was trying to compensate for losing you when you married. I wish I could have helped him more but we are not as close as we were when he was younger.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I guess that’s normal, for him being an adult, but to me, he’s still my little boy…” She paused. “And now, it’s time for him to move out… I am at peace with that in a way, but thinking of him living all alone by himself, made me worry. He’s so sensitive and he can be so reclusive from time to time.”

“Really ?” Honey had never noticed, Michael wanting to be on his own. Okay, he was very protective over his privacy but not to her. With her he was always full of life and very talkative. He was sensitive though, that she had witnessed several times before. In the media everyone described him as weird, eccentric and reclusive, but to her he was just a sweet human being, very sensitive to the suffering of other people, especially children. She remembered numerous occasions on which he donated money to charity or visited ill children at the hospital. It hurt her that the media did not cover that. Instead they gossiped.

Katherine continued :

“I can see he’s very very happy right now. I’m so glad you finally came together. I think, if you could be with him at Neverland that would be a good thing. I would not have to worry anymore. I guess, you just bring out the best in him. He seems so much more alive and at ease with himself.”

“Thank you….” What else could she say ?

“He was so sad when you married.”

“I’m sorry…”

“Oh, don’t be sorry, Honey. I think, it just meant that the time wasn’t right back then. Maybe your love needed to grow some more. Maybe Michael’s love needed to grow. What is done, is done. Maybe he needed this time to build up what he did. I think it was meant to be. Just look at the empire he established. He couldn’t have made me more proud.”

“He is an amazing artist, Katherine.”

“Honey, will you promise me one thing ?”

“Sure…” Honey was puzzled. What did Katherine want of her ?

“He’s gonna be mad at me, if he ever finds out that I am talking to you like this. He’s so very much in control of everything. At least, that’s what he likes to think….” Katherine took a deep breath. “I want you to promise me that if ever there are doubts running through your mind, please talk to him. Don’t ever believe the tabloids. And please, always let him know you love him very much. He needs that.”

Honey understood what Katherine meant to say. “I won’t let him down, Katherine. I will not make the same stupid mistake twice.”

Katherine hugged her and kissed her on both cheeks. “I can see you are an honest person, Honey. You deserve each other.”

She got up from the bed and headed for the door. “Well, I’ll leave you to yourself now. Dinner will be at 7, nothing formal, just the four of us. I’ll send someone up to help you unpack.”

Honey was relieved when Katherine left the room. She was a sweet woman but Honey didn’t know her well enough to confide in her. She needed more time. She knew his mother loved him very much, just as a mother should and Honey wanted to reassure her that she too loved Michael from the bottom of her heart.

But she even hadn’t told him that much.

In the meanwhile, Michael didn’t exactly feel at ease, being alone with his father. They never had an emotional connection and he didn’t know what he should discuss with him. The man always made him feel uncomfortable. He had missed a real father through his life. When he was younger he had turned to other elderly men instead, such as Berry Gordy or Quincy Jones, or his body guard Bill Bray. They always had been much more of a father to him than Joseph. If only he could have called him father or daddy… That already would have made a big difference. Even Nick, Honey’s father had been much more close to him during the few days they spent together at her parent’s home. He felt safe there…

Aah, Honey ! He only wanted to be with her, he wanted to kiss her, to hold her in his arms. He missed looking into her lovely eyes while talking to her. He loved the phone calls but nothing could beat the real thing. He loved how her face always expressed her true feelings. She had difficulties talking about some of her emotions, instead she was always joking and acting crazy. But he knew she was very sensitive, just like him, and her eyes could not deceive him. He ached for her and wished he had invited her to Neverland instead of Hayvenhurst. At least there they would have been alone.

It must’ve been written all over his face, as his father responded to it.

“Mike, don’t get carried away too much, son.”

“What do you mean, Joseph ?” Michael immediately charged like a bull at a red cloth.

“You know women, son ! They are all the same…Just there to spend the money.”

How could his father say that ?! He didn’t know Honey at all !

When Michael was younger, he wouldn’t dare to go in against his father, but now he didn’t care anymore. He defended Honey as if he were a lioness (lions don’t LOL) with a cub.

“Joseph, don’t say that ! She’s not like that ! She’s different ! She is not after my money.”

“How can you tell ? Did you have her screened ?”

The look on Michael’s face told him enough. “Are you stupid, boy ? You didn’t ? What were you thinking ? You know you can’t trust a living soul?!” Joseph got up, muttering.

“Joseph, I trust her ! I trust her with my life !” Michael was disgusted at the thought of screening Honey. He trusted her, he had faith in her and he would never ever do a thing like that. She would be devastated. He shook his head.

“Now do you really trust her ? Your mother told me she’s divorcing !” He silenced Michael by holding up one hand. “Do you call that trust ? She married another man instead of you. Is that love ?”

“But…” Michael’s heart sank to his knees…Why did Joseph do this to him?

“And now, her marriage is finished. It’s so convenient to have you here now, isn’t it ? Change one man for another…”

Michael almost began to cry because of his father’s harsh words. Why couldn’t he simply be happy for him ?

“It’s not like that ! You don’t know her !” He stood up to and almost shouted at his father, although he wasn’t even supposed to talk that loud because of his swollen vocal chords. But he wouldn’t let Joseph do this to him again. That part of his life was over. He was a grown man, who had build up the greatest empire in showbusiness ! He was the biggest entertainer in the music industry, known all over the world ! He could take his own responsibilities ! He didn’t need his father to bring him down again.

“Joseph, we’re gonna stop this right now ! I don’t wanna discuss this any further.”

“Michael, I say this for you own good !”

“No, you don’t ! All you want…”

“What ? Tell me, boy ! You don’t know anything. Just… just don’t let some random woman take everything away from you… you understand ?!”

Michael shook his head and took off. He almost ran his mother over while he stormed out of the room. Why did Joseph try to ruin this perfect day ? He would not let him ! He was wrong, so wrong about Honey.

Joseph stayed behind, perplex at Michael’s explosion of anger. He only meant to do well… The moment he was put aside when Michael and the rest of the boys fired him as their manager, he actually had nothing to say anymore. But he still tried to influence their decisions and sometimes it worked. After all, he was their father and he assumed he knew best ! The hardest nut to crack however was Michael. It seemed that every word he said, was interpreted wrongly. Deep in his heart he knew he had been at fault disciplining them so hard when they were youngsters. On the other hand, they never would have been where they were right now if he had let his emotions get in the way. Especially with Michael. Joseph had never before seen someone so driven by his talent and by his will to become the greatest entertainer of all times. Michael didn’t know this but his father did admire him for the professional decisions he had made. He didn’t agree with him spending so much of his wealth on charity, but regarding his career, Michael had set out a clear goal and he had reached it even before he was 30. Joseph was very proud to be the father of the famous Michael Jackson but his own pride didn’t allow him to tell him that, not even when Michael thanked him and his mother after receiving another reward. Joseph was an alpha male, while Michael wasn’t at all. However with this girl, Joe thought, he did act differently. Maybe his son was learning to get in touch with his other side, finally. Michael never had to take care of anyone. The world turned around him. And now Michael’s world itself turned around this tiny Belgian girl…

His thoughts were somehow interrupted by Katherine, seating herself next to him.

“Joe, what in heaven’s name did you say to Michael ? He almost ran me over !”

“I just tried to warn him ! Remember, we don’t know her yet. There must be someone staying sober here. It’s not because she looks sweet and innocent, that she is !”

“And of course, it was too much to ask to bring this gently to Michael ?! Joe, you know how sensitive he is !”

Joseph sighed. “You’d think a man of his age and experience should have some backbone !”

“Joe Jackson ! You know very well that he has more backbone than anyone in this family ! He would not have come this far without !”

“Ah Kat, I guess you’re right.”

“Isn’t it time you two sat together and talked ? You never ever say you love him and I know you do !” Katherine shook her head as Joe remained silent. She knew him very well ! He was a man with as many emotions as any other but he would not ever show them and certainly not to his children.

Michael was so glad Joseph didn’t stay for dinner, after all. He couldn’t bare it right now ! It was always like this ! Joseph was always questioning his ability to take care of his own business, giving him advice when he actually needed something else. The only thing he wanted was his father’s approval. For once, he would like Joseph to be happy for him without doubting his good sense. He knew what he was doing ! He was not stupid ! Yet, his father made him feel like a ignorant child ! When would he ever be able to talk to him like a son should ? He sometimes needed a father so badly… He had his older friends but that could never replace the real thing. He felt that he had never experienced the love between father and son, not even when he craved it most. His father had always been very severe, pushing him forward even if he didn’t want to. Sometimes he wished he didn’t have this talent. Then maybe he would have had a father…

He didn’t understand how a sweet woman, like his mother ended up with a guy like Joseph. He remembered his father cheating on her and how that tore him apart ! He was devastated at the time, knowing and not being able to tell her about it ! He was only a child then. And it made him feel sick and disgusted with himself, even though his older brothers knew about it too and were more than mature enough to talk to her about it. But they didn’t either. And when she finally found out, he felt even more guilty. And still she put up with him. He thought it strange because they didn’t seem to match at all. They had 9 children together, so there must have been some mutual attraction. He wondered…. Were they in love like him and Honey when they married ? They must’ve been…He figured his father had some good qualities too. Only he didn’t see them.

The atmosphere during dinner was just like the people sitting at the table : sweet and tender. As there were only the three of them, Katherine, Michael and Honey, they could really relax. Katherine and Honey got to know each other much better and Honey already felt at home, at Hayvenhurst. She was amazed that Katherine cooked the meal herself. They could easily afford a cook, but Katherine admitted that she loved to cook for Michael. He had his own cook, travelling with him but a meal made with love, tasted so much better and he was always so grateful.

“Then we will have a problem…” Honey smiled sweetly at Michael.

“We do ?”

“Mmm, I’m not a good cook at all. Well, I can make a mean spaghetti but you are a vegetarian… I can make good stews though, with lots of vegetables. And soup…” She smiled at him, waiting for his answer.

Michael was trying to form a decent answer but actually all he could think of was that he didn’t need her because of her cooking. But that he could hardly admit in front of his mother.

“I’ll eat anything you serve me…” He sounded normal but he almost ate her with his eyes. Honey just hoped that Katherine didn’t notice her blushing !

“That’s really sweet, Michael !” Katherine said. “Honey, he has always been my most thoughtful son. You are a lucky girl !” And then she winked at her.

“Mother, I do hope you truly mean what you are saying ?! You’re not making fun of me, are you ?”

“Sweetheart, you know how much I love you.” She ruffled his hair. “You are thoughtful and sweet.” She took a deep breath. “But also demanding and messy and not easy to live with.”

“Mother ! You are gonna scare her away !” But his eyes were laughing, because he knew his mother was teasing him. On the other hand, it was true what she said. He was all that too.

“And you’ve got a lot of love to give, sweetheart. But I’m sure Honey knows that already.”

Honey smiled at the playfulness between mother and son. They really had a good bond, just like she had with her parents. This was a relief to her, because it meant that she too could bond with his parents.

After dinner, Michael and Honey went for a small walk in the garden. They walked along the flower beds, inhaling the fresh night air. Michael held her very close to him, one hand possessively on her hip. He felt lucky to be alone with her although he would have preferred taking her to her room immediately after they finished the meal. But that would have been very rude. As they were visible for everyone to see, he held his passion back a little while longer and the kisses he gave her were innocent and sweet.

“Ahw baby, you cannot imagine how I feel right now. You made me so very happy, just being here.”

“Oh Michael,” she squeezed his hand “so am I. I missed you very much.”

“I fear we still have to be patient some time longer. I will be touring again soon and unfortunately I had to add some dates to cover for the lost concerts here in L.A.”

“Shouldn’t you be quiet then ?” she asked playfully. “To spare your voice…”

“We won’t be talking much longer..” he whispered.

“No ?” She looked at him in anticipation, knowing where he wanted to go.

“Aren’t you tired, Honey ?” he asked softly.

“I took a nap earlier…”

“Baby, I think you’re tired after that long flight. You should go to bed.” His voice turned seductively low. “Tell my mother you want to go rest. Okay?”

“Why ?” She loved teasing him, because she knew very well what he was aiming for.

He rolled his eyes and threw his hands in the air.

“Must I then draw a picture so you would understand ?”

“Mmm maybe…or you could just tell me what you really mean…” She looked at him from under her eyelashes. “Or show me…”

He pulled her behind a rose bush so that they were out of sight and rubbed his body against her in the most seductive way. His desire was obvious.

“I wanna make love to you, Honey.” he whispered in her ear. “Stop teasing me…I wanna kiss you and caress you. I wanna be as near to you as a man can be to a woman.”

She put her arms around his neck and kissed his chin.

“Now, why didn’t you say that in the first place ?!” She laughed at his impatience. “So why are we in separate rooms? Doesn’t your mother know we are intimate ?”

“Honey !”

“Don’t tell me you are shy, Jackson !! While you move like this…Oh la la…”

“I don’t talk about those things…not with my mother.”

“But why can’t we share a room ? Can’t I come and sleep with you ? I bet your bed is big enough. Or we can take mine. It’s lovely and I have a great view.”

“No no !! We can’t do that ! Not here, not at my mother’s place!”

“But you said you want to make love to me ?!”

“Woman !! You drive me wild ! Please, please, go in and tell her you want to go to bed. I’ll come to you as soon as I can.”

“Must I tell her that too ?” There was no doubt she was teasing him and she was very well aware that she was driving him crazy.

He sighed deeply, grabbed her by the arm and pulled her inside the house. He pushed her into the kitchen while all the time she was laughing at him.

“Well children, did you catch up talking already ?” Katherine looked at them, surprised they would came back in.

“Honey is tired, Mother. We’ll talk some more in the morning.” Michael said, while walking to the other side of the kitchen, leaving Honey standing in the doorway.

“Ah ok…can I get you anything else, dear ? Would you like a cup of hot coco ? It will make you sleep good.”

“Oh, I would like that.” Honey smiled sweetly at Michael, who stood behind his mother, gesturing to say no. When she said yes, his mouth fell open and his eyes narrowed. Oh oh, she was in trouble now.

“Mpf, I’ll leave you two women to yourself then. I’m gonna check on some papers.” And he took off to his office.

“What’s with him ? I thought he wanted to be with you.”

“You know, men…”

Katherine got her some nice hot coco and they talked some more, mostly about Michael of course. Actually Michael hadn’t been lying to his mother. Honey still felt really tired, so when she finished her drink, she went to her room, took a warm shower, brushed her teeth and got into bed.

She didn’t know if Michael would still come, but she was prepared ! She brought the sweetest two piece baby doll with her. Made of fine red silk, it covered her body at the right places, but nothing more than that. Michael would love it…

She crept into bed, still thinking about him, wondering when he would show up. Maybe she shouldn’t have pushed him this far ? But she just couldn’t resist it. He was such an easy victim and besides he tried to tell her what to do, all the time. Would he then never learn ? Ahw, the thought of them having separate rooms and most of all, being sneaky about all this ! She found it ridiculous. The man was 30 years old, for god’s sake ! Thinking about how she would bring it on to set this right, she dozed off…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Honey…” she heard his voice softly whisper in her ear, his warm breath sending shivers down her spine. She wanted to reply but sleep still got her in its power and made her reaction somewhat slow. As she didn’t answer, he crept next to her in her bed. He pulled back the covers slightly, allowing him to slip under. The warmth of his body enveloped her as she felt his body melt against the length of her back. He was wearing nothing but his underwear. She heard him hold back his breath, which sent a jolt through her delicate frame.

Michael gasped and had to take a second look at her to make sure his eyes were not deceiving him.

“Mmm, ahw !” he whispered all excited at once. “What have we got here ? Oh my…beautiful…” He licked his lips. “And sexy..!” His hands started to roam her body, which was beautifully packed in the red baby doll. He understood that she had been expecting him ! She was such a tease !

Finally she managed to open her eyes and turned towards him, putting up her arms around his neck.

“Mmm…Michael, you came…Oooh, I must have fallen asleep.”

“Honey, you look lovely. Is this all for me ?” He brushed his face against hers, kissing her softly on the lips. He laid his hand on her stomach, taking the soft fabric of the baby doll between his thumb and index finger, admiring how it embraced her body.

“Hmm…” she nodded “Do you like it ?”

“Do I like it ? Are you kidding me ? Feel how much I like it…” He took her hand and put it on the front of his briefs.

She giggled. “You do…” With her knuckles she softly brushed the proof of his anxiety.

“Mmm, baby…” he sighed. “I missed your touch so much. All this time…”His breath went shallow and with both of his hands on her buttocks, he pulled her even closer, her one hand trapped between their bodies. She could do nothing else but take him in a soft grip and slowly moved her hand up and down. Her fingers looked small and fragile against his size but when she started stroking him he realized there was nothing weak about them.

He moaned against her neck and a shiver ran down his spine.

“Oh my god, Honey…” He pushed her back a little, his eyes full of love and tenderness. And then he took her hand away from him. “No, not yet. Not so quick, baby. It has been too long…and I want to take my time for this. I don’t want it to end it right away…” He kissed the tip of her nose. “And if you keep doing this…I…I will not be able to contain myself. I want to love you all over, baby. I want to enjoy this moment… Even more, I want to memorize this evening until the end of our days.”

His sweetness filled her with happiness and if possible with even more desire. What more could a woman wish for but to have a slow and tender lover ? She sang a little bit : “♫ I want a lover with a slow hand…♪ I want a lover with an easy touch…♫”

His hand took the fingers of her left hand and started to massage them one by one. He put every single finger in his mouth and while looking at her from under his eyelashes, he caressed them one by one with his tongue. With his thumb he drew little circles in the palm of her hand, molded her wrist and then travelled to her elbow. He bent over and his lips followed his hand, and sucked on the inside of her elbow, taking in the soft flesh with his teeth. It tickled a bit but she didn’t feel the urge to laugh. All she wanted to do was sigh. He put her arm over her head, then let his hand slide down to her flank, the tips of his long fingers touching the side of her breast, through the fabric of her baby doll. She turned her body to his hand, craving for his touch. But he knew how to tease her too. He did just the same to her other arm and also put it above her head. Holding them both in place, his other hand caressed her face, his thumb parted her lips until his mouth came down to hers, taking over complete control, his eyes looking straight into hers, promising her a love unequalled. His fingers scurried down over her chin, following the curve of her neck, to the middle of her chest, but still not touching her breasts. He looked down and watched her chest heaving up and down at the speeding rhythm of her breathing. It seemed he was doing a good job ! She thought he would go all the way down to the center of her desire, but he stopped right there where her soft curls began.

“Michael…” she sighed. “Touch me…Pleaaaaase…You drive me crazy…”

He took his lips from hers, just to say. “No, you teased me a little too much. Now it’s my turn. Don’t move…” He whispered against her lips. “And don’t put your arms down.” He let go of her hands now and his head followed the path where his hand had travelled before. His kisses left a wet trace all over her baby doll, dark marks on the red lace. He didn’t go anywhere near her pelvic area, although her legs had fallen open, inviting him to take it all. He played with her though and first took one thigh in both of his hands and massaged it thoroughly. Wiggling and turning she tried to put her love center in touch with his hands but he carefully stayed away from her. He was in complete control. When she moved her hands down, he reacted : “Uhuh ! No, put them above your head, baby… Let me do my job…” He lead her arms back up. “I do not want to tie you up…” His smile was naughty and his gaze hot with love.

“Don’t say such things…. Oh my god, Michael…” she pleaded, almost crying from desire.

“I know, baby… but patience is a beautiful virtue.”

Her knees were particularly sensitive to his touch, and he knew that all too well, so he paid a lot of attention to the both of them, molding and kissing. When he was ready with both of her knees, she trembled so fiercely that she felt like fainting. As he sucked her toes one by one, she experienced an all new sensation. Finally he started his way up and she noticed he now got rid of his briefs and was completely naked. She held on tighter to her pillow, thinking she could explode any minute.

“Michael…”

“Yessss baby ?”

“Don’t stop…”

“I don’t think I can. I’m forever devoted to you. My love for you has no beginning and no end. It’s infinite.” He smiled so sweetly. “I’ll unwrap my present now….”

Slowly he started to take of her red baby doll panties, caressing her with his eyes, blowing his hot breath at every bit of flesh that was revealed but still no touching. She almost lost her mind when he rolled up the fabric of the top, over her tummy, over her breasts, and then over her head.

“Baby…You may now move your arms…”

She quickly pulled him to her, bashing him against her chest. The touch of his nude body, almost made her scream. She held him so close that her breasts were crushed against his chest. Her hips moved against his, challenging him to enter her softness.

“Michael..Michael…” she pleaded, “come to me. Now…Ooooh, don’t let me wait any longer. I want you now.”

“Oh my god, Honey…baby…” He almost cried when he gave in to her longing. “It has been so long. Oooh…”

She never felt so complete as that exact moment, with him, inside, filling her with his endless love. He was so beautiful, firm yet soft, quick and slow, sweet but persistent. He made her feel a complete woman, desirable, loved and very sexy. His movements gave away his desire, but he kept his pace slow as if he wanted this to last forever. While pushing in and pulling out, he kept looking at her, his eyes wet of unshed happy tears. He allowed her to look inside of his soul, showing her how much he loved her, how much he needed her.

“You don’t know how much I love you. Words will never be enough…”

She moved under him, pushing herself up for her breasts to meet his chest again.

“No no, don’t move,” he halted her. “Hold the rhythm… just…argh… I don’t want this to end yet… I want to love you slowly, Honey… You won’t ever forget this. I promise you.”

But still it ended too quickly… It had to of course, but not without him doing everything he could on holding back on his own release. As he felt her inner walls collapse on him, he speeded up, chasing his sweet goal. Honey moaned against his shoulder, shaking from the powerful climax he lead her to. When he finally let go, his body shook fiercely, his eyes rolled to the back of his head, his lips tried to hold back his cry of relief. He fell heavy on her body, shivering as if he had a seizure and Honey immediately put her arms around him. The magnitude of their feelings overpowered them both and left them out of breath.

He didn’t want to move ever. He wanted to stay just where he was, still protected by her warmth, wrapped up in her loving arms. They didn’t speak, made no sound, just held on to each other. They didn’t need to talk either, as this night was made for loving. No need for anything else. Tenderness poured out as they gently kissed and caressed each other. The experience of being one, made them only want more. He was still inside of her as she started to move again, slowly but determined to reach the stars once more. Their eyes were fixed on each other, telling stories of love and tenderness, passion and desire.

Hours later they finally fell asleep, exhausted but satisfied, entwined like the branches of an ivy bush. They fitted perfectly, this beautiful gentle man with his long wild curls and his witty shorthaired companion. The picture of them sleeping peacefully in each other’s arms would make a great painting, but we can only imagine it, because this sight would never leave this room.

The morning sun came peeking through the curtains and caressed Michael’s face. He truly enjoyed this moment of the day because normally he had to stay out of the sunshine as much as possible. But the golden light of the early morning sun could not hurt him. Slowly he began realizing why he felt so cozy. He lazily opened his eyes and saw Honey sprawled over his chest, her body softly moving under her steady breath. He inhaled her angelic features, and laughed a bit at how her hair peaked to all sides. He never thought he would like short hair for a girl but it suited her so well and made her not a bit less feminine. On the contrary, she was more woman than most men could handle. There was nothing more beautiful than waking up to the sight of her, being barely covered with the sheets and looking lovely. He was a lucky man to have all these delicious curves to himself. To him she was perfect. Were he was hard, she was soft. With one hand he caressed her back from her shoulders down. Very careful at not awakening her, he pushed back the sheets so that he could admire all of her. Ahw, she was so very sexy ! He felt his morning erection grow harder at the delightful picture before him and moved slowly from under her, gently turning her on her back.

Honey was dreaming… She found herself in a meadow full of daisies, laying on her back, looking at the bluest sky she had ever seen. There were no clouds in sight and she felt as if she could see as far as another universe. Her senses were highly stimulated by the warmth of the air as a soft and gentle breeze travelled her body from her shoulders, over her breasts to her belly. It tickled and a little smile softened her face. Stretching herself, she bent her body to the breeze, feeling it continue its delightful way down to her most intimate spot. A light pressure made her move her legs and grant the breeze all access to the most loveliest of all places. 

“Mmm…” She moaned and sighed at the same time, curving herself up to that light breath of wind. The pressure became more profound as she felt her body being pushed down in the soft grass of the meadow, crushing the delicate flowers underneath her. A light moan escaped her lips once again, as she felt something probing at the entrance between her legs.

Her eyes fluttered open but what she saw was not a blue sky but the face of the man she loved the most. His big brown eyes pierced into hers as he pushed himself inside of her, inch by inch, slowly awakening all of her.

“Michael…”

His tongue entered her mouth and started to dance with her in the same rhythm as their now joined bodies. His erotic movements took her with him in a whirlwind of emotions and this morning it didn’t take long for them to pass that bridge to complete fulfillment.

As the sensation of their climax subsided, Michael let himself glide to her side and turned her towards him for a soft kiss.

“Good morning sunshine…”

“Ahw Michael, what a lovely way to wake me up… Good morning to you too.”

“I couldn’t resist you…You look so lovely in the morning.”

He thought he had the prettiest girlfriend, even prettier than the ones his brothers….

He suddenly startled ! Ooh my god ! His family ! He completely forgot that he shouldn’t be here at all.

“Honey, I’d love to stay with you but I must get up.”

“Nooo…” She turned a bit as to the point where she laid all along his body and refused to let go. She put her arms around his neck. “You stay here. I don’t want you to get up.”

“Girl, imagine my mother finding me here. It’s not appropriate. She doesn’t know.” He kept pushing her.

“No !” She pouted her mouth and held him even tighter. “Michael, you are exaggerating ! You’re not ashamed, are you ?”

He closed his eyes for a minute and sighed. He really didn’t feel like arguing at this point but he felt that he had to go. He would take this up with her later. It was better to talk to his mother first.

He now pushed her away, softly but firmly.

“Yeah, I am ashamed…thinking of what we did last night…” He wiggled his eyebrows, which revealed that he was only joking. “Of course I’m not ashamed, silly.”

They did have a great night together and the waking up had been delightful.

“But I still have to go…Don’t be mad.”

He tried to kiss her on the lips but she turned her head. He sighed. He would make this up to her later. Right now, he had no time. He didn’t want to run into someone when he left her room. “I’ll talk to you later, baby. I’m sorry.” And before she could say something he was out of her room.

Honey suddenly felt a little mad at him. He acted as if they did something that was forbidden ! They loved each other, what else was there to tell ? He was 30, she would turn 25 shortly. There seemed to be no problem so why was he so nervous about it ? They were no teenagers ! What was he trying to do ? Proof he was an angel ? She shook her head. They were human beings and should act like them ! There was nothing else to it ! She really didn’t understand. How could a grown man act as if he was an adolescent when in his parent’s home ? She couldn’t believe he was that embarrassed. They didn’t have to hide anything ! If he truly loved her, he should talk to his mother. Surely it could not be his intention to sneak in and out of her room all this time ? She sighed. What could she do ? Should she talk to his mother herself ?

Being very disappointed in Michael, she entered the luxurious bathroom. Looking at herself in the mirror, she didn’t see anything special that would make him ashamed of her. It must be them sleeping together. That was so silly ! She would change his mind over this, of that she was sure but right now she needed a refreshing shower.

After she washed up, she put on her bikini and with a large towel, draped over her shoulders, she went out searching for the pool and a place to sit. As she was here in sunny California, the least she could do was gain some profit out of it. She would get herself a nice tan ! That would make her feel better ! It always did !

In the meantime, Michael had crept back into in his own room, lucky not to bump into anyone. He took a quick shower and joined his mother in the kitchen.

“Would you like some waffles, sweetheart ?”

“Mmm, that would be nice. I’m hungry as a horse.”

“You are definitely not eating enough, Michael. Since you left for the tour, you’ve become too skinny. You work too hard and eat too little. I’ll get some meat on your bones while you’re here.”

“I always loved your cooking, Mother. Your waffles are the best in the whole wide world!”

“You’re such a sweet boy.” She hugged him and put a full plate of waffles in front of him.

“I love you too, Mother, but I’m not a boy anymore. I’m a man.”

“I know, sweetheart, but you will always be my baby.”

“Mother, I want to talk to you about something. It’s…huh…delicate.”

“You know we can discuss anything, Michael.” She sat down next to him and watched him eat his first waffle.

“It’s about Honey and me, Mother.”

“She’s a very nice woman, Michael. Are you sure you two are good now ? You waited for so long and I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Yes, we are good. She’s divorcing her husband.”

“Because of you ?” It was clear that she didn’t approve that thought.

“No no, it’s nothing like that. Their marriage was falling apart anyway. I had nothing to do with it. It was her friend who reunited us, Mother. You know… Barbara…”

“I’m glad to hear that, sweetheart. I know how it feels being cheated on and I wouldn’t tolerate it if you were part of anything like that.”

He remembered the time when Joseph cheated on her. He would never forget ! It scarred him for life. He protested loudly.

“Mother ! You know I’m not like that! I would never ever do that.” But this time, he was not completely honest with himself because he very well knew what he would’ve done if Honey had ever given him the slightest glimpse of hope on a romantic encounter. He would’ve stolen her away from John, without any remorse. Just because he loved her so much.

“So what’s on your mind ? You wanted to talk about something.”

He decided to drop the bomb. “You know, I asked her to come live with me at Neverland …and…well…while we’re here…we…” He was so very embarrassed. This was his mother ! Did this conversation really needed to take place ?

“You’re sleeping together, right ?” She smiled.

“Huh, Mother ! How did you know ? I mean…” Now he got really shy. How does a guy talk about this to his mother ? He had no idea since this topic never came up before.

“Michael, I heard you coming out of her room this morning. I’m not deaf you know.”

“Oh, ah ! Ok…Do you approve ?” He asked very softly.

“Well, it’s not up to me to decide which way your relationships go. You’re old enough to take your own responsibilities.”

“Do you mind…I mean…us…”

“I shall finish this for you, sweetheart. I don’t mind you sleeping together, here at Hayvenhurst. Is that what you wanted to hear ?”

A big smile broke Michael’s face in two. Phwww, that was out of the way. Honey would be glad to hear this. He did it for her ! Well, and a bit for himself too….

“Now, where is she, by the way ?”

“I think she’s still sleeping. I’ll leave her be until after I finish my waffles.” He kept smiling. She would be delighted ! He decided to keep it a secret until tonight after dinner. That would be a big surprise !! And she thought he wasn’t brave !

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He found her sitting by the pool, enjoying the sunshine, reading some magazines, and dressed in a tiny bikini. In his opinion she was one of those few women who could really wear a bikini without looking vulgar but at the same time he was glad there were no other men around. In that case he would have covered her up immediately.

He wondered… “Honey, do you wear this to the beach ?”

“Why ? Don’t you like it ?”

“Oh baby, I do. But isn’t it a bit too revealing ?”

Actually the bikini was tiny but still not indecent at all. There were tinier ones to be found on the beach…But whatever Honey put on, she always looked sexy. It was just in her genes, he thought.

“Are you jealous ?” Honey laughed at him.

“Me ? Nooooooo…. I’m not the jealous type. I simply don’t want any other men to look at my woman like that…You’re almost naked!”

“No I’m not ! You’re funny !! And, you ARE jealous !” She chuckled. “That’s so sweet. I’ll take it as a compliment.” She gently tapped his thigh.

Michael laughed sheepishly and sat down next to her on the sun bed, after having placed a big parasol over them.

“Hey, “ Honey protested. “You’re taking away my sunshine. I want a tan.”

“I thought you wanted ME more…” He whispered. He hooked his finger behind the little bow that held her bikini panties together. She gazed at his finger, wondering if he would dare to pull it loose. Naaa, he wouldn’t, would he ?

“You’re not…” She tried to see his eyes but they were covered by his shades. But he couldn’t hide the corners of his mouth slightly pulling upwards into a naughty smile.

“You’re lucky we’re at my mother’s place, sitting by her pool, because, girl, otherwise your bikini would already have been history.”

Instead he leaned into her giving her a sensual kiss on her mouth, slightly sucking her lower lip. In response she put her arms around his neck, capturing him in a soft embrace.

“You’re so handsome, Michael.” she said in his ear. “Why don’t you join me here?”

“Haha, you just want me with less clothes on…” he teased her.

“Mmm, sweetie, you can read my mind…” She started to undo the buttons of his shirt. “Please, sit with me and let’s enjoin the sunshine together. It’s so cold in Belgium right now… This warmth really does me good.”

“You know I can’t sit in the sun…” He pouted his lips, sounding very sad.

Honey mentally kicked herself ! How could she forget that ? She felt selfish all of a sudden. “I’m so sorry, sweetie. I didn’t want to remind you.” She took his face between her two hands. “You’re so very beautiful that I constantly forget about your skin problem.”

To Michael this was the best compliment she could ever have given him. If she forgot about it, then maybe… Well, he could not forget about it, but she made him see that not everyone thought he was a weirdo. Sometimes he felt like the whole world was watching him and judging him for his changing appearance. It was not that he could control what was happening to him. He could canalize it some way by using some medicine and creams but there would always be blotches and spots. And no one realized how much it affected his life. Because this was such a private matter, he didn’t want to share it with anyone besides his family. Was that so wrong ? They had no right to judge him ! They even didn’t have the right to know about his medical issues. They were private ! Maybe with her at his side, he could rise above all that. She didn’t mind…. His true fans didn’t mind it either. They too loved him for his music, for his philanthropy. And they didn’t care if he was black or white or even green for that matter. Just like Honey and the rest of his family, his fans loved him just the way he was. Honey, his family and friends ànd his fans, were the only people in the world whose opinion really counted to him. He would bare that in mind next time he felt insecure. He sighed. This train of thinking made him feel so much better already !

“Michael….” She sounded like a little girl, afraid to have said something wrong.

“Yes baby ?”

“I’m really sorry…I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“Oh Honey, please don’t feel bad ! I’m glad you forgot ! This means so much to me…”

“But how…”

“You know, if you are constantly reminded of your shortcomings, it makes you uncomfortable and insecure. And I don’t want to be this freak with the vitiligo. I just want to be me,simply Michael. I’m not born to be white. I was born black and I’m very proud of it. It hurts me so much that people always think that I’m lightening my skin on purpose because I really am not ! You knew me before … I would never do such a thing. And well… I’m grateful that you forgot about the vitiligo. It means you can see further than the blotches on my body. You see no black or white. It doesn’t matter to you. You see me…”

“And you are beautiful, Michael, inside and out.” She crept closer to him. “And you’re so sexy ! And you know what…. I’ll sit in the shade for you, just because you are so damn hot ! You can keep me warm, by just being here.” She nodded her head fiercely, emphasizing her statement.

He laughed at her being so enthusiastic.

“Ahw, I would love to sit here with you all day, but I still have work to do. I have to earn my money somehow… “ He giggled. “Very soon, I’ll have a woman to support”

“Michael !” she laughed with him at first but then remembered why he was on a break. “I thought you had to rest your voice ?”

”It’s not because I can’t sing right now that I can’t work on some songs. There are some tunes I have to finish today. I just feel it.”

“You have lots in your sleeve ?” she asked.

“Haha, you’re funny !” He kissed her on the nose. “They are in my head, not in my sleeve… And when I feel it, I must put it on paper. It’s like a craving. I just can’t help it. So, I’ll put the parasol away, and you can enjoy all of our Californian sun. But…be careful… don’t get burned.”

“Only you burn me, Michael.” she teased him. And then she pouted. “But I don’t want you to go.” Can’t you stay just a little longer ?” She batted her eyelashes at him.

He sighed, shaking his head at her, knowing already he could not refuse her anything.

“Oh well, I can sit here a little longer, I guess. But after lunch, I really must go. I want to wrap it up by tonight. We have an important dinner…”

“We do ?”

“No, of course not. I was teasing. It’s just some family coming over. They want to meet you of course.”

“Oh oh ! You shouldn’t have said that. I’m already getting nervous.”

“Don’t… My siblings are really sweet. But they’ll want to know everything about you.”

“Okay…” she said with a certain hesitation in her voice. “I think, I’m looking forward to meeting them all.” But she didn’t sound too sure at all.

“Don’t be scared, Honey, really. There will only be Rebbie and her husband. Latoya and Janet won’t be able to make it tonight. And you already met my brothers, except for Jermaine. He will be there with his girlfriend Margaret too. You met Marlon and Tito already, remember ?”

“Well, that was long ago…”

“I can tell you, you’ll have enough of them before the evening is over.” He winked at her (with both eyes of course) and she shook her head.

“You shouldn’t say that about your own brothers….I’m sure they will be nice to me.”

Michael did not go into that but nevertheless he was a little worried. Maybe they wouldn’t give her a hard time, but they certainly would try to play with him ! He knew them….

They sat together until after an early lunch, which they ate right there at the pool. For Honey it was vacation of course, but Michael was never free of his creative mind. If the ideas came to him, he had to put them down. And since he was in this relationship with Honey, he had been writing even more than before. She inspired him.

He jumped up.

“Ok, duty calls. Don’t forget ! Dinner time is at eight and remember… don’t get burned…”

He put away the parasol, gave her a little kiss on the forehead and took off.

In spite of what she said to Michael, Honey was truly looking forward to meeting his brothers again and finally one of his sisters too. Getting to meet with them, was getting to know him better. They were part of his life after all. She wasn’t sure about Jermaine tho’. She never met him but Michael told her that he was always trying to get the original J5 back together, using every trick he knew to pull Michael in. As Michael always wanted to please everyone, it left him with the sad feeling of having to disappoint his own family. And to Michael it seemed that Jermaine didn’t care that he made him feel uncomfortable. And Jermaine was a little jealous of Michael. He wanted to be as successful as his kid brother. And since it didn’t always work out as he wished it would, he let Michael feel it more than once. Even tho’ he and Jermaine were very close in the old days, the separation after they left Motown, hadn’t done them any good.

And then there was Joseph. Would he be there also? He had only been staring at her during their first meeting, not saying too much and that made her feel uneasy… She knew from Michael that he was a cool and emotionless man and she didn’t really want to get to know him better. But for him being Michael’s father, the situation left her no choice of course. She would give him the benefit of the doubt. It was not in her nature to judge someone before she got to know him or her better.

Slowly her mind wandered off. What would she wear tonight ? Maybe that red dress that Michael loved so much ? She wanted to look at her best for him, but not too sexy either, as it was a family dinner after all. Maybe with a little scarf over her shoulders ? Or should she ask Michael ? He had good taste on clothes and he knew his family best of course.

While thinking about him, the memory of their previous lovemaking seeped back into her mind and it made her blush. He was a such a passionate lover ! Millions of women would be very jealous of her… She knew exactly how he looked like from up close, how he tasted, how his skin felt under her hands… His scent, still lingering on her body, made her close her eyes in ecstacy.

The combination of the warm sun, the relaxing sound of the fountain in the middle of the pool and her own dreamy thoughts about Michael, made her feel a little drowsy too. A nice little nap wouldn’t hurt her at all. She drifted away, daydreaming of the impressive appearance she would make tonight.

♥♥♥

“Ouch, ouch…” Honey was drying herself with the softest towel ever, but still the touch of it on her skin, made her wince. She had taken a quick shower but the water falling down on her body, even if it was almost cold, hadn’t done her any good. Why in heaven’s name had she fallen asleep in the hot Californian sun ? That was the stupidest thing to do ever ! The desire of having a sexy tan had turned out a little wrong. Instead of sexy she looked like a boiled lobster. Her face and the front of her arms and legs, her tummy and her cleavage had turned deeply red while she slept the afternoon away. She felt so silly ! Her hope to make a smashing entrance at the dinner party was all gone. Oh, she would make an impression alright ! Stupidest woman ever ! She tried to cover the redness in her face by softly applying some make up but as for the rest of her body, she needed something else. Instead of wearing the sexy red dress that Michael loved so much, she had to wear something that would hide her blunder. Stupid stupid Honey ! If her face hadn’t hurt that much, she would have slapped herself. She slid into some white linen trousers, with a loose waistband and a pink silk blouse with long wide sleeves. No jewelry because that would only irritate her skin. Even the fabric of her clothes was painful to her flesh. Not only was her skin all red but after her afternoon nap she woke up with a severe headache too and felt sick to her stomach. Her evening was already spoilt before it began. And what would Michael say ?! After all, he had warned her ! She felt soooo foolish!!

A knock on the door made her turn to reality sooner that she actually wanted.

It was Michael, casually dressed in black trousers and a black shirt, with a white t-shirt underneath. His long curls were put together in a ponytail, with some strings hanging loose as if they were just there to decorate his handsome face. As always, he looked great but tonight Honey didn’t pay much attention to him. She needed all her strength to keep herself to her feet. She hoped he wouldn’t notice but she realized that at some point she would have to tell him. After all, there would be no lovemaking tonight…At that thought she cursed herself once more !

“Honey, you look lovely ! But why aren’t you wearing the red dress ? You know how much I like it.” He looked a little disappointed.

“O..Huh…Well, I feel a little cold. I think it’s the airco.” Now that wasn’t a complete lie. Her skin was hot but still she shivered a bit. She really didn’t want to go further into it because she didn’t want to spoil dinner. She would tell him later…

When he put his arm around her shoulders to guide her to the dining room, she almost whimpered in pain. He looked at her at the muffled sound she made. Did she just wince?

“Is something wrong ?” He searched her face for any sign of discomfort but apart from her wearing more make up than usual, he didn’t notice anything special.

“No no, I’m alright. I’m just being nervous, I think.” But her headache was becoming worse by the minute and she already knew she would not be good company tonight.

“Ahw, don’t be. It is me who should be nervous. I think, you will be treated like a princess. As for me, I’m sure they will give me a hard time. They will try to tell you all kind of horrible stories from when I was little. Don’t you believe anything they tell you…” However he didn’t look the least bit scared ! In fact, he was looking forward to beating off (as a matter of speaking) his brothers. He felt as he finally could measure up to them, with her by his side. Until now he always felt a little as an outsider. They always said he was gonna end up as a single old man but that was definitely over now. He finally could introduce them to the love of his life.

As they approached the dining room, the different voices speaking and laughing, sounded very invitingly. And when they entered the room, all heads turned to them immediately. Honey felt a little overwhelmed. She had met some of them before but that had been merely a brief encounter. This looked serious business even if they were not all there tonight !

Katherine, as thoughtful as she was, came up to them and took Honey’s hands in hers and kissed her on the cheek.

“You look lovely, dear. I hope you rested well this afternoon. Let me introduce you to our family properly.”

She guided her to the couple that was standing closest to her, a woman and man in their thirties and obviously very much in love. As they came closer, the woman broke the physical contact with the man, who had his arm around her shoulder and stepped forward.

“This is Rebbie, my oldest daughter. And this is her husband Nathaniel.”

Rebbie immediately broke the ice by pulling Honey into a sweet embrace.

“I’m so glad to meet you.” Rebbie’s voice was as soft as her mother’s. “Welcome to the family.”

She then turned to Michael. “Where did you hide this wonderful girl ? Mother told us you have known her for years. Why did you not tell us ?

“That is all my doing, I’m afraid.” Honey said. But before she got the chance to explain anything more, she was pulled further into the room to the next couple, Marlon and his sweet wife Carol. Michael had told her about them. They’d known each other since 1968 before the group’s star rised to worldly fame. They corresponded at first and since their friendship turned into love they married in 1975. They had 3 children together, but didn’t bring them along. None of them did. Not that Katherine hadn’t invited them but they didn’t want to overdo it at Honey’s first family dinner. You could say a lot about the Jacksons but not that they were not thoughtful.

From there on, Honey had to undergo the torture of being hugged by each present member of the family. They were are all equally sweet to her and she hoped they really liked her too but being embraced by everyone of them, hurt her physically. Every collision with her sunburned body was just terribly painful. She hoped her resentment towards the hugs didn’t show. Imagine that they would think she didn’t like them.

It was a surprise that Jackie and Randy were there too. Randy brought his wife to be but Jackie and Tito were single. She didn’t know what to think of Jermaine tho’. The way he looked at her gave her the weirdest feeling. It was as if he was measuring her up, to find out if she was interesting enough for him. Michael had told her about his brother’s women problems, having his former wife being pregnant at the same time as his girlfriend. Talking about a womanizer !

When they finally sat down, she almost had tears in her eyes. Michael examined her face again and concluded that she was touched by their kindness. He too hugged her once more, not one bit aware of the pain she was in. And it was her own stupid fault. She should have known better!

Now normally Honey was a very talkative person, but being this sick made her shut up almost completely. For the family that was not too bad, because if she would be her normal self, they would not have had a chance to ask her all of those questions. They were very curious people and wanted to know everything about her. She hoped she didn’t sound to curt either, because as usual when she felt not at ease she wasn’t that witty anymore. But then maybe they would think she was just as shy and reserved as Michael was.

She tried to concentrate on Michael’s face and his gracious moves. Maybe that would console her a little, but unfortunately, as the evening progressed, she felt more and more uncomfortable. The dishes passed by her but her appetite sure was not as it should’ve been. Even Michael noticed this.

“Honey, is something wrong ?” he asked with a soft voice so that not everyone could hear him. She looked at him, trying to force back the tears. He was surprised to see her so sad because he would have expected her to be gloriously happy. He immediately put his arm around her shoulder. She winced because of the pain and it really brought the tears to her eyes.

“I think I’m sunburned.” And if that wasn’t enough she felt her headache become worse. Ahw, this was not how she had planned their first family gathering. “I don’t feel too good, Michael. I want out of here.”

“Surely, it can’t be that bad…Look, the desserts are here. I’m sure you will feel better if you get some sugar into your system. Come, let’s go and pick something out.”

He didn’t leave her much choice and being a gentleman, he helped her out of her chair.

A buffet of sweets and pies was presented on a separate table. Honey really didn’t feel like having any desert but that would look impolite, so she got up all the same, holding on to Michael’s hand. Big mistake ! After she made one step forward towards the buffet, she felt so sick that her stomach flipped upside down. From being quite reddish her face turned to the lightest pale they had ever seen. Her eyes didn’t seem to be able to focus anymore and she felt her knees buckle from under her. Her sight became all blurry and her body swayed to the ground. Michael reacted just in time by pulling her to his chest before she collapsed.

“Honey !!” he shouted out. As she gave no reaction what so ever, he scooped her up in his arms, lightly shaking her and trying to awake her. This was no good ! Michael’s breath was cut short. He now felt how hot her skin was and realized that there was something completely wrong. Surely, this was more than just a light sunburn…

He looked at his mother in despair. She would know what to do.

“Mother…?”

“Let’s just take her to her room. Rebbie, come with us please.”

The other Jacksons sat down quietly as Michael disappeared with Honey in his arms, followed by Rebbie and Katherine. Honey had already found her way to their hearts. Michael loved her, that much was clear and obviously she loved him right back. They hoped everything was going to be alright. Joseph didn’t move or didn’t say anything. He only hoped that this girl was healthy and that she didn’t have a handicap or something like that.

Michael’s heart almost pounded out of his chest all the way to her room. She felt hot as hell ! His poor baby…

As he laid her on her bed, she slowly regained consciousness and looked around completely bewildered. Did she just miss something ?

“What happened ?” Her voice was faint and a little shaky.

“You passed out, dear.“ Katherine replied.

“Oh no…” She tried to sit up but she was so dizzy that she fell back to the cushions. “Ouch !” She yelled as her arms and shoulders touched the mattress. She doubled up in pain, but that was even worse. Michael became really worried now.

“Honey…what’s wrong ? Where are you hurting ?”

“I fell asleep in the sun. I’m burned.” she sighed. “Real bad.” she admitted. “I’m sorry…Oooh….I’m sick. Bathroom…” Michael picked her up once more and hurried to the bathroom with her, just in time to put her head over the toilet bowl. She threw up all of her dinner. She was so embarrassed ! As he tried to cool down her face with a damp cloth afterwards, she shrank back. The water had taken away some of her make-up and he could now clearly see her red skin.

 “Oh my god, Honey, even your face…Oh baby…” He wanted to comfort her but then realized that his touch would only hurt her.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I feel so stupid…” Tears were streaming down her face.

“Hush now… “ He made her sit down on the bathroom stool and took her hands in his. “You fell asleep. It’s not your fault. Please, stop crying…” He couldn’t bear seeing her crying. “This could’ve happened to anyone. You were still tired from jetlag. I shouldn’t have left you there either. We’ll get you better in no time, okay ? Hey, look at me, Honey… Give me one of your dazzling smiles. Shamone…”

A faint smile broke to her face and her tears slowly dried up.

“That’s better…Here…”

After he had given her some water to wash her mouth, his arms scooped her up once again. “C’mon, let’s get you back to bed.”

With Michael on one side of the bed, Katherine sat down on the other side.

“Okay now, let me see. Where are you burned then ?” she asked.

Honey rolled up the sleeves of her blouse and then a leg of her trousers. The sight of it made them gasp. Her arms and legs were red as a beetroot. This looked more than painful. Poor Honey !

“And my belly and cleavage too. But my shoulders are the worst.”

“I saw this before… This is more than a sunburn. I think you suffer from a serious sunstroke. You feel sick, don’t you ?”

Honey nodded, her lips quivering from holding back tears of embarrassment. Katherine softly patted her on the hand.

“Don’t you worry, dear. I know what to do. Rebbie, you go get me a glass, a few bottles of water and some salt. Michael, in the cabinet in the hall, is a pile with white soft cloths. Go and get some of them.”

Katherine took the lead, as the mother she was.

While the two of them were away, Katherine asked Honey if she had a headache too.

“Yes, a terrible one ! I’m so sorry to spoil the evening. It was never my intention.”

“Of course not. Come, let’s get you out of these clothes. You’ll feel much better. You should sit up a little.”

Honey took off her clothes and with Katherine’s help, she propped herself up to the headboard of the bedsome cushions. Oh my, she was so uncomfortable with the situation.

“This is a nasty sunburn, Honey ! But we’ll try to make sure that you’ll feel better real soon.“

Honey was very embarrassed. There she was, her first day with her new family in law (so she hoped) and already she was more of a burden than a delight. She pulled the sheet up to her chin.

When Michael came back in, Katherine took him with her to the bathroom.

“Michael, with what you told me this morning, I think you’re the closest to her and I think you should tend to her. Are you willing to do that ? I think she feels uncomfortable with us.”

“Mother, you are so thoughtful ! Of course, I will look after her. I’ll do anything to make her feel better. I love her, Mother, with all my heart. Tell me what to do.”

Katherine instructed him to cool Honey down with the wet cloths. That was very important with a nasty sunburn such as this. He should change them as often as possible, keeping her skin damp. As was asked, Rebbie brought the water, some salt and a glass. Katherine told Michael to make sure that Honey drank as much as she could.

“Mother, how do you know all that ?” Michael asked.

“Last year, my friend’s grandchild had just the same. I also did a lot of reading on burns during the time that you had your accident. And I came across a section regarding sun burns. But in my opinion this is a sunstroke. That is much more severe.” She turned to Honey. “So Honey, I think you should stay in bed and in the dark for a day or so and try to keep cool. It’s very important that you drink salted water to keep you from dehydrating. Okay ?”

“Shouldn’t she put on a cream or something ?” Rebbie asked.

“I’ll go and look for it. I’m sure I have it somewhere in the medicine cabinet. For now, just keep cool. Michael, can you see to that ? Or shall I stay ?”

“Oh no, Mother, I will do it. No problem.”

“Okay, I’ll leave you to it then. And Honey…don’t worry about it. This can happen to anyone. Blame it on the jet lag.”

With these words both of the women let them to theirselves.

Michael proved to be an excellent nurse. He walked back and forth to the bathroom with the cloths, mixed the right amount of water and salt, and cared really well for her. Luckily she didn’t feel that sick anymore but it did hurt a lot.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Don’t be a baby, Honey. Here is a fresh cloth.” Michael shook his head at her. She whined all the time about him hurting her, but that of course was not his fault. He was as gentle as he could be but she was badly burned. Every time he changed one of the cloths his insides winced. Her skin had that thick reddish rash which showed only at really nasty burns, but he tried to hide his worries. He knew how painful a burn could be but he was sure his mother was right about this. She would soon recover and hopefully without scars. No need to worry her too.

“How long must we keep doing this ?” she whined. “Can’t I take a shower instead?”

“Maybe until you stop steaming ?” he chuckled. “And no, a shower is not the answer. You fainted just a little while ago. I’m not going to take any risks.”

“I’m not steaming, Michael !” She smiled sheepishly when she saw him laugh. “But it is stupid, isn’t it ? I feel so embarrassed. This is not the impression I wanted to give to your family.”

“I know, baby. But I’m sure there will be another occasion for you to meet them. And well, me too, I had another occupation in mind for our second night together…”

“Oh Michael, I’m so sorry. But I really can’t bear anything on my skin right now.”

“Honey please, baby, don’t you worry. I would never do that to you while you’re ill.” He smiled seductively. “I promise you that a little waiting won’t hurt us. Then the loving will be even better. And as far as I’m concerned, I have an excellent view…”

If she could have turned redder, she would have but technically this was impossible. She was as red as can be. He was really bad…Because when he laid another wet cloth on her tummy, he tried not to leer at her breasts but he failed pitifully. And then he looked even more disappointed and pouted like a little boy, being denied his lollipop.

“Maybe, you’re the one that needs some cold water….” She raised her brows at him.

That was a good thing. Her humor had come back already. He felt relieved. He sat next to her, waiting patiently until he could change the next cloth. And then it dawned to him that there was no other place in the world where he would rather be than here with her right now. Normally he was always busy busy busy, not being able to sit still, but with her, calm came over him and he felt like he could handle anything, like he could rule the world. He smiled at her, his eyes filled with a softness she hadn’t seen before and he gently stroked her hair.

“You know, I love taking care of you. Most of the time I’m the one who is taken care off. There are always people making sure, every one of my wishes is granted, so this is quite new to me. It’s a good exercise for me, for when we have children. Not that you are a child…” He raised his eyebrows, now looking at her breasts without even hiding it !

“Michael !” She rolled her eyes at him, but actually she didn’t mind. She felt more than loved. She felt desired and wanted and that did make her feel a whole lot better already.

“Talking about children… I hope you want some ?” He asked, with a worried tone in his voice. They had talked about this before, during one of their long night conversations on the phone but he never really asked her.

“Yeah… but….I’m not ready yet. I have a feeling that I still have much more to do before I bury myself into a household. You know, it’s not that you can put them in a closet and take them out whenever you feel like it.”

“I know that. I see it with my brothers and Rebbie. But did I ever tell you why I love children that much ?”

She shook her head and he continued.

“Well, children are the only ones who are always honest and true to their feelings. I feel at ease with them. Except for you, I always feel that, being around other adults, I can’t act the way I really am. I would love to have some children of my own but until I met you, I just hadn’t found the right woman.” He kissed her on the head, the only spot that didn’t hurt her, besides the parts of her body that had not been exposed to the sun, but he couldn’t kiss these just right now !

“But hey, sweet baby of mine, I can wait. You had a rough year with the divorce and all and I want it to be perfect.” He got all dreamy eyed. “It would be lovely. I can see us, sitting on the porch, you and me and a bunch of babies…How about 10 or 12 ?”

Interview with Michael in which he talks about having a big family.

Her mouth fell open and her eyes grew big as saucers. “Michael, we’re no rabbits!”

He giggled. “Well, I come from a big family ! My uncle and aunt have even more children. What’s wrong with that ?” Of course he was teasing her. He did want a big family though but they were not going to discuss that now. Right now, he wanted her to become well again.

Michael poured out another glass of water, added some salt and gave it to her.

“Here, drink your cocktail…I will get some more wet towels.”

But before he could get up, his mother came in with a big tube in her hands. She handed it to Michael.

“I think this will do it. I’ll call the doctor in the morning to make sure that we are doing the right thing but I think we are. So, after her skin has cooled down, you put this on in a thick layer. Okay ? I’m sure this will do some more healing.”

She turned to Honey and winked. “You let my son take good care of you, okay ?” With these words she left the room.

“Heehee, I will !” Michael tried to wink too, but he fell through pitifully. He turned to the bathroom for a last round of wet clothes. While he was away, Honey looked down at her burned flesh. She hoped her skin would not peel off all the way, but she knew there was a big chance it would anyway. Argh, that made her even more angry at herself. She wanted to look sexy for him and instead now she looked like a boiled lobster and maybe by the end of the week, she would turn into a snake. Urgh !!

As he came back and put the next wet clothes on her body, he was whistling.

“Why are you so cheerful ?”

He sang :

♫I don’t need no dreams when I’m by your side♪

♪Every moment takes me to paradise♫

♫Darlin’, let me hold you♪

♪Warm you in my arms and melt your fears away♫

♫Show you all the magic that a perfect love can make♪

♪I need you night and day♫

It was as if he knew he could heal her headache with his singing. As it indeed subsided, she began to hum with him. She would not sing, nooooo, but hum she could. So while they waited until these last clothes did their work, they sang and hummed together, one song after the other, holding hands like two little school children.

He couldn’t stop smiling at her and from time to time he gave her a little peck on the lips, carefully avoiding to touch her.

“You’re my little humming bird….”

“And you’re the sexiest nurse I’ve ever seen.”

“You won’t love me much longer…I’ve gotta put on this cream and it’s gonna hurt a little. And I don’t want you to be mad at me.”

He took the towels of her skin and went out to throw them in the bathtub. As he returned from the bathroom, he put some of the cream on his hands.

“Now, I’ll try to be as gentle as can be.”

“I can do this myself, Michael.” she protested.

Michael shook his head as if there was a mosquito buzzing in his ears. He acted as if he didn’t hear her and gently started rubbing the cream on her legs. His hands were warm but unfortunately still not warmer than her skin, and he put on some more. Her skin simply sucked in the cream in no time.

“Michael !”

“Did I hear something ? Is anyone talking ?”

“You hear well, Michael ! I can do this myself !”

Not stopping at what was he was doing, he mumbled something she didn’t understand.

“What did you say ?!” She pushed him a little.

“I said that you are a stubborn little lady. (Actually he said donkey) You let me do this, okay ?! You’re not well so it’s alright to depend on someone else for a change. Huhuhu…” He added as she tried to talk back. “Lay back and try to relax.”

She sighed deeply and tried not to think about his big hands on her body. It was such a shame ! She was in her bed, in her undies, almost naked and all they could do was talk. Grrrr! She too would have preferred to do something else.

He rubbed in the cream with circular movements, always in the same repetitive rhythm. His touch was very soft and soothed her. Even though it was still a little painful, his feather light massage made her doze off. She tried to resist the sleep bug but it had been enough for today. She was so tired… Michael smiled as he witnessed her falling asleep. Although she fought against it, the arms of sleep caught her. Her breath became even, her eyes fell close and her limbs relaxed. Fast asleep in only a few minutes, she opened her mouth a little as soft sighs and sounds escaped her. She looked so sweet and angelic in her sleep… Well, she was really an angel to him but most of the time she didn’t look like one, with her dark hair and big dark eyes. Her severe appearance gave most people a completely wrong impression but he knew she was just as sweet as honey could be. He was so grateful to have found this wonderful amazing girl so long ago. He reflected on those years with mixed feelings. What would he have done without her ? He was sure that whatever decision he had made regarding his career, he had her to thank for. He worked hard with her on his mind and sometimes even to forget about her too, because it was too painful to think about her. When she admitted she had made a mistake, marrying John, his heart almost leaped out of his chest. He would be forever grateful to Barbara, as she made it possible to meet Honey at that particular time. Their final chance to be together… Eventually Honey would have told him herself about her divorce, but knowing her, it would have taken so much longer. He cherished this precious time even more. They had so much to make up for.

Honey woke up the next morning, wondering why her skin felt as if it was too tight for her frame. It made her really uncomfortable and itchy. Then she remembered what happened the day before ! Ah, stupid girl !

She sighed and sat up. As the sheets slid off her, she witnessed the redness of her limbs and belly. The red was a little less profound than the night before and luckily she didn’t feel as nauseous anymore either. All thanks to Michael and his good care! She got up slowly, making sure not bumping into things and entered the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, she almost laughed at herself. She did look quite strange ! Her face, cleavage, belly and limps were all red, except for her breasts and her pelvic area. And all of her backside was white too. There was nothing sexy about her now !

After she brushed her teeth, she turned on the shower, making sure it was not too hot. But all the same it still did hurt a little, as the water streamed down over her burned flesh. She washed up quickly and when she got out of the shower cabin, there was Michael, holding up a big soft towel ready to wrap around her. When did he come in ?

“Michael ! You startled me !”

“Mmm… I came in and my patient was gone… You’re my responsibility, baby. Let me help you.”

Honey laughed at the word “responsibility”. He was too sweet and he really took this matter to his heart.

He made sure the towel covered her almost completely and started to gently dab her dry. She pulled away at first but then remembered his words about being stubborn. So she let him do this for her, for now. His touch was beyond soft and she enjoyed it, despite her sensitive skin. Besides, now that she let her guard down she realized how wonderful it truly was being taken care of by this gorgeous man. At that thought, she gasped for air just a slight second. Oh my, if only his fans knew how it felt to be touched by Michael Jackson. And even more, being touched in such a soft and gentle way…. She sucked in some extra air.

“Did I hurt you ?” he asked anxiously.

“Oh no, you’re doing a great job.” If she could’ve turned any redder, she would have. The intimacy of him drying her off made her feel breathless and she leaned on him as she felt herself going weak in the knees.

“Ho there !” Michael put his arms around her. “Are you going to faint again ?”

“No, I won’t. It’s all your fault.”

“My fault ? How can that be ?”

“You…when you touch me like that, you make me lose my strength….”

He nodded knowingly but he didn’t dare to think about it. If he went down that road, he would not be able to stop… It was much safer for his sanity to keep it practical. “You just need to eat something. I’ll get you breakfast right after I put on some more of this cream.”

She started to protest again but one look at him and she shut up once more. She just smiled while he gently put on the cream.

“I was thinking about you.” she said “The great Michael Jackson, drying me off, rubbing me…”

Now THAT she shouldn’t have said ! His mind wandered off to an unsafe area and the look he gave her, let her know immediately what he was thinking about. It sure had nothing to do with nursing what so ever. His practical side however struggled hard to keep the upper hand, for her sake…

“Honey, let’s not talk about touching, rubbing, or anything else for that matter. It’s not a good idea, not with me having my hands on you….”

She saw him swallow as he reached for her panties. What power did her have over her that he could make her forget that she was naked ?

“Put this on and please be silent !” He said in a rather harsh way and she knew instantly he had a hard time, trying to contain himself. She chuckled.

“I brought you a caftan, in case you want to leave the room. It’s nice and soft… Though I think you should follow Mother’s advice and stay in bed today.”

“Oh no ! I can’t ! I will be bored to death ! And either way, I didn’t fly all this way to just stay in bed. Not alone at least…”

“Honey… don’t go there, girl.” he warned her.

“You’re trying to boss me…” She said while pulling the caftan over her head.

Michael grimaced. Pff….at least now she was all covered up, much to his relief.

“You know, I don’t, Honey. It’s really for your own good. She said to stay in the dark, as long as possible.”

“I know she did. But I don’t want to stay here all alone. I came to be with you.” she pouted and looked up at him from under her eye lashes. How could he resist that ?

He shook his head at her stubbornness. He would have his hands full for the rest of his life, of that he was sure. But he had to give in this time. He didn’t want to be alone either.

“Okay, but at least, let me bring you something to eat. If you’re still feeling well after breakfast, you can come with me to my dancing studio. It’s dark ànd cool there, so that will not harm you. Okay ?” He wouldn’t let her out of his sight today !

“You’re the best, Michael.” She tiptoed and reached for his lips. Without touching they managed to get into a deep kiss, leaving them both breathless.

“This is not gonna work…” he complained. “Come on, sit here and be quiet…”

He installed her in a comfortable chair, at the little table, standing in front of the now completely covered window. When he came back from the kitchen, he carried a tray full of fruits, yoghourt and a cup of coffee.

“I thought you would like some coffee.”

She smiled at him with delight. “Mmm, yes, I’ve been dying for some. You know how to treat a woman well…”

He started peeling and slicing the fruit and put it in the yoghourt. Seeing her relaxing and enjoying what he did for her, solaced his soul. This was almost as good as making love to her…Well, not exactly but since that was not an option, he would settle for this.

“Ahw Michael, I love fruit yoghourt… Most of the time, I’m just too lazy to make some for myself.”

“Well, that’s why you have me now. I love to pamper you.” And he realized he really did. To him, taking care of someone, meant paying for their hospital bills, or treating them with some tickets for an amusement park or something. Never ever would he have thought of really taking care of someone in the most basic way. Maybe because she was just an ordinary girl from an ordinary family, living an ordinary life… Most of the time, he loved his life in the spotlight but he missed doing the stuff any normal guy could do. In a way, she brought normality to him, just being who she was. Sometimes he felt guilty because in a very near future he had to expose her to the his crazy world and then her lovely normal life would be gone forever. Would she be ready to give that all up ? The freedom, the ability to go out, meeting random people, making friends ? It suddenly struck him that he was going to put his humming bird in a prison for the rest of her life. It would be a golden cage but still…

After breakfast, he took her with him to his dance studio. On their way over there, they stopped at the kitchen, putting the tray away. Katherine was sitting at the table, going over the grocery list, before she handed it out to her assistant. She hugged Michael and kissed Honey on the cheek.

“Hi Honey, how are you ? Feeling better already, I see.”

“Yes, I have you to thank for, Katherine. I’m so lucky that you knew exactly what to do. I feel a whole lot better.”

“Well, just be careful, dear. I want you to rest as much as you can. And please stay in the dark.”

“I will.”

“I’m taking her with me to my dancing studio. It’s quite cool there and there is no outside light.”

“That’s a good idea, Michael. Oh, before I forget, I must tell you two something else. I called my doctor this morning and he confirmed we did the right thing. However, he will stop by later this morning to check on you and make sure everything is alright.”

“Oh Katherine, that really isn’t necessary.” Honey protested and Michael rolled his eyes at her, clearly thinking “There she goes again…”

“Honey, I insist. You’re our guest. I want to make sure you’re alright.”

“She’ll be there, when he arrives, Mother.” Michael stated, giving Honey a sideway look, that told her to shut up.

Honey loved being in the studio with Michael. It gave her a boost of energy. She wanted to know all about his moves, how he came up with them and how he knew exactly where in the song he wanted to use them. Would she be granted to witness this ? Witness him create his next dance move ? That was so exiting !!

The room itself was a real professional dance studio, with 2 mirrored walls and lots of light. Especially for her, he dimmed it though. He put a large cushion on the ground and ordered her to sit down and stay down. He told her he could be severe if necessary. She looked at him with admiration in her eyes. He was sexy being so strict ! He didn’t notice her thoughts however and pursued on telling her what she should or shouldn’t do.

“And if you don’t, I’m gonna put you on a leash !”

“Michael !”

“Ooooh, I just had the greatest idea !! Oh my, oh my !!” He laughed out loud, obviously very amused at his own thoughts.

 “Shouldn’t you tell me what you were thinking of ?” she asked curiously.

“Huh huh, noooo…” He really couldn’t stop laughing. If only she knew what he was thinking about… Oooh, he couldn’t let her know. It was too much.

“It’s not fair…” she pouted.

He shyly shrugged his shoulders, and with a big grin on his face, he placed himself in front of the mirror. “I can’t… really… maybe someday….” He abruptly changed subject. “Hush, I have to work…”

She put on her biggest pout, but he decided not to pay her any attention, because then surely he would put his thoughts into practice, even without the necessary tools.

Instead he tried to turn himself into “dance mode”, practicing his usual steps, a little sliding, a little swaying, moonwalking….

She witnessed him putting together a new dance groove. At first he tried a few steps without music. He never stumbled, he never hesitated. When he decided the steps were sufficiently developed, he put on the music. He winked at her as he started to dance to the music.

He had soon completely “forgotten” about her, being in a trance, swirling and spinning, jumping and bopping. He was consumed by the music, pouring out every single emotion that was brought to him and molding it in a dancing form. She watched him struggle with some steps, but in the end he was in control, making them his own.

Honey sat in awe and just couldn’t get enough of him moving to the beat. His dancing was phenomenal as usual. She loved the kicking of his feet, the graceful movements of his big hands and she simply adored his facial expressions. But when he bucked his hips and shuck his firm and sexy behind, she almost liquefied. She was just happy to already be on the floor…

And oh my, he was so hot, she thought. She would have loved to dance with him. When she thought of swaying together to the beat, her mind wandered off. She imagined them, surrounded by friends and family during their wedding dance. She saw herself in a beautiful white dress, with him holding her close, whispering softly in her ear, creating their own little world. Would he mind dancing to his own music ? Or would he prefer someone else’s? She had a song in mind, something she would sing to him, if only she could sing.

But would they ever marry?

They stayed in the studio for about 2 more hours but finally she got tired. She stood up and gestured at him, in the mirror, trying to get his attention. He turned around and walked towards her. Although he was all sweaty, she thought he just looked gorgeous. His curls were bouncing up and down his face and his skin glistened in the soft spotlight.

“Do you mind me leaving, sweetie ?” she asked him.

He took both of her hands in his, searching her face for any sign of discomfort. When he didn’t find any, he felt relieved. He smiled.

“Only if you promise me to stay inside and out of the light.”

“Or else, I’ll crumble to ashes like a vampire ?” she laughed and kissed him on the cheek. “I promise, Michael. I feel no need to lose my teeth. I still need them to taste more of you…” She looked at him from under her eyelashes, leaving no doubt in his mind about what she meant. She turned her back to him and left him there all alone, while his blood rushed to only one point in his body… Damn Honey!!

She joined Katherine in the living room and although Honey protested, Katherine quickly closed the curtains especially for her.

“Are you okay?” she asked sweetly. She was so much like Michael, loving and caring, no matter what.

“I think I will be fine. I want to apologize, Katherine. I really didn’t want this to happen.”

“Oh dear, I wish I could hug you, so you would understand there is no need to feel bad about this. These things happen.”

“Yeah, but still. I also want to thank you for your care.”

“Oh, but you don’t have to thank me. It’s Michael who did the most, didn’t he ?”

Honey nodded. “Yes, he did. You can be proud of him, Katherine. He’s such a wonderful man.”

“You know, Honey, this whole thing made me realize what you mean to him. Most of the time his mind is floating around somewhere, where no mortal soul can reach him. He’s always dreaming of his next creation. But now, for the first in a long time, he is back to being little Michael, as he was so many years ago. I thought to never see him again.”

“Has he changed that much ? I didn’t know…”

“Oh Honey, you didn’t know him when he was little. He was a violent little thing ! He loved playing wild games and climbing trees. He changed a lot during the years. Was it the fame ? The public eye ? I don’t know. But I can tell you that now he is giving himself all the way. I see he’s happy as never before.” Katherine softly touched Honey’s hand. “My son loves you, Honey, very much. And I hope you love him equally.”

Honey would love to assure Katherine but her words choked her up with emotion. In fact she wasn’t ready to say it  out loud yet. As Katherine spoke these last words, Michael strolled into the room. He waited for Honey’s answer, but as it didn’t come, he frowned his eyebrows. He sat down next to her, on the arm of the sofa and looked at her as if he wanted to know what she was thinking.

She took his hand and smiled at him. “Are you finished dancing ?”

“Well, at the moment I’m more concerned about you than about my dancing.”

“Ah, you shouldn’t… I always turn up like a bad penny.”

“And as always, you don’t take care of yourself. How is your head ?”

Was he clairvoyant ? She did indeed feel a headache coming up.

“You’re narrowing your eyes…” he explained as he saw her looking at him as if he had 2 heads.

“Ah, okay. I thought you could read my mind.”

She got up, said goodbye to Katherine and strolled back to her room. He walked with her.

“If only I could.”

“What ?”

“Read your mind. I want to know what’s going on in that pretty head of yours. You know I love you, don’t you ?.”

“I know, I really do.” She took his hand. “So you wanna know what’s on my mind ?”

“Yeah… You know, women are mysterious to me.”

“Huh huh…Just think about me as your mystery girl then…” As she turned, she squeezed her eyes shut against the sunlight pouring in from the hall window and almost hit the open door of her own room.

“Careful !” He pulled her away just in time. “You’re a walking disaster these days. I think I have a new job ! Honey’s bodyguard as in “your body being guarded against yourself’.”

“Ouch, you hurt my arm. Remember I’m a burn victim here.”

“Shall I quench you ?” He giggled.

“Mmm, I would love you to, but I don’t think this is the right time.” She put a slight kiss on his cheek before she walked into the bathroom. “Didn’t I see you put some painkillers here last night ? I really need one right now. My headache is becoming worse.”

She didn’t want to complain but it turned so bad that she almost couldn’t see. She rumbled through the bathroom cabinet and got hold of the container. She tried to read how many she should take but her hands were trembling and the container fell into the washbasin. The pills rolled out. She got really annoyed with herself and that caused her even more pain. Leaning on the washbasin, with her eyes closed, she didn’t notice Michael coming in, until he softly shoved her aside.

“Let me…Here, take two.” He handed her the pills and a glass of water. As gentle as could be, he put his arm around her shoulder and led her back to the bedroom.

“Let’s get you out of that caftan. And I’ll put some more cream on. Okay?”

Her headache was even more severe and she didn’t even have the energy anymore to talk, so she just nodded. As he did before, Michael sang to her, whispering the lyrics, while gently rubbing in the cream. He really had magic in his voice and in his hands, because in no time she dozed off.

Michael covered her up with the sheet but he wasn’t ready to leave yet, so he went to sit in the armchair next to the window, looking her over from afar. My god, he loved her so much, that it hurt him physically not to be able to make love to her. He loved taking care of her too but he wanted to touch her like a lover should. He promised himself to keep an eye on her in the future, so this would not happen again. He didn’t approve of being deprived of the things he loved the most and she was definitely his favorite pastime…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A soft tap on the door startled him out of his daydreaming. The light coming through the curtains was already dim, so he realized he must have drifted off to sleep also. Both him and Honey, had just slept the day away. This was the first time in years that that had happened to him. He got out of his armchair as Honey also was rising from the bed. A big yawn escaped her and she stretched herself. Or tried to, because stretching was still a bit painful.

There was another tap on the door, a little louder now. Honey quickly got under the sheets again, covering herself up to whomever would come into the room.

Michael opened the door and saw his mother standing in the hallway. Next to her stood a very handsome gentleman, he guessed of his own age, carrying a doctors case. Surely this would not be the Katherine’s doctor ? He was much too young and much too good looking ! Even Michael could see that !

“Michael, this is Doctor Greenwater.” His mother just said the words he didn’t want to hear !

The man held out his hand and Michael had no other option than to shake it politely. Ahw, his fear was just; he was the doctor alright !

“Mr Jackson, nice to meet you. I’m sorry I’m so late. I had an emergency this morning.”

Michael immediately felt like an evil person. “I hope not too bad ?” he asked worriedly. He didn’t like to hear about other people, even strangers, being hurt or ill.

But the doctor shook his head. “No, one of my patients had a baby. Quite a happy event.”

Katherine interfered before Michael could react. “Michael, is she in there?”

“Oh sorry, come in…” He still didn’t feel like it but he had no choice but to let the doctor in. His mother gestured him to come outside but he just shut the door to her face (not very polite, Michael !) and followed the man on his heels. If this guy thought he could examine Honey without him being present, he was absolutely wrong!

And he noticed her reaction too. She sat up, draping the sheet around her body and immediately starting to fix her hair. For god’s sake, this guy was a doctor, not a model, he thought. Michael stood next to the bed and kept a good eye on him. He would not leave her side!

“Hello, I’m Steven Greenwater.” The man even spoke with an pleasant voice ! Argh ! “I’m Mrs Jackson’s doctor.” He shook her hand and lowered himself next to her on the bed. “Mrs Jackson told me you were burned badly yesterday.”

“I’m afraid s s so…” Honey stuttered a bit and looked at him with her eyes wide open. Wow, that was some doctor ! They didn’t make them like this in Belgium ! Then she noticed Michael, looking at the doctor with suspicious eyes. What was his problem?

“What’s your name miss?”

“Honey…”

“Nice to meet you, or maybe not. Not in this condition, I guess. Please call me Steven. Mrs Jackson asked me to check if you were alright. She’s a little worried.”

Michael put himself down at the other side of the bed. Did that man just flirt with her?

“My mother worries easily. But she shouldn’t! I was here all the time and took good care of my girl.” And there it was, the little green monster just landed on his shoulder! Honey saw it too. Ahw Michael, did he not know there was no need to be jealous? Maybe this doctor was handsome, but Michael was more than just that to her.

Steven took his stethoscope and asked her to sit up straight. Michael at least had the dignity to turn his head away while the doctor was examining her.

“Now please breathe evenly, Honey.”

She did and he checked her, holding the stethoscope first to her chest and then to her back.

“That’s all fine.”

Well, Michael thought by himself, “I could have told him that too!”

“Now, I will take your blood pressure.”

He took her arm in his hand and whistled at the redness of her skin.

“Well, Honey, you got some nasty burns here.”

He put the arm strap around her upper arm, causing her to gasp as it tightened over her skin. Michael flinched and almost launched himself at the guy. Huh ! But of course he knew that this was all for her own good.

“I’m sorry, Honey. I know it’s uncomfortable.” He quickly took her blood pressure and released the arm strap.

“It’s a little low, but that’s normal. You’ve been in bed all day?”

“No, “ Michael said, talking to the wall. “I took her with me to my dance studio this morning. I thought it was not responsible to leave her alone. But she has been asleep all afternoon. I was HERE.”

“Okay, no need to worry then. Now let me look at your skin…” From the corner of his eye Michael saw the doctor pulling down the sheet. He winced as he saw him putting his hands on her skin and examining her tummy, arms and legs. “This looks quite painful. How long have you been in the sun, Honey?”

“She doesn’t know. She fell asleep.” Michael answered in her place as if he wanted to take Steven’s attention away from Honey’s body. He did not want this handsome man to touch her, even if he was a doctor! He took the tube with the cream from the nightstand and shoved it under the doctor’s nose.

“I have been putting on this cream. Mother said you thought this was okay ?” He did all he could to distract him from looking at his girl.

The doctor nodded in approval. “That looks fine to me. You keep doing that at least three times a day for the next week. I’ll prescribe some more of it. Any other symptoms, Honey?”

Again Michael replied. “She has terrible headaches too. I think it’s a sunstroke. Don’t you think so?”

Honey looked at Michael, realizing that this was not just a coincidence. Why was he trying to claim the doctor’s attention ? Didn’t he want him to speak directly to her ? Was he jealous ? Or was he just trying to rule her ? She knew he always wanted to be in control but she always thought that would not include her. Was he trying to take the lead over her life ? Binding her down ? No, this could not happen to her again… She shook her head, trying to get rid of these awful suspicious thoughts. Not Michael, he wouldn’t do that to her. But it was too late. Doubts about his behavior swarmed her mind.

“Yeah, sounds like a sunstroke to me too.” Steven’s words took her back to reality. She saw him smiling at Michael, who had now turned his face back to the both of them. “Mr Jackson, you took very good care of her. You carry on in this way, and it will all be forgotten by the end of the week.” He pulled the sheet back up and lifted himself from the bed. “Honey, you should stay out of the sun for at least two weeks. And try not to fall asleep anymore while sunbathing. I even suggest not to do any sunbathing anymore. It’s not healthy, you know.”

He shook her hand and Michael’s. “If you need me, just call me.”

“Not !” Michael added for himself. To him it was a relief to see the man leaving.

But maybe he had better stayed a little while longer, giving Honey a chance to cool down. She saw Michael walking him to the door and stepping outside for a minute. What the heck was he trying to do ? Did he think she could not manage her life on her own ? Was this about being the boss? Then he so headed into the wrong direction… She would never ever give any man a chance to rule over her like that again. The pain John caused her wasn’t forgotten yet. The thoughts which had formed in her head were leading her down a path she thought she’d never walk again. And instead of thinking them over soberly, her thoughts hurried her into anger. They brought her fear, fear of being treated wrongly. Fear of losing all she believed in. Fear of losing herself once again. She thought he loved her and respected her. But did he really?

Michael, unaware of having done anything wrong, came back in. He hurried towards her to adjust her cushions but she pushed him away violently. Backing up, he almost tripped over the carpet.

“Hey ! What are you doing?”

“Leave me alone, Michael…” Her voice sounded tired and worried.

Michael didn’t understand where that came from. “Honey, what’s the matter ?” He saw her face, twisted with anger, tears in her eyes.

“Honey, what’s wrong ?” he asked again, suddenly worried.

“Just leave me alone.”

Now that was a big problem as this time she had nowhere to run to. She was at his home, stuck in this room. And he… well he had no intention to go anywhere. He hated arguing but he was not going to back up. He wanted to know what was going on inside of her head. Nursing her brought him more close to her than when they were making love. It showed him an all other side of himself. And he cared for her, very much.

“Honey, I’m not gonna leave. I’ll just sit here and we are going to talk. Tell me what happened.”

“What happened?! You should know! It’s you!”

“What did I do?” He shrugged his shoulders and put out his hands in front of him, palms up. “You acted as if I was not there! You just talked over my head!”

He tried to take her hand, but she pulled it away. While doing so, she crushed it to the bed side table.

“Ouch!  See, that’s your fault!” she pouted at him.

“Honey, you’re being unreasonable!” He smiled inside. She was such a baby.

“Me unreasonable! I don’t think so!”

He tried to hush her but she was getting furious as she sensed his tendency to laugh.

“I told you before! I am in charge of me! Not you!”

“Let’s not quarrel over this, sweetie.”

“Don’t you sweetie me, Michael ! Just stop arranging and organizing things for me!”

“But I don’t!”

“Yes, you do! You always do! I told you this before! I don’t like that! And now you were talking over my head also! I can very well speak for myself, thank you!”

“Come on, Honey, don’t overreact like this.”

“I am not overreacting! It’s the truth!”

“You’re being a baby over this. It’s not worth it.”

“Well, maybe not to you, because you are the one doing this. But it is to me! I am a grown woman! I can mind my own business!  I can talk to anyone I want!  I can even go out right now and tell everyone who wants to hear, who I am and who I am with, even if you don’t want me!”

Now she got him mad too : “Do you, now? Well, go ahead! Go out and shout it out! They will eat you alive! You don’t know what you are talking about! So just shut up!”

“You can’t tell me to shut up ! I’m not a child !”

“No ? You’re acting like one ! That’s for sure !”

“And you act as if you can control my life ! Maybe you can do that to other people but not to me!”

This argument was quickly getting out of hand. He tried in every way to stay calm but she didn’t make it easy for him. He didn’t see what was so wrong. He only tried to do what was best for her. He hated arguing so he decided to keep his mouth shut and let her rage all by herself. She would calm down eventually. But she wasn’t finished by far…

“You think you can bend the world to your liking ! Let me tell you something, Michael ! Not me ! They tried that before ! Not me!”

He slowly began to understand why this was such an issue to her.

“They tried to control me before by making fun of me ! And now you’re doing the same by talking over my head and treating me like a fool ! Well, I’m not a fool ! And I won’t let you !” She pulled the covers over her head and tossed on her side, showing him her back.

He sighed as he heard her gasp as her burned flesh hit the mattress. Ahw, she should be more careful. Such a stubborn little lady! It was her own fault, if she hurt herself. Nevertheless he felt pity for her. Someone had hurt her. Finally he began to understand why all this was such a big issue to her.

He laid down on the bed next to her and softly took down the covers from her head.

“Honey, baby. Come on…”

She shrugged her shoulders. He knew she would not give in easily ! Obstinate ! As he could not pull her over without hurting her more, he cuddled up to her, enwrapping her with his body, trying not to touch the burned flesh of her arms and legs.

“Baby, please talk to me…” He whispered in her ear. “Honey, look at me. Come on now. Talk, baby. Oh damned ! I wish I could hold you.”

He gently kissed her one shoulder. “I love you, Honey. I really do. And I am sorry that I made you feel uncomfortable.”

“You made me look like a fool!”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I don’t know what came over me…”

“You don’t understand….” She spoke so softly that he merely heard her.

He held back his breath. “Then please explain it to me. I only try to do what’s best for you, for me, for us. Please talk to me.”

“I feel so awful about all these lost years. I made a huge mistake.”

Wow, where did that come from?

“Honey…”

She turned towards him. Her eyes were very sad, filled with unshed tears. “You see, Michael, it wasn’t easy being married to John. I told you before that he and his friends often made fun of me.”

Michael remembered her saying that the first night they made love. He held back the urge of calling that John character any name he could imagine. Instead he only nodded, trying not to distract her, now that she was finally talking.

“I could never be myself, not the way that I am with you. Whenever I felt like just fooling around, he always put me down, even in front of family and friends. My friends didn’t like him at all, but I guess they just put up with him because of me.”

Michael knew this for a fact as Barbara had told him that already. But she had never given any details.

“I really thought he loved me when we married. But I guess he just loved my looks more…or maybe the sex…” At this point Michael winced. “He didn’t like to play or to fool around. He and his friends always took themselves very seriously and the only time they had fun was when they could ridicule someone.” She stopped and hid her face in the crook of his neck. He softly stroked the back of her head, her short hair jumping over his fingers. “I didn’t see it at first. But it became very clear after we were married for some time. His friends hated my guts and he let them be. He never took my side, ever. When they laughed at me because I didn’t understand one of their mathematical expositions, he joined them more than once. It drove a wedge between us. I didn’t trust him anymore. And then it became worse….” Michael knew his embrace would hurt her burned flesh but he couldn’t help himself. He had to hold her as she went on.

“You see, once John found out that I actually didn’t love him as I should, he began acting really cruel. He always made a fool of me, everywhere we went. He ridiculed me. Always ! He made me shrink. I cannot explain this in any other way. Every decision was made without my consent. He was always absent whenever my family had a gathering. I always had to go there by myself while he went out with his friends or stayed at home. He preferred that over my longing to be a real couple. When I tried to talk to him about that, he said that he didn’t like my family and that they were as stupid as me ! That hurt, Michael ! And when we went out together and I tried to talk to someone, he always barged in and took over the conversation, making me look like a fool. Only because he wanted to be on the forefront all the time. He thought he as sooo important.” She looked up to him.

Michael slowly became to understand why she was mad at him. He had done just the same while Steven Greenwater was in the room with them. She didn’t have to say it, he knew…

“I’m so sorry, Honey. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I was just so jealous ! That was the only reason why I didn’t want him to talk to you. I’m sorry… I’m sorry. Please forgive me…”

He felt so incredibly guilty.

She put her hand against his cheek. “I’m sorry too, Michael. I’m screwing up our holiday ! First I get a sunstroke… now I’m complaining about my marriage…This is not what I meant to happen.”

“Honey, please don’t. I want to know all about your marriage. I want to know all about you. Give me that chance.” He was afraid that she would hide herself again. She was finally talking to him, trusting him. He sighed of relief as she went on.

“It was not he who made the final decision to divorce. At first I still wanted to make it work but he had already decided that he would not go on with me anymore. He made our life so miserable that I finally took the first step to divorce. And you know ?! It was all my own fault ! I should never ever have married him.”

She took a deep breath because for what she was about to say, she needed all of her courage. This time she would let him into her heart completely. He deserved to know.

“You know, the first time we met? Do you remember?”

He just nodded, afraid that any sound of his, might take her of her track.

“We kissed. And you…” her voice broke and she started to sob. “You hurt me so much!”

His heart shattered in two as he saw all the hurt come out of her. He was a fool to never have realized how much pain he caused her. She was still so young then ! If he only had known before she met John ! He too was to blame for all the lost years. And he only just now realized that he was not the only one that had been hurting all this time.

“I thought I would die of the heartache, Michael ! I really did ! And then I met John and he was so sweet to me. I always thought he was saving me from the pain you caused me. But I was wrong ! I should’ve saved myself!”

He wanted to tell her how he felt when he got her letter, telling him she had a boyfriend. But not yet. He had to let her talk first.

“So I tricked myself ! I made myself believe I was in love with him ! Even before we were married, I knew he was not the one. But I wanted to forget about you. You hurt me so much… I am really sorry to say this to you, but it is the truth. Please don’t be mad at me…”

How could he be mad ? It was his own fault!

The words kept on coming. It was a flood that could not be stopped.

“So I married him, making everyone believe I loved him. And then … he found out there was someone else I loved more.”

She put both of her hands on his face, looking in his big dark eyes, tears streaming down her face now. “Michael, it has always been you. I fell in love with you the moment you kissed me. I didn’t know a love like that was possible and maybe I was just too young to really fight for it. But I will now. I love you with all my heart, I never stopped loving you and I never will.”

Michael was overwhelmed with emotions. He could hardly speak. Instead he lifted himself to a sitting position and very carefully took her in his arms. He cradled her and swayed with her to the beat of a silent song, kissing her over and over. He kissed her forehead, her eyelids, her cheeks, her nose and finally her lips. The softness of his kisses revealed all of the tenderness he felt for her.

“Honey…, baby. I’ve never loved you more than this very minute. Thank you for talking to me…I never knew…”

“Thank you for waiting for me, Michael. I now understand how difficult it must have been.”

“Ahw, it was. But so were your years in a marriage that was not meant to be. We both have been fools, trying to escape from our destiny. But look at what magnificent point it brought us now. We have to celebrate this. Will you join me in a dinner for two tonight?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When he came to pick her up later that evening, she was wearing a new caftan in bright turquoise. As she still had difficulties wearing normal clothes, she asked Katherine if she could arrange some more of these caftans for her. They were not the least bit feminine but she felt comfortable in it. This one was made of a very light fabric and even if she thought it wasn’t sexy, she should have seen herself as Michael did. As they went out into the patio, the warm wind blew the caftan close to her body and he could see every curve. He knew that with her painful shoulders she didn’t wear a bra and he absorbed the delicious sight of her breasts pushing against the turquoise fabric of the dress. He licked his lips, thinking of how she tasted earlier. (Did we miss something?)

“What are you looking at, Mister Jackson ?” She smiled as he kissed her hands and looked at her from under his eyelashes.

“Do you know what you do to me ? I wish to make love to you, so very much…”

“I’m sorry…”

He hushed her by kissing her lips very softly and whispered : “No sorrys, not tonight, not ever. What is done, is done. We’re here tonight to celebrate the future, our future. And when I make love to you the next time, I promise you, you will remember it for the rest of your days.”

He guided her down the patio, through the garden, to a beautiful gazebo, surrounded by trees, hidden away under a natural roof of branches and leaves. A round table was placed against the railing. It was laid with a simple white cloth and decorated with some flowers and a candle holder. The only other light came from the soft dimmed lamp-posts surrounding the gazebo.

Michael pulled back one of the chairs for her and helped her to sit down. He was such a gentleman. He smiled sweetly at her and kissed her crown. She couldn’t help but remember what happened when he came to put on the cream earlier this evening. Michael smiled knowingly…

After she finally said she loved him, he wanted to make love to her so badly… And when he started rubbing in the cream one more time before they would get dressed for their dinner, he lost his self-control. He tried so hard not to touch her erotically, but he failed this time!

Honey remembered seeing his head go down to her breasts. His lips gently kissed her soft nipples, which made them erect immediately. The thought of him doing so, made her go weak in the knees once more….

“Michael… ooh don’t…” she cried.

His creamy hands gently rubbed her shoulders while his head suddenly ducked down to her breasts. He simply could not control himself any longer and stuck out his tongue to tickle her nipples. He sighed against her warm skin and when he started talking, she could feel the vibrations of his voice deep in her chest.

“I love your breasts, Honey. Mmm…They are so soft and round and yummy… I bet if you would ever feed our baby, the milk would already be sugared.”

“Oh my…” His words sent a hot flash of love through her body…He was so sexy when he talked like that.

“And then I want to taste it too.” he added. He sucked her breasts with his mouth wide open, taking as much in as he could. She swallowed and put her hands on his shoulders, trying not to fall. Wow, she was just lucky not to have sunbathed topless…  

Then he brought his face close to hers and kissed her on the lips.

“I’m gonna lay you on the bed, baby. I want you so much…You cannot imagine.”

“Michael, we can’t…”

“I know that, Honey… I promise I will not hurt you. I just want to kiss you and caress you.”

As they stretched on the bed he hovered over her, like a hawk watching his prey. His hand squeezed her breasts, going from one to the other. Once more he brought his lips down and sucked hard on each nipple, making her gasp for air. She curved her back, granting him even better access. Ahw, he almost made her forget her sore skin.

“Shh Honey, lay still. I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

“Michael, I can’t… Let’s just do it…” Now he made her want him badly.

“I’m not gonna do it… Not with you, burned like this. I refuse to hurt you…I have to take good care of you, remember ?” He smiled tenderly.

His words held a promise and she tried to pull him towards her but he resisted.

“No…no… “ He spoke softly, shaking his head, “I have something else in mind… I cannot touch your shoulders, (but he left a little kiss there) nor your neck (another kiss). I have to stay away from your arms and legs (kiss kiss). And I am not allowed to touch your belly (one last kiss before he came back to her lips), but… I can do this…” 

And he brought his hand down to the center of her womanhood. She gasped at his touch and her nails dug into his shoulders. His one hand supported his own weight, trying not to collide with her skin, as his other hand placed itself between her legs. He looked into her eyes, while he kissed her deeply and let it his hand move slowly, stroking her through her panties.

“I want you so much, little one… you drive me wild even without doing anything. You’re so damn hot, baby. Oooh, I can feel it.” He massaged her profoundly, licking his lips while he watched her eyes turn to the back of her head. “You’re sexy.” He knew his voice drove her wild. She moaned loudly into his mouth as he increased the power of his touch, causing her to squirm under his hand.

“Michaeeeeeeeeeel….” she sighed.

“You’re lovely, my little red lobster… I love you so much. I could do this forever…” He spoke while simultaneously putting little pecks on her lips. His voice turned into a whisper as he looked down at what he was doing. His hand slowly glided into her panties, making contact with her flesh. “Ooh… you’re so beautiful. You feel so fine… You’re so soft…”

His hand was now covering her completely, massaging her in a steady rhythm, his fingers as far as he could reach, softly stroking her intimately.

She couldn’t help herself from moving with him. She followed the rhythm of his hand, which he stretched and curved, stretched and curved.

“Michael, I want you… Please…” she whined softly.

“Baby, we can’t… but Imma gonna make you feel sooo good.” He whispered in her ear, while softly licking the soft skin or her earlobe. “You are so soft and wet… I do wanna bury myself in you, baby. But right now it’s Honey time. Your name suits you so well… You taste as sweet as sugar… I know…”

She moaned and buried her face into the crook of his neck. “You’re making me blush, Michael.”

“Do I now ? I love it when you blush… you do so, all over your body. It’s so sexy…”

His hand cupped her completely, increasing the speed, deepening his touch, as if he knew exactly what she needed. His fingers lead their own life and slowly invaded her moist entrance. He was making her go crazy.

“Michael…Michael…” Her head trashed from the left to the right and back and she lost all control over her emotions. She felt a stirring deep down in her tummy, increasing fast and radiating all over her lower body.

His hand increased the pressure on her soft womanly folds and his fingers speeded up their rhythm as he felt her need for release come nearer. He knew her so well…

She started to make soft high sounds, her breath unevenly. Her chest rose at every gasp of air she took in, his strokes speeded up in guiding her into heaven. She bend her body to his touch and started to tremble like a leaf. Every nerve end in her being came to life.

“Come on, Honey…Let your sugar flow… baby… “ He whispered in her ear. “I know you’re almost there …”

And then he quickly covered her mouth, absorbing her cries as she climaxed.

“Honey !!” he waved his hands before her eyes. “Where are you?”

She shook her head, waking from this lovely memory and smiled sheepishly. “Uh oh…” It was as if she blushed from her head to her toes when she finally looked into his dark chocolate eyes. He giggled when it came to him what she was thinking about.

“Didn’t you like it ?” he whispered, putting her index finger into his mouth.

“Mickey…stop it…please…”

He finally took some pity in her and put her hand on the table, covering it with his own. “You’re so sweet, baby and I love you endlessly. I won’t tease you anymore…. for the next 5 minutes !!” He giggled. Well, Michael would always be Michael.

“Would you like a glass of red wine?” he asked. “I mean, if you’re not suffering from any headaches anymore..”

“I’m okay. I’d love to have one.” She looked around admiring the neighborhood. “It’s beautiful out here. You’re such a lucky man.”

“Well, you’ll love Neverland even more. I can promise you that.”

He ladled some salad on her plate, together with some potatoes and, especially for her a piece of lamb. He stuck to the salad and the potatoes, as he had been a vegetarian for years now.

“Don’t you mind me eating meat?”

“Nooo, it’s your choice. I made mine long ago and I feel a lot better without. However I adore Kentucky Fried Chicken.”

“I eat almost everything except for fruit. I don’t eat that enough.”

“Well, you should. It’s healthy. But…I won’t tell you what to do.” He bent over the table and kissed her lips.

“Ahw Michael, if you think it’s necessary, we can talk about anything. I over reacted this afternoon.”

“I don’t want to make you feel as if I am telling you what to do or don’t. I really reflected about what you told me earlier on and I will try not to control you in any way. I promise! But if it’s regarding your safety or your health or anything like that, you must grant me to step in. Will you promise me that?”

“Mmm, I guess so.” He burst out in laughing because she sighed very demonstratively. He knew she was too hot to handle sometimes but that’s what he loved about her so much.

As they were eating, he tried to find out more about the past years and especially about her marriage. Even after 8 years there were still so many things he wanted to know about her. He was a curious guy!

“Michael, there is really not much to tell.” she complained.

“How can that be ? You’ve been married for almost 4 years ! I just need to know some things…”

She rolled her eyes. “That’s not necessary..”

“I want to understand. I want to learn about you, because I feel I’ve missed so much.”

“Well, I missed much too.”

“You had the advantage of seeing me on television…”

“And I wrote you all those letters…”

“Yeah, but you never talked about your marriage!”

“Michael, please…”

“How did he find out that you loved someone else ?”

Was that what he wanted to know ?! She couldn’t tell him that ! That was a moment in time, she only wanted to erase from her memory. That moment was the beginning of the end. But on the other hand, she knew it had to end anyway. She couldn’t stay with a man she didn’t love.

Honey blushed fiercely. “I’m too embarrassed. I can’t tell you.”

“C’mon, don’t be shy…” He could be persuasive from time to time and she felt herself give in.

But she could only whisper : “I said “Mikey”…”

“What ? When ?” He looked confused and then he went like “Aaah ! Okay, I understand.” and giggled.“You did not!”

“Oh yes, I did. I feel so embarrassed.” She put her hands to her face as to cover her red cheeks.

“Was it good then?”

“Michael !! That’s something you cannot ask me!”

“Why not ? I tell you everything.”

“No, you don’t ! You haven’t told me anything at all. You only want to know about me.”

“Well, in my case, there is nothing to know !! I worked and worked and worked ! So…tell me…”

“Mmm, I pretended it was you…”

“Oh my god, Honey!!” He began to laugh…”I’m sorry, I shouldn’t laugh…” He smiled sheepishly. “You pretended?! My god!!”

“Oh yeah, why not rub it in some more?!”

“Sorry, sorry !!” But he laughed even harder

“You shouldn’t have asked!”

“Hey, you answered! But what did he say then ? Didn’t he want to know more?”

“Michael, please…”

“Just tell me and I won’t ask anything more. I promise!”

“How come, I don’t believe you? “ She sighed. “I told him I loved this “Mikey” person but that I didn’t cheat on him. But he did not believe me. The rest…well, you know.”

“I love you…” He took her hands in his and kissed all of her fingertips.

“Mmm, I love you too. But you should not make fun of me.”

“I don’t. I know this was serious business for you, but I’m so glad it happened.”

“What do you mean by that ?” She looked puzzled.

“What would you have done otherwise ? Stay with him even longer ? I really wish you wouldn’t have to go thru’ all the heartache and pain over this divorce. But Honey…, this made you come to me again. How can I not be glad?”

“Ahw Mikey, you’re so sweet.”

And he looked great too, she thought. He wore a tight jeans and a bright blue shirt with white applications. His long hair was combed back, falling softly over his shoulders and held together loosely at the back of his head with a band.

His legs were stretched out as he sat in a lazy pose, unaware of how cute he looked. Honey thought he was so incredibly sexy, she could just eat him alive. He was a great lover too. She never experienced anything like this before in her marriage and in a way she was happy for this. They entered this relationship both equally innocent in their thoughts and behavior, ready to explore about one another, ready to become one forever. At least, that’s what she hoped for.

“Do you care for desert ? I have something special for you!”

Now normally Honey didn’t care for desert, but as he brought it on so sweetly, she did not have the heart to tell him no. So she nodded.

“ Okay ! You stay here now. I will be right back. You’re not scared, alone in the dark?”

“Haha, no. I’m a brave girl ! I must be ! I’m with you.”

He stuck out his tongue and disappeared.

When he returned, one of the cooks followed him with a device she had never seen before..(remember it was the eighties).

It was installed in the middle of their table.

“Honey, I hope you like this one. It’s a chocolate fountain… Just you wait…and see.”

After the cook installed the fountain and had it running, Michael put a little basket, filled with strawberries, on the table. Now, that looked good!

Honey did not have a sweet tooth but she could appreciate good chocolate and she loved strawberries. Michael sat down next to her and once the chocolate started running down the fountain, he dipped in the first strawberry and presented it to Honey.

“Taste this…” When she opened her mouth he held it to her lips so she could eat it.

“Mmm, Michael, ooh… this is divine. I like it.”

“Just sit back and relax. Let me feed you…”

With every strawberry he dipped in the chocolate sauce, he sang a refrain from each one of his love songs, from when he was very little until the Bad album. She loved every minute of it. It showed in her sparkling eyes and in her hand tenderly caressing his knee.

“Where did you get this ? It’s awesome. I have never seen this before.”

“I got this especially for this evening. You deserve only the best of the best, Honey. It’s all for you.”

Her ooh’s and aah’s while she tasted the chocolate dipped strawberries made him wanna grab her and kiss the chocolate from her lips. Every time she licked them off, his heart missed a beat. This was the best reward he could ever have gotten. Sooo yummy!

“If you keep feeding me like this, I’m gonna get fat!”

He put his hand on her belly. “I would like to see your tummy grow…with my baby.”

She gasped at his words. “Ahw Michael. Why do you say something like that?”

“It’s true…” He kept caressing her stomach very softly. “Does it still hurt ? Your burns, I mean?”

“Nooo…” Her breath speeded up… “Not all that much any more…”

“I think we’re gonna make some wonderful babies… I would love to have a little girl, looking just like you…”

“I may have looked sweet…”

“Oooh ! I remember your dad calling you a little brat ! That would be so exciting ! A mini you…”

“You would spoil her rotten!“

“Oh yes ! I sure would.”

She laughed at his statement but the look in her eyes expressed her concern.

“What’s wrong, Honey ? I can see there’s something bothering you.”

“I was just wondering… Do you want children very soon?”

His hand left her belly upwards, brushed between her breasts, up to her face, cupping her chin.

“Only when we’re both ready, baby. I can’t think of anything more sexy than you, being pregnant with my child, but we still have plenty of time. My life is very hectic at the moment and that’s not how I want my children to grow up. Parenthood is not to be taken lightly. First, we have to move you into Neverland….”

“You like it there very much, don’t you?”

As he talked about his new home, he got sparkles in his eyes.

“I’ll take you there one of these days, when you’re better. Okay ? Then you can see with your own eyes. It will be our love nest….”

“Michael ! Is that all you can think about? ”

“Noooo… but can you imagine us living there together ? It’s so beautiful ! There are hills, and there is a lake… Aren’t you looking forward to it?”

“Well, I am but… you see… it’s yours.”

“So ?”

“I know this is gonna sound stupid…but I didn’t contribute anything to it.”

Michael smiled at her, tenderly, as he exactly knew what she meant. This was so Honey…but he knew how to handle it now.

“That’s why I want you to come to me soon, so that you can turn it into ours. It needs a woman’s touch.”

“Well… as long as you don’t expect me to just sit there and wait for you, being pretty and shutting up!”

He laughed : “I don’t think you could do that ! I mean you are pretty ! But I cannot imagine you shutting up !” As usual, he found his own joke really good, and he just cracked up. As he realized she was not laughing with him, he closed his mouth and just looked funny. That did make her laugh and there they went at again, laughing and giggling like two children.

“Okay, I laughed enough…I’ll try to be serious. We must make plans.”

“We still have time…You’re busy touring, I’m divorcing..”

“I know ! It’s hell!”

She caressed his face. She knew. Being with him was the only pleasure there was to her life right now but she also wanted to take it slow. She didn’t want to rush into another mistake, not with him. This was too important.

“Honey, I really cannot bear to be separated from you much longer. I want you in my life forever. With the tour and you not being divorced yet, it is not possible yet, but in January I want to kick it off.”

He kissed the palm of her hand.

“Honey, I know it’s too soon for you to talk about marriage but I want you to be mine. How can we make this work?”

“Michael sweetie, I love you more than life itself. I don’t need a piece of paper, I just need you. I don’t need your money, nor your house, nor your fame. The only thing I want is your heart.”

“Oooh… You’re so beautiful, girl ! So for now, can we seal this with a kiss instead of a wedding ring?”

He looked into her beautiful eyes and saw her endless love for him. She felt for him, the way he felt for her. This could only be good. And she was right. They didn’t need a piece of paper to prove it.

Their kiss was sweet and tender, a promise for the future.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Honey woke up from a soft string of air blowing on her face. She turned her head but it kept following her. And again, and again.

“Ahw…” She opened her eyes reluctantly, fighting her way to consciousness. Michael was leaning over her and blowing at her face, just to wake her up.

“Hey sleepy head ! It’s time to wake up ! You are not gonna sleep the day away, you’re not ? We have things to do.” He pulled the covers from her, mercilessly.

“Michael !” She tried to pull them back up but he didn’t let her. Instead he picked her up and set her on her feet next to the bed.

“Come on ! Get your lazy butt in the shower. We’re going to Neverland !”

“Mmm, I’d rather stay here…You’re warm. I like it.” She shrugged against him, absorbing his warmth.

He would have loved to just stay there with her, but they really had to go. It had been difficult for both of them this week, trying to keep their hands off each other. It’s true what they are saying.. whenever you cannot get it, you want it even more. On top of that, she moved to his room eventually. So much easier to take care of her, but more difficult to resist her. He vowed to himself that he would not touch her anymore. After that one time pleasing her, all he did was take cold showers. Brrr… And being her own sweet self, she didn’t make it any easier for him. He wanted her so much ! And now that she was all better and her skin didn’t ache anymore, they had to go out. Damned !

He arranged this day long before she even arrived in L.A., so it was impossible to cancel it all. Besides he had a surprise for her.

He patted her on her behind to get her into the bathroom.

“My clothes…”

“I’ll pick something suitable. Is that okay ?”

“Michael, I can do this myself…”

“Ah, I know, but you don’t know what we are going to do. And I won’t tell you… It’s a surprise ! And I know how you love to be dressed to the occasion. Just let me, okay ?”

“Alright then. Go ahead.”

Well, at least he had a good eye for clothing. He went through her wardrobe and finally chose a pretty little jeans-dress.

As she came back in, all dressed up, he found it even more difficult to leave. She looked so incredibly sexy. Luckily the nasty burns hadn’t left any marks on her skin. That would’ve been such a shame. She had a nice tan now, up front at least.

“You look gorgeous, Honey ! C’mer baby…”

His arms embraced her and he kissed her on the top of her head, her short hair tickling his chin. Her scent intoxicated him and he couldn’t resist the urge of gently stroking her back from top to bottom. Nothing wrong with that, he thought. Boy, did he ever make a mistake ! She immediately responded by kissing his neck, and then travelled to the other side, her lips softly brushing the skin just above his t-shirt. Her hands went from his shoulders to his waist, and then to his buttocks, simply cupping them, nothing more. But for Michael being deprived of any intimate contact for the last few days, this was enough to make his body react. She felt it too and chuckled a little.

“Mmm, Michael, are you sure we haven’t got any more time left ?

“Honey…” his voice sounded desperate. “Baby, please, noooo ! I want you so much but we have to go… Please be strong for me, because I can’t.” He pleaded for his sanity and finally she took pity on him. She pulled away from him after one last little kiss on his lips.

“Ahw, baby, you look so fine… Just give me a minute.”

Finally he managed to contain himself and took her by the hand, pulling her outside with him.

The noise she had been hearing in the background all the time, came from a helicopter that had landed on the open field next to the mansion. Wow ! Talking about a surprise ! She had never been in a helicopter before. This would be such a thrill !

“Milady, your iron bird has arrived and will take you to the place of your dreams.” Michael addressed to her in a very English accent.

She giggled and batted her eyelash to him. “Oh my Lord, please take me with you on your wings of love.”

“Well, we do not exactly have wings, baby, but we will be there soon enough. Normally by car, it is a 3 hour drive from Hayvenhurst, but I don’t want you to be exhausted when we arrive. You’re barely recovered from those nasty burns. I want you healthy and full of energy.”

Ahw, he was so thoughtful. Her knight in shining armor ! But wait… healthy for her sake or his ? He wiggled his eyebrows when she examined his face to see what he exactly meant with those words and she burst out in laughing.

“You’re something, Michael !”

He helped her into the helicopter like a true beau and fastened her seatbelt for her. Just as he settled himself down next to her, the helicopter took off. At first she didn’t dare to look outside but she quickly overcame her fear and let the feeling of utter freedom come over her. This was awesome ! She felt like a bird !

“Ooh ! Michael, this is exciting ! I already love it !” She squeezed his hand as the helicopter took a big turn and climbed even higher. This was quite something else than being on a plane. She almost screamed out loud…

“I thought you would be afraid.” he chuckled.

“Oooh, I am, just a little bit… But you are here with me. Where else would I rather be than with you ? And why do you think I would be afraid ?”

“Well, you once told me that you are afraid of heights. You wrote it in a letter.”

She brought his hand to her chest and held it there. “Can you feel my heartbeat ?”

He bit his lip at the feel of her heart, pounding wildly.

“It beats for you, Michael, only for you. And I’m not really afraid when we’re together. You give me courage.” She leaned into him and gave him a little peck on his lips. “This is so beautiful, sweetie..”

It was. She felt like Tinkerbell and Michael was her Peter Pan. They finally flew together to what was to become their home forever. Once they left the city the environment changed rapidly. As the landscape changed to more natural surroundings, she couldn’t hold a sigh back. This was amazingly beautiful. She saw soft sloping hills, fresh green meadows, and now and then a small town. They flew over a small lake and then more inland, over, as Michael told her, Los Padres National Forest. As they came close to Neverland, the hills seemed spotted with trees. It was a strange sight, she thought but then she remembered that in fact this was dry country. It just could not be plain green everywhere. Rain was like pixie dust here, very rare.

The flight didn’t take too long and Michael put his arm around her shoulder and pointed down with his finger to a beautiful piece of land.

“Look Honey, there it is ! My Neverland ! Look there, look …do you see it?”

It was so cute how excited he was about showing her his newly gained property. She leaned over to him to see what he was pointing at and in the meantime, kissed him on his cheek. And then her mouth just fell open. This was slightly too much for her. She didn’t exactly live in poverty, never did, but this wealth was something she couldn’t comprehend. Hayvenhurst was a beautiful property but this…this was endless ! Would she fit in here ? And how in heaven’s name did she come to deserve him? She felt she wasn’t worth it. She rejected him for such a long time, knowing that actually he was the one for her. And now this… And he already did so much for her…How was she ever gonna be able to do the same for him ?

“We’ll be there in a sec now.” He took a scarf out of his pocket. “But first, turn around.”

“What ?”

He smiled devilishly. “I’m gonna blindfold you! I have a big surprise coming up.”

“Okay… I hope I can trust you…”

“Heehee… You can, I think.” He winked at her before he gave her another of his tantalizing kisses. How much better could it become ? Because with Michael you never knew !

The helicopter landed softly on the Neverland grounds and Michael jumped out as quickly as could be. He was very eager to show her his surprise. She would be overwhelmed ! He knew.

“C’mon Honey ! Hurry up.” he urged her.

“I don’t see a thing ! Where are you ?” She groped around, trying to get a hold of him.

“I’m right here baby. Let me…” He put his hands on either side of her waist and lifted her out of the helicopter. Putting her on the ground, she slid down his body, giggling.

“Michael, we must use a blindfold sometimes… It’s exciting !”

“You are a naughty little thing ! Stop teasing me and get in.”

“Get in ?”

“Here..” He took her hand and led her to something that he called their ride. “Careful. Okay, I’ll drive…”

Of course he would, she was blindfolded ! She almost laughed out loud at the thought of her driving around with a blindfold on. That could be interesting but it would surely end in a painful way! As she put herself down to the seat she could feel that she was not in a car.

“Michael, what’s this ? Is this some kind of bike ?”

“Haha, no silly, this is a golfcart. Hold on to me now, so that you don’t fall out.”

It was a good thing that he warned her because he drove that golfcart as if it they were on a rollercoaster. He didn’t exactly mind the holes in the unfinished road and she bumped up and down on her seat. No wonder he had a chauffeur ! After a few minutes he stopped brusquely, almost causing her to fly over the dashboard of the golfcart. Not noticing any of the difficulties she had encountered, he jumped out and jogged to her side.

“Please be careful when you get out. I don’t want you to trip over anything. I don’t want you to get hurt…”

Was he kidding ? After that ride ? Honey giggled as he turned her to face him.

“You’re so funny, Michael ! But really… I wanna know what you’re up to ! I’m dying from curiosity ! Where are we going to ?”

“We’re here already ! You can take the blindfold off !”

She did and the first thing she saw was his sweet smiling face. He put his hands on both sides of her waist and pulled her into him. His soft voice whispered in her ear : “I thought, let’s throw her a birthday party and invite myself.” and then he turned her around.

The next moment she started running, leaving him behind ! Her parents were here ! At just a few feet away !! Sharing her happiness with her family, showing them the man she truly loved, having them to participate in this beautiful dream… This was one of her wishes coming true ! How did he know?

She hugged them both very tight, tears of happiness running down her face. “I’m so glad you’re here ! What a great surprise!”

Her mother kissed her daughter on both her cheeks and softly said : “There is someone here who loves you very much, Honey… I didn’t know how much until he called us.…”

“Oh mama, he does ! I’m so happy.” She hugged her mother again, while her father patted her on the back, a little overwhelmed by the emotion shown on his daughter’s face. He hadn’t seen her this happy in over a year now. Seeing her like this made it obvious that she had finally come home. He looked up and saw Michael, standing at a little distance, with his hands in his pockets, giving them the time to catch up. Nick stepped away from the women and made his way to his new son-in-law-to-be. At least, that’s what he hoped for. Nick remembered his own thoughts from when Michael visited them during Christmas time so long ago. He always wanted Honey to end up with this man and now it seemed that his wish was granted. He knew Michael was a gentle soul, and soooo right for his daughter. He would gladly welcome him into the family. And he already loved this guy as if he was his own son.

“Michael..” Nick shook his hand first but then pulled him towards him and hugged him, patting him on the back. “Thanks for inviting us, son. We owe you.”

“Ahw Nick, you don’t owe me anything. I owe you for putting such a beautiful daughter onto this world. You know very well, I’d do anything for her. But there is something I do wanna ask you.”

“Okay… Shoot boy…”

“It is a little late, I know this, but huh.. I want your approval for dating your daughter.” He held up his hand as Nick tried to interrupt him. “I just want you to know that I love her very much and that I want to marry her. Maybe I’m old fashioned but it would mean very much to me if you would give us your blessing ?”

Nick wasn’t a man who showed his emotions easily but this young man asking him permission to date and, even more important, marry his daughter, was more than he could handle. He was very moved.

“Michael, I’m very proud to welcome you to our little family. Of course you will marry her. I haven’t seen her smiling like this for such a long time. I always thought you were made for each other. Thank you for loving my little girl ! She deserves some happiness.” And he pulled Michael into a bear hug.

“Now what was all that with you having a sunstroke ?” Veronica asked her daughter with worry in her voice. She held her away from her to overlook her. “You look fine to me now.”

“Ahw, I felt so silly. I just fell asleep ! That won’t ever happen again, believe me. But it’s all better now, mama. You know, Michael took very good care of me. He’s so sweet… But anyway… How did you know ?” Her mother gestured to Katherine. It was only then that Honey noticed all the other people, slowly gathering around them, closing the circle.

“Oh my god !” She covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes growing big in disbelief! Standing there on the lawn, were her brother as well as all of her friends, Ally and Emma, both with their partners, Rachel, Barbara and Daniel ! And, as it seemed, a good part of Michael’s family too ! Wow, this was really cool!

“Oh my god, I can’t believe you’re here !” Honey hugged them all one by one. He had given her the best surprise ever ! There was nothing more she could have wished for ! After she greeted her friends, his family approached her too. His brothers were all eager to pull her into a tight embrace ! Such a pretty young thing ! Michael had really done a good job!

Jermaine even whispered in her ear : “I must thank the lord for such a sexy little sister in law..If you ever need anything, just call me, pretty one.” She almost felt embarrassed with all this attention, hug after hug, after hug. They were all very sweet but it was Marlon who made her feel at ease the most. He just looked at her and held her hand, saying that he was grateful that Michael found such a sweet young lady all for himself and that he could see that she made him very happy. “I wish you the same luck as I share with my Carol.”

“Thank you, Marlon. I don’t know what to say. It’s just too much.”

Michael chose that moment to pull himself away from their mutual friends and came to her rescue. He knew his family could be a little intimidating sometimes. She immediately turned towards him and put her arms around his neck. His fedora almost fell off, while she enthusiastically kissed him on both his cheeks, thanking him.

“Wow Michael ! What a sweet surprise ! You’re the best ! Thank you, thank you, thank you…”!”

“Mmm, I always wanted to throw someone a surprise birthday party. Are you happy ?”

“Are you kidding ? This is amazing !”

He glowed with pride. It took him a lot of effort making this all happen, but seeing her so happy, made it all worthwhile.

“No, you are amazing.” he whispered in her ear. “You love me for who I am and not for what I am. I wanted to thank you for that. Come…” He pulled her with him. “There is someone I want to introduce you to.” He took her by the hand and walked towards a very beautiful young woman, whom she recognized as his sister Janet.

“Jan, this is my Honey….Honey, this is Janet, my baby sister.”

Janet elbowed him. “Huh huh, who’s the baby ? Get out of the way, brother. I want to hug this girl. Welcome to the family, Honey. I was really looking forward to meeting you.” She hugged her and hooked her arm in Honey’s. Janet had the same soft voice as Michael and you could see that they were very close to each other.

“Come on, Honey, let’s meet Latoya. Oooh, we’re gonna spoil you, girl ! Michael will never get his way again, once we’ve told you all about his pranks and stuff. I have some gorgeous pictures to show you when we’ll be back home…” She winked at Honey…”Mike, I’m gonna steal this girl from you. Don’t know when I’ll return her to you.

She pulled Honey with her to another beautiful girl, sitting on a log, enjoying the sunshine. When she saw the two of them coming her way, she stood up and smiled the biggest smile Honey ever witnessed.

Latoya too, hugged Honey and pulled her down to sit in between them on the log.

“Hi Honey ! Oooh, I love your name ! If you are as sweet, it’s no wonder, he’s so much in love with you. We’ve never seen him like this before, you know. He’s like …like he’s growing up. Becoming a man instead of a boy.” Honey blushed a little. Even though Michael was childlike, to her he always was a man and not the boy everyone saw in him.

“You make him happy, you know. I never saw him smiling this much and Mother told us he takes really good care of you.” Latoya laughed. “Normally it’s us who take care of him. How do you manage that ?”

“Oh, and you must tell us all about how you met him. Do we have to know any particular details ?”

Honey arched her eyebrows and looked surprised.

“Oh no, not the spicy stuff. No, we’re his sisters, we don’t want to know about that. Yek! But, we love to tease him so any other information will do.” Latoya giggled at the thought of teasing Michael.

“Toya, behave !” Janet said in a playful way. “The poor guy doesn’t know what’s happening to him. Let him be for a while. I’d say until tomorrow !” and then she started giggling too.

Ahw, his sisters were just lovely. He was a lucky man to have such fine relatives.

The sound of their laughter made him look their way. He was truly blessed, he thought. All of his family was enthusiastic about his girl and that made him relax. The-tension that was in his body, while organizing this event, slowly but surely left him. He finally felt that he was fitting in. He wasn’t the outsider anymore, sitting in the sideline watching his brothers marry and have kids. He would have his own soon. And it dawned to him that his loneliness suddenly became a ghost of the past. There was a bright future ahead of him. So clear, so bright… With Honey at his side, he could conquer the world ! No more cloudy skies, only sunshine…

At the thought of sunshine, he hurried over to them.

“Are you girls talking about me ?”

“You really think you’re that interesting ?” Honey teased him. “You’re not the only man on this planet…” She smiled sweetly and he would not be Michael if he wouldn’t take this as a challenge. She was so funny !! Did she really think she could outsmart him ?

“Okayn I’ll take that as a challenge.…Could be interesting….” He looked seductively from under his eyelashes, leaving no room for any other speculations. She knew what he meant and blushed. But he decided not to tease her too much. They were in company ! So he smiled at her and shook his head. “For now, I just wanted to remind you that you’re not supposed to sit here in the sun. See, maybe I’m not the only man on the planet but I’m surely the one you need, to protect you from yourself.” He chuckled, pulled her off the log and put a little peck on her lips. To his sisters he said : “Girls, if you want to talk to her, you’ll have to move. No sunshine for my little girl, yet.” He took her by the hand and led her to a long table, placed under the threes, while mumbling.“Must I then think of everything ? Girl, you need a care keeper !”

Honey wanted to playfully pat him on the back, but at the sight of the very long and beautifully dressed table, she stopped walking. The table was placed in the shadow under the big trees and gave room for both family and friends. A red checkered cloth gave the feeling of a true family picnic. Beautiful wild flowers, such as dandelions and daisies, were put in several vases all over the length of the table. The contrast with the sophisticated tableware was just breathtaking. Foods of all kinds, were carefully arranged on big trays. There were lots of fruits and vegetables, bread, chicken, and rice. Something for everyone’s taste.

Tears came to her eyes as she witnessed how much trouble he had taken to organize this, even while touring. This wasn’t arranged in one day !

She turned to him and put her arms around his neck, pulling down his head to her.

“Michael Jackson, you are the sweetest man on earth ! And you’re right ! You ARE the only one for me! Thank you sooo much !” And then she kissed him on the lips in front of the whole family ! What else could they do but applaud ?!

If this was his reward, he would do this for her every day! He seated her down next to him and invited everyone else to do the same. They were surrounded by Honey’s friends and both of their families. What could be better than that ? He felt so much at ease with all of these people, but especially Honey’s dear friends. They just treated him like everyone else ! They talked to him as if he was a regular guy. They made him a part of their world. He was like a sponge when he was with them, sucking in all the impressions they could give him about a normal life out of the spotlights. He had some friends of his own of course, like Liz or Mac but they were in showbiz, just like him. And he already knew showbiz from the inside out. It was a fake world and sometimes he even wondered if he was for real. It was a strange feeling, looking at yourself as a cartoon figure. He really did that at times and it scared the hell out of him. These people made him feel safe

He was so glad to meet Daniel again too. They had a lot of fun all those years ago; but he did remember that Daniel was not too good on giving advice in the love section. They could laugh about it now but back then, to Michael, it was a matter of life or death. He sooo wanted to pluck Honey away from John at the time. He knew now that none of them really liked John and he learned that they had all warned Honey not to marry him. But when she set her mind on something, nothing could bring her off track. He knew his girl was stubborn. He would have his hands full with her but guess what ? He already knew that he would love every minute of it !

The question was, would she love it equally ? Life with him was not that easy…

There was the exposure to the press that made it very hard to take. Of course this was a direct consequence of his success and in the beginning he may even have cultivated it a bit but then it ran completely out of hand . And now, everywhere he came he was followed by the paparazzi, like wolves that chased a deer. Would she be able to cope with this ? He already asked everyone present to keep this relationship a secret but he could not hide her forever ! He wanted to marry her and share the rest of his life with her.

He did not have a normal career either. He was on the road a lot, always performing. And when he was at home, he stayed in his studio for hours or even more. When he was writing and everything went well, he could stay there for days. When creativity struck, there was no holding back. Would she appreciate that ? He knew from fellow musicians that their wives didn’t always support them on that. They wanted them to channel their creativity but that was not how it worked. It was not a nine to five job.

And then there were the fans ! He loved his fans, everyone of them, but sometimes he just wanted privacy or the ability to go out without being recognized. It even could get dangerous at times. He still had a scar in his neck where a very enthusiastic fan involuntarily scratched him. He would not want her to be mobbed either. In his eyes she was the most frail creature he had ever laid eyes on and he felt he had to protect her.

Actually he only wanted her with him all the time, for him to cherish and to cuddle with and just love.

But what he feared the most …. How could he protect her from kidnappers or people who wanted to hurt her of him ? He knew that once he would expose her to the rest of the world, he would not stop worrying about her. When he was on the first Jackson tour in 1970, he got a death threat once. It was the scariest thing he had ever encountered. At such a young age he was very impressed and shaken ! He would not ever forget that ! Their concert in Buffalo was cancelled due to that threat and he remembered vividly how sick he felt at the time. He didn’t want to relive such thing anymore !

Looking at her, he vowed to himself that he would do all things necessary to keep her safe and sound, whatever sacrifice it took.

Honey smiled at him, trying to read his mind. It was great to see him with her friends. And it was even more amazing how she never found out that he was actually bonding with them and developing close friendships through their letters. And now this ….

“How did you manage to keep this a secret ?” Honey asked them.

“It was not all that difficult ! You walked around with your head in the clouds all day ! You never noticed a thing ! We had so much fun, doing all this behind your back !“

“This I never ever could have dreamt ! I’m so happy !”

“Oooh, speaking about dreams ! I had one about Michael, just the other night !” Rachel shouted and then blushed, looking at Michael. Even after all these years, she still was a little star-struck.

“You dreamt of me ? Did we have a good time ?” He smiled at her, encouraging her to share it with them. He liked Rachel very much. She was honest and playful and that’s what he loved the most in people. He thought she was just like him but in a female version.

“I dreamt that I was in a hospital. I was not sick or anything. I was just there and the place was totally deserted. So I was walking down one of the corridors and there you were, with no one else around. You just called out to me and said hi.”

“Why was I there then ?”

“Well, I don’t know. You didn’t tell me. I don’t think you were sick. You were just visiting, I guess. ” Rachel giggled and continued her story. “You said you needed to get out but you didn’t want to use the front entrance because there would be loads of press people waiting for you. So I told you that I knew another way out.”

“Ah, you were going to save me…”

“So I took you down to this underground car park. I don’t remember how we got there. Maybe we teleported ?!“ She giggled. ”There were no cars at all but there was one bike though…You took the bike, got on it and I just got on behind you.”

They all laughed at the thought of Michael and Rachel together on the bike.

“Wait, it gets crazier. I then asked you “Do you know how to drive one of these things?”…and you said “Noooo ! But I’m gonna try, hang on !…and so I clung on to you and actually the bike started moving ! It was a bit wobbly but we drove away….and then the dream ended ! Don’t know where we ended up or if we even got out of the hospital…”

Michael almost folded double laughing, at the thought of him driving a bicycle and wobbling! He was not a sportsman but he could drive a bike, even with a passenger behind him ! And certainly better than a car !

“Well Rachel, next time, I’m gonna take you on a bicycle ride ! How does that sound ? I’ll prove to you that I can drive without wobbling !”

Rachel couldn’t do anything else but smile sweetly at him.

“Any other dream anyone likes to share ?” Daniel now asked.

“When I was a little girl, I always dreamt of a gorilla, knocking at our backdoor !” Honey said. “You are my little monkey…” Michael snuggled her.

“I am not ! Do I look like a monkey ?”

“You’re just as cute…”

“Michael !” She tried to slap him on the shoulder but he caught both her hands and kissed them, looking up at her from behind his eyelashes.

“Like a baby monkey, with big beautiful eyes and pouty lips..”

Now she turned all red as her friends were witness to his sweet talking. They laughed even harder, when she really pouted.

“Do you know those dreams in which you try to run away but you can’t?”

“Oh yes !! That’s horrible ! Or when you seem to be too slow to outrun someone!”

“I found a solution to that ! I simply take bigger steps!”

“Oh ! Or when you seem to fall… that’s horrible!”

They had a real good time, telling stories and jokes and just simply be together. To Honey it seemed that she hadn’t seen her friends in years but that was not true of course. She simply hadn’t spend any quality time with them after she met Michael again in August. They had been together on a few occasions but she hadn’t been in the mood because she missed him so much. Now she had everything she wanted, all in one place and at the same time!

After the table was cleared everyone was free to do their own thing. There were lots of games to play and if they wanted to, they could easily mingle. Michael still sat at the table, staring at Honey and dreaming. He held his head a little to one side, supporting it by his right hand and Honey knew he was brooding on something.

She sat with Barbara and both hers and Michael’s parents, quietly talking about their business. It seemed after all, that Joseph, in particular, was very interested. Maybe he just wanted to know if she was worthy of his son, Michael thought, while listening to the conversation.

“We will work something out.” her father said. “We will help you if you want to start a business here.”

“Yeah, I have to do something to earn my living. I don’t want to depend on anyone else.”

Joseph nodded in approval. He started to appreciate this girl. At least she wasn’t in it for the money.

“And furthermore, I’m better if I have my own career too pursue. I can’t just stay at home all day, doing nothing. I’m a working class girl. I simply have to work.” At this statement, Michael frowned his eyebrows. She would not make it easy for him to protect her. But that was not something he should worry about today. He stood up and slowly walked to the house. He still had some surprises for her.

“I understand you are an interior decorator ?” Joseph asked.

“Oh, he told you a lot already…”

Katherine looked at Honey with a softness in her eyes, that only mothers had. “Ever since he arrived on Monday, he couldn’t stop talking about you. He loves you so much, it’s almost painful to watch. Please be gentle with him. He deserves it more than anyone.”

“I will, Katherine. I promise you.”

“So you would consider setting up your own store, here in California ?”

Honey looked at Barbara, who nodded fiercely.

“See, Barbara just simply wants me out of her way….”

Barbara punched her playfully. “No, I will miss you, but this is a fine opportunity for us ! I mean, maybe our ideas will be appreciated here too.” she added. “I don’t know how we’re gonna handle all of this, but I’m sure we’ll work something out.”

“Maybe we can give you a hand, when you decide to start a business here. We have lots of friends who are in need of a good interior decorator.”

Honey could imagine that, given the fact how Hayvenhurst was decorated… It was so not her style, but of course that she couldn’t say out loud. And furthermore, she really appreciated them helping her out.

“Wow, Katherine, that would be awesome. Gee thanks…this makes it all so much easier.”

Honey smiled from ear to ear. It came to her which direction she should take. That made it all so much more pleasant. She turned to Michael to share her thoughts but he was nowhere in sight. Maybe he was in the house. She would love to take a look at it but Michael told her that it was not quite ready yet and that he would prefer to show her around some other time, when they were alone.

Looking around, Honey thought she would become happy here. After all, it was a beautiful place. There was still some work to be done but they had time. The house certainly looked beautiful from the outside already…He had bought it with all of the furniture in it but it still needed some more decorating, he said. He promised her that he would wait until she moved in, in order to pick out the fabrics for the curtains and stuff. After all she was specialized in interior decorating. She imagined they would have a lot to argue about. He loved glitters and gold and anything out of the ordinary. She on the other hand, loved all things simple and romantic. She would have some convincing to do….

But the outside was already very beautiful ! Michael hired a landscape architect who turned all of his wishes into reality. He designed many features himself too and that showed already. The place breathed love ! She hadn’t seen much of it yet but the flower beds at the entrance of the main house were awesome and she imagined a lot of work went in it to keep them in perfect shape. The Californian sun was ruthless, as she experienced herself.

Anyway, it would be nice to live in a place where the sun was always shining. She loved Belgium very much but the weather was dreadful. Furthermore, she didn’t think Michael would come to live in Belgium.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hoink hoink!” The sound of a horn blowing next to her, made her jump up ! And not only her ! They turned their heads as one and looked at Michael, sitting behind the wheel of a golf cart, laughing out loud at their startled faces.

“Michael ! “ Katherine scolded at him. “I swear you’re gonna give me a heart attack someday ! Silly boy…”

“Sorry, but no sorry.” He smiled broadly “I came to kidnap my lady ! She’s been in your presence long enough. It’s my turn now.” He jumped out of the golf cart and took Honey’s hand. “My love, please ride with me.”

How could she refuse when he asked her so nicely ? He was so sweet ! She gave him her hand and let him accompany her to her seat.

“Don’t do anything that I wouldn’t do…”

“Make sure to bring her back safely…”

“Go … Mike … go !”

And then they drove off with the joyful cheering of their friends accompanying them until they were are of sight.

“Where are we going to ?” Honey asked curiously.

“I want to show you one of my favorite spots on the ranch. It’s kind of a hide out for me and I hope it will be for the both of us in the future.” He squeezed her hand.

“Ooh, you’re so sweet. But… ehm… just keep your hands on the wheel, sweetie. I would feel more at ease if you did.” And just as she said that, the road took a turn and she slid over to his side of the cart. “Ooooooh… Michael !!”

“No panic ! No panic ! I got it !” He kept laughing at her attempts to stay in her seat while he drove like if he was in dodgem car. And she couldn’t help but laugh with him.

They drove further and further away from the main house. As Neverland unfolded before her eyes, Honey began to understand why Michael was so much in love with these grounds. She herself was in complete awe of the extensiveness of the place. It was a lot bigger than her parent’s estate and there was a lot to see already even if it wasn’t completely finished. But it was the quietness which attracted her the most.

“Wow Michael, I love it here. And it is huge ! I already lost my sense of direction.”

“Haha, typical woman you are !”

“Oooh ! You caveman !” If he hadn’t been driving she would have punched him playfully, but this was not the right time. She would wait patiently to get back at him.

“Heehee, you’re so touchy! My girlfriend is a feminist ! Should I be scared now?!”

“Michaeeeeeeeel, you’re making fun of me !!” she whined, but she laughed too. He was so much fun to be with.

“Well, when we come back here after my tour, I will give you a grand tour of the estate. I’ll show you the house and everything. I’ll take you wherever you want to go. Remember, this is almost like being in free nature. I don’t want you to get lost. There are wild animals here too.”

“Nooo…”

“Yes, there are but I haven’t seen any yet. The only wild animal you will get to see is still in its cage.”

Honey looked puzzled but then he winked and she understood completely. “Oh oh ! Michael ! I thought you were so shy !!!”

“Heehee !” He laughed out loud when he saw her blush. “Don’t worry, Honey ! I have everything under control.”

“Mmm, I wonder…”

Michael stopped the cart and jumped out. “Come, it’s up there.” He pulled her with him, carrying a basket in his other hand. They went up a small hill, completely covered with sycamore trees, which provided shelter from the sun. He turned her to the right.

“See, when you look down, you have a nice overview of the grounds. Look there…there is where I want to build an amusement park.”

“An amusement park? Just for you?”

“No no ! The idea is to entertain the children.”

“What children ? Your nieces and nephews ?”

“Of course. But there is more. I want to give some fun especially to the underprivileged and sick children. I dreamed of this since I was 17. This place is perfect for it ! I’m gonna ask your dad to help me.. What ?” He saw her looking at him as if she’d never seen him before.

“You do love children very much, don’t you ?”

“Well, I do ! They are truthful and innocent. And I tell you something else.. When I look at children, I see the face of god.”

“Oh ! Like that ? We never talked about this before but I really don’t believe in god. At least not as in the creator of things.”

“You don’t ? Wow, how can you not when you see all this ?” He looked at her curiously.

“Well, I guess I believe in other things. I believe in the goodness of people. I believe in love. Does it make a difference to you if I believe in god or not ?” She wondered.

He led her to a clearing between the trees and pulled a big chequered blanket out of the basket. Carefully, he placed it on the ground and gestured her to lower herself to it.

“Actually, it doesn’t make any difference to me, Honey. It’s just a way of interpreting things, I think. Love is all that matters. And I love you just the way you are.”

“Mmm, I love you too, Michael Jackson.”

He smiled sweetly at her, his eyes full of softness.

“I longed to hear you say that for such a long time.” He sighed. “I kept believing this day would come, but I almost gave up on several occasions, Honey…” His voice dropped to almost a whisper. “I’ll never forget the day you married.” He pulled her in his arms and buried his face in her hair. His voice sounded strangled as he continued. “It was Barbara who pulled me through.”

“Ooh, I never knew…”

He shrugged his shoulders and squeezed her tight. It was time to tell her just how much he loved her. It would make him more vulnerable but he also knew that she would never ever take advantage of it. Maybe by telling her this, she would understand why he sometimes acted the way he did. Why he was so overprotective, possessive sometimes.

“I asked her to never ever talk about it. I didn’t want you to worry or to feel guilty. You made your choice at the time and I had to accept it. I tried to respect it. But it was very very difficult.”

The memory of that horrible day was chiseled in his mind. He could still feel the hurt in his heart.

Except for his mother, he had no one to talk to. He really didn’t want anyone to know about Honey. He didn’t even tell his good friend Elisabeth Taylor. But as many people do, in a state of crisis, he turned to one who was on Honey’s side. And actually, he just followed his mother’s request. It was all her idea. She saw him become thinner and thinner every day, as Honey’s wedding came closer. Except for when he was working, he was always up in his room, sitting there alone thinking and probably mourning about his lost love. He never wanted to talk about it, although she frequently asked him to share his feelings, to let it all out. She became very worried. Michael knew for himself that he was not acting normal, but he just couldn’t help himself. It hurt so much ! The only thing that helped him at the time was his work. And he worked very hard, every day, until late at night he dropped to his bed death tired.

The night before the marriage was set, Michael finally broke down. He didn’t have any appointments that day, and thus nothing to do but think. His first day off in weeks and it was devastating ! All day long he had been thinking of her, binding herself to someone else and he had burst out in tears more than once. When the evening came, he was so exhausted of holding back his emotions that he just couldn’t take it anymore. Michael was not a violent man, had never been either, but that night all hell broke loose. Not knowing how to channel his grief, he took his anger to a table lamp first. He simply slammed it to the wall. But that wasn’t enough. He hated himself for letting her go. Fool! When he then saw his reflection in the mirror, he got so angry at himself that he threw a stool at it and the mirror broke into a thousand pieces. When he took the outbreak of his despair to his bedside cabinet, his mother finally decided to intervene. At the noise of him kicking and slamming his furniture, she went upstairs and tried to calm him down. He looked like a man who had just been sentenced to death! He remembered her putting her arms around him and rocking him back and forth like a little baby.

“Michael, Michael… oh come on, my sweet boy…”

He started to sob on his mother’s shoulder. “I can’t take it, mother. I can’t ! I’m going to die!!”

“Oh my baby, you won’t die from this..”

“I will ! My heart aches so much, mother. I feel as if someone’s just stabbed a hole in my chest and is trying to pull it out ! Please, please, make it go away ! I cannot stand it anymore.”

She held him in her arms for more than an hour, trying to ease his grief but nothing she said could comfort him. And she didn’t want to leave him alone. She was scared he would hurt himself.

He remembered his mother’s soft words, her warm soothing embrace, but he also remembered the terrible pain that split his heart in two.

“Michael ! You must stop this madness ! Call her friend ! Now !” And she said that if he would not, she would never leave his room.

So once more, he took his mother’s advice.

At first Barbara didn’t recognize his voice, because it was so weak. Trembling from top to toe, he tried to bring out a coherent sentence but he even didn’t succeed doing that ! Finally his mother took the phone out of his hands and talked to Barbara herself. He forgot what she said to her, or better the words didn’t reach his brain at that point. He was too far away, swallowed by his grief, sitting on the edge of his bed, looking like a madman. And then his mother did something she had never done before ! She simply slapped him in the face ! Not hard, but nevertheless it brought him out of this terrible mood of self-destruction. With his hand on his cheek he looked at her, not understanding why she did that.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart ! You have to stop this ! Here…talk to her ! “ She held out the phone, not leaving him any choice but to put it to his ear.

“Barbara ? It’s me, Michael. I’m so sorry to bother you…”

“Oh Michael ! I’m sorry to hear that you are having such a difficult time.”

“How… how is she ?” he asked, afraid of the answer he would get. He didn’t want to hear about her being happy and joyful on the eve of her marriage. He didn’t want to take in the image of her in a beautiful wedding dress, giving herself away to another man! It should be him next to her, taking that vow of love !

“Michael, I won’t talk about Honey, not right now.” That was the wisest decision Barbara could ever have made. “You talk to me, Michael. Just talk… I’ll listen.”

With his mother holding him and Barbara listening to him, he didn’t feel so lonely anymore. He told her how much he really loved her, how much he tried to convince her not to take this step. But he also told her about his stupidities of rejecting her when they first met, of never sending his letters. He had never told anyone about the letters. They were locked away in a safe place, but the words he had written down, were tattooed on his heart, one by one.

Talking about all of this, finally being able to share what went on inside of him, brought him some relief. Because Barbara was Honey’s best friend, he felt close to her and trusted her opinion. She was able to comfort him in a way, no one else could. The thing that really brought back his hope, was her statement that it wouldn’t last. She almost pleaded him to hang on, to stay persistent.

“It won’t last, Michael ! Don’t ask me how I know. I just do. So please, please, don’t deny her your friendship. Hang in there. I know it won’t be easy but she needs you ! He is not right for her. I tried to talk to her but she simply won’t listen ! Don’t give up on her, Michael.”

Michael sighed and nodded his head. “I won’t, Barbara. I will stay in touch. But right now, I need some time for myself. Will you please be there for me too ? I know I ask a lot …”

“Michael, nothing you ask is too much. I know that you love her truly and I admire how you stayed in touch with her, even though she turned you down.”

“It’s my own fault ! I made a stupid mistake !”

“You tried to change it tho’ ! I know you did. Don’t punish yourself over this. Please believe me, if I say this too shall pass. Michael ?”

“Thank you…” he whispered.

Both his mother and Barbara supported him during the first difficult days and weeks after Honey’s marriage and eventually he made it through. He would never ever forget that. He owed his life to Barbara and Katherine.

Honey saw all different kind of emotions travel Michael’s face. She remembered there had been a fall out between them during a few months around the date of her wedding, but at the time she didn’t worry about it too much. First of all she was preoccupied with her new life and second she thought that Michael was just really busy. But witnessing all these emotions passing by, she realized how hurt he must have been. And when he told her about what happened and how Barbara pulled him through, she almost cried…

“Oh Michael….I’m so sorry. I..”

“No, don’t be, baby.” He gave her a little peck on the lips. “Let’s call it destiny. It had to be this way. I’m sure that if you would have given in to me all those years ago, we would not have been happier. Maybe you would’ve started to doubt or whatever…That would not have been better.” He didn’t sound very convinced but he tried to make her feel better.

She hugged him very close. “Remind me to hug Barbara when we get back. I don’t know how I deserved such a good friend ! How can we ever thank her ?”

“We can’t ! But if she ever needs any support what so ever, we will make it happen, won’t we ? For now, we’re gonna do our best to make this relationship a success. That’s the least we can do after all her trouble.”

“You’re sweet…”

She pulled him closer to her, if that was even possible, and brushed his lips with hers. Immediately he locked onto her and they lost themselves into a long passionate kiss. Finally he managed to pull himself away from her a little. He breathed heavily but he still had to give her another surprise.

“Baby…I have another present for you. It’s an early birthday gift. I wanted to wait at first but since you’ll be home by then, I want you to have it right now.” Her birthday was only on November the 24^th, next Thursday, but by then she would already be in Belgium again. And he wanted her to wear it now, when she was still in his presence.

“But…you have given me so much already.”

“No, I haven’t.”

“I mean, this day ! It’s wonderful ! You invited my friends and family…”

He pulled a little wooden box out of the basket and presented it to her.

“C’mon open it !” he urged her. “I think you’ll love it !”

When she carefully opened the little box it uncovered a beautiful necklace, with different charms, with a key, and a little heart that was engraved on both sides.

One side said : “I’ll be here until your heart stops beating”

And the other side said : “For Honey, the key to my heart. Forever Michael.”

“Oooh Michael ! This is beautiful ! I love it !” She let him put it around her neck. “How does it look ?” She tried to look down at it, moving her head from left to right and back. He thought that at that moment, she was the loveliest girl he had ever seen.

“You make that necklace so gorgeous…Come here…”

He pulled her close and tumbled down onto the blanket with her in his arms. His lips immediately covered hers with the passion he had held in before. His tongue started to play a game with hers, teasing, licking, sucking, while his eyes drank in her soft features. He drew her on top of his body, her buttocks cupped in a firm grip from both of his hands.

“It has been too long, baby. This week was pure torture for me. My hands, caring and nursing but not allowed to touch you any further. God !! I still don’t know how I managed…That one time was not merely enough. I want more !”

His teeth pulled at the soft skin in her neck, next to the necklace, while his breath was gaining speed. Desire ruled as he turned her around quickly and pinned her down with his body. It was as if he was all hands, caressing, squeezing, stroking. He drove his hips into hers, leaving no doubt in her mind of what he really wanted.

“You’re so beautiful today. Ahw, I want you so much.” he whispered in her ear. “You cannot imagine…how I feel ! I want to love you, baby. Right here and right now…”

“But… We’re in open air, Michael…” She blushed fiercely at the thought of them lying naked under the blue Californian sky. Well almost… The sycamore trees provided them with enough privacy. They were invisible from up above, at least.

“This is where we must be today. I feel it. And I really don’t care…Feel how I want you, baby.” He pushed himself even more into her and she felt his desire hot and thick against her center. He slowly opened the zipper of her dress and started to pull. “The sun can’t burn you now, Honey… but I will. Ooh, I will ! Can it be that I’ve got the hots for you, baby ?” He giggled. “Why did I ever choose this dress ?” He struggled a bit longer with the zipper but then finally managed to pull it down. She didn’t stand a chance when Michael got passionate like this.

She laughed at his anxiety, put her arms around his neck and pulled him back down to her.

“You’re pretty hot yourself, mister. But oooh…this is making me shy.”

“Do you feel the air on your body ? It is loving you, just like me. Nature is breathing on you. Can you feel it?” His passion simply consumed her. “I would love to be the air around your body. Then I could embrace you all the time, all over.”

“Oh Michael ! ”

“Maybe you’re worried at being caught…” he whispered.

Now, why did he say that ? It had crossed her mind. Imagine someone running in to them… Ooh, that thought was sooo very exciting and she suddenly felt like a kid with forbidden candy. That was definitely a turn-on ! And her candy was Michael ! Mmm…He softly massaged her breasts through the fabric of her bra, making her want him the same way he wanted her. The speed of her breath was increasing steadily, the excitement beneath her skin growing. When she curved her body to grant him better access he swiftly took her bra off.

“Mmm, you taste so good…” he whispered against her nipples, gently sucking them. As he retreated a little, in place came a soft breeze, caressing them and she held back her breath at the exquisite feeling.

“Ahw, this feels good…”

“I knew you would like it…” he murmured. “This is true freedom. When we come to live here, we should do this more often. I’m gonna love you sooo much !”

His kiss deepened and his touch intensified even more.

“I wanna see you..” His fingers walked towards her panties and swiftly took them down. She realized that she now only wore the necklace but Michael, on the other hand, was still fully dressed. The feeling of the rough fabric of his jeans against her legs and the buttons of his shirt touching the soft skin of her belly, aroused her even more but she wanted to see him too. She knew that the tiny hairs on his legs and the hardness of his bare chest would only add up to the lust she felt for him right now. So she decided not to wait any longer and began to unbutton his shirt.

“Sit up, Michael…”

He gladly obeyed and she pulled his shirt from his shoulders and then his t-shirt over his head, revealing his smooth chest. He was one of those men who had just the right amount of chest hair, not too much but just enough to make him all man ! She tickled his tiny nipples, which reacted immediately, and let her hand roam to the waistband of his trousers. He looked at her with anticipation and she knew she could not disappoint him. With only one hand she undid the button of his jeans and with the other hand she pushed him back down on his back. She slowly put her hand in his jeans, teasing his manhood through the fabric of his underwear. He moved himself against her hand, and the sound of his moans made it obvious that she was doing the right thing. He appreciated her actions very much, very much indeed.

“Ooooh Honey, you make me lose my mind.”

“Then lose your clothes for me, Michael. Be free, like me.” She started to push down his jeans, and his briefs at the same time, and he helped her gladly by lifting his hips up.

“Baby, this is almost as good as swimming naked.”

She chuckled. “You swam naked ?”

“No, but I can imagine.”

“I did… once… in Spain.”

Michael’s eyes grew all big. “Heehee, that I didn’t expect of you. You like to live on the wild side…” He chuckled.

“I was a little drunk. Not too much but still. It was lovely… There is nothing like the feeling of the water against your naked skin, touching you at places where you are normally covered by clothes.”

“Like the wind now… ? Feel how it touches us, Honey.”

Now they were both naked, except for the necklace. In the bright daylight there was nothing to hide. His hands roamed her body while his eyes travelled with them, drinking in every curve they encountered. His thumbs brushed her nipples, making them ready for his lips to meet. When he began sucking them eagerly like he wanted to get under her skin, she pushed up to meet his body. As he didn’t give in right away to make them one, she folded one hand around his growing manhood and tried to persuade him to fill her needs now. Releasing her breast, he looked down at himself encased by her hand and then back to her eyes. He bit on his lower lip and let his long fingers travel the curve of her hips, to her upper thighs and then they disappeared between her legs.

“Remember what I said, Honey ? You will never forget this until the day you die…”

He buried his fingers in the warm folds between her legs and gently started to caress her. His lips caught hers in a deep kiss, his big eyes looking at her, only a few inches away. It was as if he was learning her by heart. And it felt sooo good. His hand and tongue were moving at the same rhythm and he drove her crazy. She would’ve screamed but his mouth prevented her from doing, so instead she moaned against his lips.

“Do you want me to kiss you, Honey ?” he asked, his nose against hers, his eyes peering into hers.

“You are kissing… ooooh…. “ she understood and sucked in her lips.

He took this as a yes and lowered his head, placing soft open mouth kisses all the way down to his goal. When he locked his lips to her most secret place, her body jerked up and she held on to his long curly hair. Lying there in the open-air, seeing the blue sky through the treetops, being touched by this incredible man in such an erotic way, made her mind fly away. It was impossible to describe what he did to her ! The knot in her lower area began to unwind and spread out through her entire body. Only one more touch of Michael would push her over the edge and when his fingers joined his mouth and entered the center of her desire, searching for her most sensitive spot, she screamed out his name.

“Michael, oh my god, Michael !” This was really too much for her and she almost started to cry. She pulled on his hair and he could do nothing else but let loose. He came back to her mouth and kissed her softly. “I told you, you would not forget this…but I haven’t finished yet. Let me come to you and free us both.” he whispered hoarsely.

He rolled on top of her body and nestled his thighs between her legs. He put his hand next to her head and kissed her once more. First little tiny pecks, while he positioned himself at her entrance and then while their kiss deepened, he slowly pushed himself in. Her warmth and wetness welcomed him and he lost all notion of time and place. From that point on, he was only a bundle of pure emotions.

“Oooh Honey, you feel so good… I waited so long. God, I love you so much !”

Their love making was different than before. Michael was wild and a little rough, without holding back any of the feelings that had built up inside him during the past few days. His cries of excitement filled the air around them and made her feel unique and wanted. Seeing this beautiful and loving human being, lose himself completely in her presence, filled her with utter bliss. And in these natural surroundings, it fitted perfectly. They were lovebirds, flying up to the sky, to paradise and back.

“I don’t want to return…” Michael sighed when he laid himself next to her, completely fulfilled. “I want to stay here forever, making love to you, hour after hour, day after day, till eternity.”

She pushed herself up to one elbow and caressed his cheek with the fingers of her right hand. His face, with his dreamy eyes and his puffed up lips, all red from kissing her, was more beautiful than ever. He closed his eyes at her touch and kissed the palm of her hand.

“I love you more each day of my life. I do.”

“Ahw Mikey, I love you too. I will spend the rest of my life making sure you will never forget.”

“Does that include, ironing my shirts, sewing on buttons, making the bed ?” He teased her.

“Nooooooooo !! You… you caveman !! I will not ! I can’t even cook a decent meal ! I’m not a good housewife at all. If you want me for that, you are going to be soooo disappointed !”

“You can’t cook ? You are a woman !”

“Mikey, we are not living in the middle-ages anymore. Where did you get that idea ?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “My mother took good care of us !”

“So did mine, but neither yours nor mine were slaves to their household.”

“Oooh ! You brought some ideas to my head !”

“I can imagine… let me tell you this. I’m not gonna iron your shirts but I’ll kiss you every day. I’m not gonna sew on any button, but whenever I see you, I’ll hug you. And then I’m certainly not gonna make the bed, but you know what ? I’ll lay with you and make love to you until the day we die.”

“Oh baby, I love you for making me complete…These are the most beautiful promises anyone has ever made to me.” he whispered in her ear “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”

His voice made her liquefy and she rolled herself on top of him.

And she began to sing : “♫Do that to me one more time, once is never enough…♪”

In order to stop her singing, he obeyed with pleasure.

When they finally gathered enough courage to go back, the sun already had begun to set. Michael, thoughtful as ever, when it came to her wellbeing, brought along some toiletries. She laughed out loud, as she realized that it had always been his intention to make love at her, here in Neverland, under the blue skies. He even brought her perfume with him.

“Oh Michael, you’re something!!”

“Well, a guy must come up for his rights…” He kindly zipped up her dress. ”And I just could not wait until tonight.”

“Are we all going back then ? Where will my parents stay?”

“Don’t worry. They will go back with us to Hayvenhurst and stay until you have to go back home too. Your friends and your brother will stay in a hotel near Hayvenhurst. If they want to they can come visit us, but they can do some sightseeing too of course. It’s all up to them. But for you, you have no choice…” He pulled her close.

“I haven’t?”

“Nope, don’t want you out of my sight. Promise me you will be with me until we have to part again. I just can’t bear to be by myself for the next few days.”

What could she say?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After they said goodbye to family and friends, Honey, Michael, and their parents flew back to Hayvenhurst with the helicopter. Honey hated leaving Neverland. She loved every corner of it and had never felt as much at ease anywhere else before. It was as if she had already known the place for years. It really felt as if she had come home today. But it was Michael’s intention to bond their parents. For some reason he needed that to make the family feeling complete. Or maybe he just wanted to spend some more time with Honey’s parents. Honey realized that he appreciated their presence very much. He must really like them, she thought.

And their parents came along just fine, although Joseph was not an easy man to talk to. He didn’t like to chit chat. But then again, being in business himself, Nick knew how to handle tough customers. He sensed that Joseph was interested in his business affairs and he told him all about their amusement park at the Belgian seaside, from where it developed to their future plans. At this point Michael too was listening very carefully. He did have some ideas about the rides he wanted to buy for Neverland but professional advice would always come in handy. Nick was the right man to turn to. After all he had years and years of experience.

“Michael, if I were you I would buy them second hand.” Nick answered him.

“I didn’t know that was possible. I never thought it could ! What about safety ?”

“Of course they are safe ! Trust me ! First of all they need to supply you with a certification but if you need more certainty you can call in the knowledge of a true professional. I can provide you with names of the best men in the business. But of course only if you want me to help you. I don’t want to impose anything.”

“Oh no, you’re not ! I appreciate this very much ! Thanks ! I’ll let you know as soon as I have figured out what I want.”

“You’re crazy, boy.” Joseph proclaimed. He pointed with his finger to his temple, shaking his head. “There is something seriously wrong with you. Who in his right mind, wants to build an entertainment park in his backyard ?! And not even for professional use ! What are you to gain by this ?”

Humiliated by his father’s demeanor, Michael visibly shrank into himself. His teeth clenched together, he turned his head to the window and tried to mask the wetness that suddenly blurred to his eyes. Why did his father do this to him every time ?! He felt like that scared little boy once again. How could he do that to him ? He worked so hard to make his dreams come true ! Why couldn’t Joseph just let him be happy ? Why was he so mean ? And why could he himself could not respond properly ? Even now, when he was an adult and had built an empire of his own, Joseph still had some kind of power over him, and could make him feel like a little child, without an opinion of his own.

At first there was an awkward silence in the cabin, but then Nick cleared his throat and started to talk. He carefully picked out his words, trying not to offend either one of them. He sensed Michael’s hurt but he realized that if he would simply stand up for him, and “punch Joseph in the face, as he actually preferred to do, things wouldn’t get any better for father or son.

“Mmm, Joseph, I think Michael’s idea is not that crazy. It’s not common to do such thing, but then again your son is a very special person. Who else but him could show to the world how important children are to our future ? There are already a lot of organizations gathering money for children, doing all kinds of charity work. But who has ever build an amusement park for poor and disabled children to enjoy without the extra cost for their parents ?”

“Mmm but now it will cost us…” Joseph grumbled.

“Yeah, I understand your concern but is there any greater publicity ? The public will support this every way and record sales will rise. You should consider that too.”

“Mmm, that’s another way of looking at it.” Joseph reluctantly admitted.

“And it is tax-deductible…” Nick declared.

Honey could’ve just kissed her dad right there and then. Feeling Michael’s grief she had taken his hand into hers and he clung to it for support, facing away to the window after his father proclaimed his “craziness”. But as he heard Nick defend him in such a mature and loving way, he slowly brought himself back. He didn’t say anything but he looked into Nick’s eyes and he knew this man would be there for him and Honey for always. He could be the father he never had, someone to look up to but who didn’t look down on him. When he was a child, he didn’t know how a real father should be. He had a manager, not a dad. He had no friends either so how could he ever compare ? But as he grew up, and met with men like Berry Gordy or Quincy Jones, he realized how it should have been and he resented Joseph of having him deprived of the love between father and son. He always felt that his father only considered him the golden child, the money maker, a financial insurance.

And here was a man, who didn’t care about how famous or wealthy he was. He liked him, simply Michael, and he cared. And it was his own sweet Honey who brought this new gained happiness to him.

As their fathers continued discussing the pro’s and contra’s of setting up a charity business like this, Michael lost himself in Honey’s eyes once again. They didn’t say anything but talked all the same, without words.

“I love you.” she said.

“I love you more.” he answered.

“I love you most.” her eyes said again.

But he won : “I love you more than most.

At Hayvenhurst they had a late time dinner, nothing too fancy, just something to get them through the night. They all felt like relaxing and chatting. Well not all… Michael didn’t want to stay in his father’s presence for much longer. But polite as he was, he wanted to be a good host to Honey’s parents and he didn’t want to disappoint any of them. Ever since his father’s harsh words, he regretted not staying at Neverland with her. But then again, she wouldn’t be with her parents right now and he knew how much she appreciated their presence in his home. She truly loved the family life. Furthermore, at Neverland, the guest rooms weren’t ready yet so he really didn’t have any choice. So, he tried not to think about his father’s words.

On the other hand, he enjoyed listening to the sweet conversation between Veronica and Katherine. They talked as if they always had been friends and that had been his purpose ever since he invited Honey’s parents to L.A.. After dinner they decided to seat themselves in the living room. Michael and Honey stayed a little behind only because Michael held back their pace. As soon as their parents disappeared out of sight, he pulled Honey into a dark corner of the great entrance hall.

“I want you so much…” he whispered in her ear.

“Michael ! Behave !”

“Oh baby, you don’t know what you do to me. You sit, I want you. You stand, I want you. You speak, I want you. You …”

“Shht…you’re making me blush.”

“I love your blushing… Ahw Honey, let me kiss you…”

“You’re gonna get us into trou….”

But before she could finish her sentence, he came down to her, taking over her mouth. His lips moved over hers, sucking at her lower lip and softly biting. His tongue entwined with hers and started this game of moving slow and then fast and the slow again.

He was driving her crazy only by kissing her ! And himself too. She could clearly feel his excitement pushing against her thigh.

She pulled herself away from him, completely out of breath and rested her head against his chest.

“You should stop this, Michael. We have to go in and behave.”

“I don’t want to… I want to slowly undress you… I want to kiss your shoulders. Argh, and thinking about your breasts, for me to hold and squeeze…”

“Michael… Stop right now ! Oh my god ! You’re insatiable !”

He grinned. “Huh huh, I am…”

At long last, they regained their breath and straightened their clothes. They marched into the living room as two soldiers, aware of their duties. Tonight they would earn a medal for good behavior. 

As Michael feared, Katherine was showing Veronica and Nick all of the pictures of her grandchildren. She was a proud granny ! And there were a lot of pictures, enough to drive Michael crazy, for real this time. How much longer could he last like this ?

“And this is Brandi… doesn’t she look sweet ? You saw her earlier today… The little girl with the red dress.”

“Oh yes, she was gorgeous. You must be very proud !”

“I am ! Being a grandparent is just pure fun ! You don’t have to raise them, just enjoy them ! You’ll see, when your time comes, you will love every minute of it.”

“I would love to be a grandmother !” Veronica said enthusiastically. “But as you know, us parents, have nothing to say in that matter.” She smiled and looked at Honey, who sat on the floor now, leaning against Michael’s legs, his hands gently rubbing her shoulders.

Both Michael and her had been following their conversation attentively.

“Don’t you look at me, mama.” She laughed. “I have a brother too ! Why can’t he provide you with grandchildren ?”

Michael’s hand on her shoulders tightened and she looked up at him. She lightly patted his hands. “We will have children sometime in the future but there are some things to get out of the way first.” and she thought by herself “Like a husband..”

 Her father immediately understood what she meant to say and he reassured her.

“Honey, you shouldn’t worry about that right now. It will all turn out just fine.”

“I hope so… It’s really getting to me ! I wish the divorce was over already ! I want those papers to be signed ! Stupid Belgian laws ! Urgh !”

She was so sweet, Michael thought. She sounded just like a little girl who didn’t get what she wanted when she wanted it. Patience was not her middle name. He kissed her on the top of her head, mumbling into her ear. “It will all be good, baby. We’ll just have to be patient.”

“Anyone care for coffee ?” Katherine asked.

Nick and Veronica nodded but Michael raised himself from the couch, pulling Honey up to his chest.

“You’ll have to excuse us, mother. I don’t want any coffee. I just want to get some rest. It has been a long day, after all.” He looked at Honey. “Is that alright with you?”

Only she heard the undertone in his voice.

“Sure, I’m tired too.”

They both said goodnight to their parents and retreated to Michael’s room.

Honey had been staying in his room for several days now and she had enjoyed every minute of it. It already felt like living together all the same. This was their little hide out, a place where they could be alone together at last. It was fun doing all kind of random things by the two of them too, like brushing their teeth together, showering together… She loved to do his hair ! He had such beautiful long hair ! She was sooo jealous of his because hers wasn’t even worth combing. It was just too short ! But he brushed it with his fingers as if she had long curly locks. Sweet thoughtful man !

Tonight, after they had passed all the necessary rituals they crept into bed together. No need to say, Honey was actually really tired. She cuddled up to Michael immediately, seeking her favorite place to sleep, with her face on his chest, right next to his armpit. His skin was real soft there and it was as if this part of his body was just made for her. She fitted in perfectly.

She sighed of contentment. It had been a very emotional day and she was glad to let her mind finally come to rest. But it seemed that he had something else in mind.

He pulled her upwards so that his face leveled hers. His eyes sought her dark brown pools, glowing in the darkness, catching just that little streak of moonlight that enlightened his room.

“Are you sleepy yet?” he asked, putting a little peck on her nose.

“Mmm…why?” She scooted back down to her favorite spot and her arms crept around his waist, for her to hold through the night.

“I told you I want you…”

“I know, but I’m so tired.” She yawned and he rolled his eyes. Although she could not see his face from where she laid, she knew he did so. His body language had no secrets for her.

“Okay, you win.” he indulged. “For now… But there is something else I want from you either way.”

“As long as I don’t have to move anymore…”

“Ah ! You’re just lazy !”

“I am not ! I’m really really tired. I just wanna hold you and dream of you.”

His heart skipped a beat. That was so sweet of her. He got a lot of fanmail, girls admitting they dreamt of him every night, but hearing it from the love of his life, really did him well.

“And I , I don’t wanna fall asleep and miss this precious time with you. I’m gonna hate it when you leave. So, you don’t have to move. Let’s just talk a little. Okay ?” His lips kissed her head. Her hair tickled his chin and he blew it away a little.

“Michael…” she complained.

“What ? I ain’t doin’ nothing.” he smiled because she sounded just like a child, whining because it was tired.

“Don’t blow my hair. It feels weird.”

“Ha ha, you’re like a cat. They don’t like it either when you blow their hair.”

“Miaouw…”

He giggled and hugged her tight. “You’re my kitty cat… with nails that scratch my back when…”

“Michael !”

“Kiss me, kitty cat…”

She put a little peck on his lips but when he pouted because that little kiss just wasn’t enough, she put her arms around his neck and locked their lips together. She could really lose herself when they kissed and this time was no exception. Michael was a master kisser and he made her forget how exhausted she was ! He laughed under his breath when she retreated and tried hard to catch her breath. In the meantime he had also managed to put on the bedside lamp so that he could see her too. Their time together was precious and he didn’t want to miss a thing.

“Ahw ! Look at you…. A sexy little kitty cat in my bed…Luckily you have no whiskers…” he laughed.

“Haha, you really think you’re funny, don’t you ?”

“No, according to my father, I’m crazy.”

“Ahw… sweetie ! He did hurt you, didn’t he ?”

Michael sighed and he turned his face from her, trying to hide the sudden sadness in his eyes. But she didn’t allow him to retreat from her and pushed herself up so that she could put both of her hands to his cheeks and pull him towards her. She hated to see the corners of his beautiful mouth falling downwards.

Her lips touched his very slowly, in a loving and encouraging little kiss. “Michael, sweetie, talk to me. You know I’m here for you. He hurt you, didn’t he ?”

“You have no idea, Honey… Sometimes I wonder if he even loves me at all. And this was nothing yet. The things he said to me when I was a child… I cannot imagine your father telling you, you are ugly. He did, Honey, so many times. He made fun of my nose all the time. I was a little boy, growing up.. Of course my nose was big, I had to grow into it, just like other kids have to grow into their feet or hands or whatever. Some kids are chubby and they turn out just fine when they grow up. Other kids look like beanpoles. I was no exception.”

Honey started to caress his chest very softly, trying to comfort him. She could feel his pain. On the other hand, she was so glad he was finally sharing some of his strongest emotions. She learnt more about him today then in all the years before.

“Did your father ever beat you, Honey ?”

“Well, no not really. My parents were strict when we were little but I can’t remember a spanking. Anyway, I was much too fast ! They couldn’t catch me.” she chuckled.

“My father beat us with his belt or with a stick…”

“Oooh sweetie, I’m so sorry.” She kissed his chest and saw his flesh immediately react to her touch, getting covered with goose bumps. He was so sweet… she could eat him but right now it was his time to talk. And she had forgotten about her tiredness too…

“He was real mean to us sometimes. And I was just a young child. I can’t get it of my mind, you know, even if I want to.”

“I’m here for you, Michael. I’m listening.”

“You witnessed how he treats me, even now being an adult and all… He used to do that all the time when we were younger.”

Honey softly caressed his shoulder, then his upper arm and let her hand trail down to his, to hold it firmly.

“He used to work in a steel mill, you know. It must have been tough, feeding all of us, clothing us, giving us a roof over our heads. Our house was much too small for all of us too. I can only imagine that he wanted to live a better life. And he definitely wanted it to be better for his children. It’s true! He made it work ! I owe it all to him. If he hadn’t persisted like he did, I would not be here with you. I would have never come to Europe. I would never have met you.”

“Michael, you don’t know that.”

He shook his head. “I owe him. A lot. However… the end doesn’t justify the means, does it ? His ways of getting what he wanted, really really hurt me a lot. We all had our talents but they always told me I stood out. And he used that to attain his goal. I’m really trying to understand that. He wanted to stretch our talents as much as he could, but he should have treated us better. He was rough, with all of us, not just me. He wanted us to be on top of the world and he did anything to accomplish this. Anything Honey ! He worked hard, but we worked just as hard. Too hard for such young children. I mean, I was just a small boy ! I wanted to have a good time. When other children were playing, we were rehearsing till late at night. And then we still had to do our school work. I remember being exhausted all the time. And when we had to go on a trip, doing gigs all over the place, I missed home so much.”

“Poor baby…”

“Sometimes I felt like a schizophrenic. I loved performing, I loved the singing and dancing. I loved the stage too. So I’m not sure if I would have wanted it any other way. I didn’t know any better. On the other hand, I loved to go out and play, just like any other kid.”

“And he beat you ….”

“Yeah… I know …that was really awful ! I felt so humiliated at times ! You have no idea. Did you ever get bullied ? I guess not…. It’s hard on a child… Even now, whenever my father says I’m crazy or whatever, I feel like that little child again. He puts me down in a way no one else can. And… all I ever wanted was his approval.”

“Michael ?”

“Yes…”

“I’m sure he admires you a lot ! I saw that in his eyes when we were at Neverland !”

“Then why doesn’t he tell me that ?”

“One day he will, sweetie. He’s just a product of his upbringing too. He had to be tough when he was younger. Maybe he never learnt how to express his feelings. And when you guys rolled into showbiz he couldn’t risk to let his emotions in, I guess.”

“You think so ?” He clung to her emotionally and Honey knew she could not let him down. He needed her.

“I’m sure of it. People of his generation were raised not to show any of their feelings, you know.”

“But your parents…”

“Are much younger than yours and they grew up in wealth. That is a big difference. I’m sure your father loves you. He just doesn’t know how to show it. Maybe, you should let him be and accept him for what he is. In time he will do the same with you.”

“But your father immediately saw the positive side…why can’t mine ?”

“Maybe you should stop questioning him ? He doesn’t know any better.”

She felt him shrug his shoulders and almost heard him think.

“Michael… I’m not taking his side. Don’t ever think that. He doesn’t treat you as he should and I don’t like that. I resent him for that. But I don’t want you to feel down whenever he makes a remark like that. And shall I tell you why ? Because… obviously you don’t see it yourself.”

“If you insist…”

“Michael, come on ! You are the greatest entertainer that ever lived ! Can’t you see that ? You have millions of fans all over the world. Some follow you wherever you go. They love you very much.”

“I know…I appreciate them. Don’t ever think I don’t. I have the most wonderful fans in the world.”

“And you are part of this big loving Jackson family. They love you a lot, you know. To them you are a son, a brother, an uncle, a cousin. You provided your mother and father with a beautiful home. You support your brothers and sisters if necessary.”

“True… son, brother, uncle, cousin… And I want to be a better father than mine.”

“You will be. I’m sure !”

“Will I ever be ? You know, a father…. “

“Ooh sweetie, you know you will.”

“Next year ?”

“Or the year after next year… Does it really matter ?”

“No, but I have been thinking about this for a long time now. Maybe I want kids so much because I want to prove that I can be a better father than Joseph …”

They were silent for a while, both in their own thoughts. Then she started talking again.

“Do you want to know what else I see ?”

“Yes please…” He kissed her on her head again. She felt him giving in to her plea. His body relaxed and his hands slowly crept around her shoulders again.

“I see a man, a beautiful handsome man. A sweet and loving guy. A man with a big heart, overflowing with kindness for mankind. I see someone who is capable of a love so deep that it brings the tears to my eyes.”

“Ahw, Honey…”

Her voice lowered and sounded a bit teasing now. “Before my very eyes, I see this lovely sexy human being, all man, from his big long toes up to the crown of his head. I feel the body of a man, soft where he should be and hard where I want him to be… I see a man with eyes that make me melt with one glance. What you do to me with those big brown eyes… Oooh, I don’t know if I can tell you that !”

His eyes grew big as he heard her speak so bluntly and then he giggled, covering his face in the palms of his hands.

“Do not pretend as if you are innocent, Michael squeaky clean Jackson ! You are definitely not !” She laughed when he removed his hands from his face and unexpectedly started to tickle her. “Don’t !!! Michaeeeeeeeel…. Aaah !! “

“Tell me… what do I do to you then when I look at you ?” He hovered over her, pinning her down with his body and his hands running over her sides.

“Pleaaaaaaase … Stop tickling !”

“Will you tell me then ?” he asked with laughter in his voice. Thank god, he was laughing again.

“Mmm… NOOOOOOO STOP IT !! AAH ! Okay, you win ! I’ll tell you !”

“I’m listening.” He laid on his side, with one arm bend and his head leaning on his hand.

She took a deep breath. “Okay, here I go.”

“Waiting…”

“Don’t interrupt me or I won’t tell you anything !”

He wiggled his fingers as if he wanted to tickle her again.

“Okay okay…When you look at me, I start to blush… And I swear not only my face is blushing then. You make me blush all over… You know that. And then I heat up, slowly…. When those big pools of dark brown chocolate roam over me, I simply ache for your touch.”

She sounded as if she needed fresh air and he did just as she had been describing. His eyes lowered from her flushed face down to her shoulders, over her bare chest to her stomach. She resisted the urge to cover herself with the sheets as she could felt her breasts swelling just because he looked at them. She swore he used magic on her! When he looked back into her eyes, he winked. He knew exactly what he was doing!

“You are a bad boy, Michael… “ her voice lowered to a sexy whisper. “You haven’t even touched me and I feel hot as hell.”

He hooked a finger behind the sheets and gently started to move it downwards.  “I wanna know from you … Where are you burning, Honey ? Tell me..” he whispered, slowly moving closer. “If you tell me, I promise to make it go away…”

“Michael…” She looked at his finger, who travelled down her stomach very slowly, taking the sheet with him. “You knoooow…”

“I want YOU to tell ME…” His breath tickled her ear and his lips left a hot trail from her earlobe to her cheek. “You’re not shy, are you ?” he playfully asked her.

“Stop teasing…And I am not !”

His finger painted circles around her belly button, each turn enlarging the circles, and therefore coming closer to her lower body area. She almost lifted herself of the bed in order to meet his hand to quench the desire that was building up inside of her.

His tongue slowly licked her lips, promising a sweet kiss. She tried to capture his mouth but every time she was near, he pulled back.

“Nooo…” he softly refused. “Not until you tell me where…”

She looked down at his hand and giggled. “You’re very near.”

“Is this the hot-cold game, you’re playing ?” he teased.

His eyes stared into hers and his face was so close that she could see the different colors of brown in his irises. She held back her breath as she felt his finger once again pushing the sheet back. His lips gently touched hers fully but still he didn’t make any attempt to meet her in the kiss she wanted from him. Instead he insisted to get an answer from her.

“C’mon Honey, tell me. Am I getting there ?”

“You’re warm …”

His finger moved a little more downwards.

“Warmer…” she moaned. “Please Michael…”

“You’re so sweet. I didn’t know you were shy.”

She shook her head. “I told you, I’m not.”

“So, why don’t you tell me ? Your mouth isn’t only made for kissing, you know ?” He laughed a little at the thought of her not being able to speak at times. “On the other hand… could be a relief sometimes…”

She slapped him softly on the head. “You love to talk to me, Michael ! Who is the one who wants to know everything about me ? But I can tell you, this time, words just aren’t enough. Instead I can show you. Does that count ?”

“Mmm, what shall I say ?” He grinned. “Alright then, show me. Take me there, baby.”

She nodded. ”But please, kiss me while I do…”

His eyes softened as he bent over to her and finally let his tongue meet hers. She sighed in his mouth while she pushed his hand down, over her stomach, softly brushing the few tender hairs that lead to the warm place between her legs.

“Can you feel it, Michael ? I’m burning for you…” she whispered against his lips. “You can make this heat go away, for now. But it will always come back because…” and she took his hand to her chest to where her heart was beating. “the real fire burns right here and there is no way you can quench this.”

INTERLUDE

Michael never felt loved like this before. He adored the sexual interaction between them but when she clearly connected both the physical and spiritual attraction they had for each other, it made him float as if he were on a cloud. She was his baby, his one and only and he would prove that to her.

“I love you so much, Honey. I will show you. Just lay back and enjoy.”

He hovered over her, using his body as a natural brush. He moved his upper torso up and down, and from left to right, caressing hers. The little hairs on his chest, which weren’t too many, softly tickled her breasts and made her nipples erect. He knew she didn’t like men with too much chest hair so he counted himself very lucky. He saw her struggling to keep her eyes straight, but finally she gave in to the intimate dance he was performing above her and allowed herself to retreat into her own little world of desire.

“You love that, don’t you?” he huskily whispered.

Her reply was a simple moan, coming from deep down in her throat. She tried to pull him closer but he stretched his arms even further so that now only their lower torsos were touching. There was only the thin white sheet between them. Nothing much, but too much for Michael.

“Remove it…” he didn’t speak those words out loud but his eyes made clear what he wanted. They were burning hot into hers, revealing only one second of the heaven he was promising her, before he lowered his eyelashes. That one glance was enough. She slowly took away the sheet between them, her knuckles accidently brushing against his enlarged manhood. At that touch his breath was cut off and he lowered himself to her immediately, pulling the sheet out of her hands and tossing it to the side of the bed. He kissed her so profoundly that it was as if she was his lifeline, his oxygen tank.

Still with his lips firmly on hers, he rolled over with her so that now she was on top. With both of his hands he pushed against her shoulders. She had no choice but to take some distance from his warm body and lean on her hands.

He looked at her breasts like they were juicy round apples and licked his lips. His large hands covered her butt cheeks and he started to push her up.

“Michael ?” She was not sure what he wanted from her. He was always full of surprises and he found out many new ways to keep their love game excited. Tonight was no exception. Honey still remembered how shy he was when he stepped into the shower with her the first time. He changed a lot since then ! And all for the good.

He pushed her all up against his body until her breasts were at mouth height (his mouth of course) and then gently curled his lips around one of her nipples. Not wanting to choose between the two of them he soon turned to the other. It was as if he was licking an ice cream upside down, in this case two ice creams at the same time. And he was greedy ! He opened his mouth wide taking in as much as he could, his tongue circling the dark peaks and playfully teasing first one and then the other. He was driving her crazy.

Honey moaned and moved her hips over his belly, making him aware of the garden of Eden that was waiting there for him. He removed one hand from her lower back and gently made his way to her moist and warm flesh. His fingers found their way to the heaven between her legs and he sighed as he realized she was more than ready for him.

“You’re so wet…” he whispered once again, while burying his fingers deep into her folds and stroking her firmly with his hand wide open. He put in all the knowledge he had about her body reactions and left no doubt to where he was heading.

“Am I doing good ?” he asked.

The only answer that came from her was a loud moan, just before her body shuddered as she reached her climax. It came so unexpectedly that she herself was completely surprised by it. Her arms collapsed from under her and she fell into him, breathlessly stammering his name.

He loved where his face was right now, flanked by her soft breasts, but this time he needed her somewhere else. He gently pulled her back down, sliding her over his waiting erection and gasped as her continuous contractions massaged him while entering. Her movements were slow as she was still wallowing in the aftermath of the pleasures he provided her, but actually that was just what he had been aiming for, a slow but powerful encounter.

His hips pushed her up, his hands pulled her back down, in a steady rhythm, determined to find his own relief. Deeper and deeper he went, making it clear that she was the only object of his desire. Her name was on his lips when finally he sped up his pace. This time she was stroking his body with hers, moving to all sides, just the way he liked so much. His dark eyes reflected the lust he felt for her, his mouth was telling her that he loved her. The combination of these two emotions was irresistible and drove him further down his path to completion.  When he arrived at his peak, he buried his fingers into her soft buttocks. She would surely come out of this “blue printed”, so to speak. But she would wear his mark proudly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Honey tried not to think about their departure. Whenever she did, she felt an utter grieve coming over her. It took all of her strength to not break down and cry. They were to leave on Wednesday but these last two days were merely enough for them. For the first time in years she finally felt as if she had come home, right into his loving arms. She didn’t want to go back to just phone calls, the both of them separated by thousands of miles. Even the knowledge that they had their entire life laying before them could not solace her! Her heart was pulled out at the thought of leaving him behind, now that she finally had met the man he really was. Because, after Neverland, nothing was ever going to be the same ! His true spirit was all over the place and even though it still wasn’t completely finished, she knew that this was where Michael Jackson belonged. At Neverland, the superstar didn’t exist ! At Neverland, there was only Mike, a sweet tender man, a family man, a lover, a friend.

She was finally ready to give herself all the way and wanted to talk to him about their future together . To him all seemed very simple. He never talked about the practical steps they had to undertake. She was not sure why he didn’t worry about these matters. He was used to people arranging all of his stuff for him but the way he organized her birthday party, made her realize that he was not walking with his head in the clouds all of the time. There was this part of him that was always in full control, seeing and hearing everything around him. But he missed out on the fact that he was not the one that had to move to the other side of the globe and change the complete course of his life. Honey had to leave everything behind. She would abandon her family and friends. She was to leave behind a very successful business and start it all over.

There was nothing that she wouldn’t do just to be with him and she would do it all with pleasure, but then there were some conditions that had to be fulfilled, conditions she had set out for herself. In no way she wanted to be dependent on any man, not even Michael. She had always taken care of herself financially, which was very important for her. And this was not just any job. While struggling with the divorce, her work had pulled her through. The recognition and thankfulness she obtained from their customers, saved her from drowning in a pool of insecurity. She would never give that up. She also knew that just being “Mrs Jackson”, would not make her feel any better. That was merely enough. She did not want to be an ”extension” to someone else. She just didn’t know how Michael would react to this but she trusted his love for her and the respect he had for her professionalism.

Although they had planned to stay in each other’s company until she was to leave, Michael had to attend an unexpected and important business conference call on Monday morning. There was no way he could avoid it and that meant he still had to leave her after the love they had shared the night before. It was almost unreal but they knew they had to return to real life anyway.

“I feel awful !” Michael exclaimed, walking into his office. He sat down on his big comfortable desk chair and pulled her between his legs. Her chin rested on top of his head as she tried to comfort him with her hands rubbing his neck and shoulders.

“Poor thing ! You really have no fun in your job…”

“Okay, I feel a little ashamed now.” he admitted. “I do have the best job in the whole wide world but I prefer the creating and performing over these dull business talks about contracts or lawsuits. Sometimes I wonder why I pay all those people who should take care of these things. They should be able to run my business by themselves. Why in heaven’s name do I have to be present anyway ?!”

Honey put on a questioning face, her eyes turning to the ceiling as if she was thinking really hard about his “problem”. She first put her finger to her lips and then stretched it into the air as if she had suddenly found the answer.
“I think I know why ! You want to be the boss ! There is no way your people can get around you ! You fool them all by letting them think that you are this sweet gentle creative weirdo but when it comes to your business you turn into a shark !”

Michael’s mouth fell open as he looked at her in disbelief. “I do not ! I’m not a shark!”

She started laughing. “Oh my god ! You really thought I meant this ! Haha ! Oh Michael, I know you’re not a shark. But you are striving for perfection in everything you do. Don’t you?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Well… I don’t know… Maybe…”

“Not maybe ! For sure ! I never met such a perfectionist as yourself. So it comes as no surprise to me that your people are always following everything you do or say. You would feel unhappy if they didn’t.”

“Aaah ! I know ! You’re right. But right now, it’s a very inconvenient time.” He buried his face between her breasts and inhaled her sweet scent. “You smell too good. Can’t you sit on my lap while I take this call?”

“Ooooh… ! I don’t think so ! You would embarrass yourself ! Of that I’m sure too !”
“Well, that’s not my fault ! You shouldn’t be so beautiful !”

He sighed as he had to let her go after one last passionate kiss. As she left the room, he reached for his telephone, hoping this conference call would be finished within the half hour.

As she couldn’t be in Michael’s presence anyways, Honey thought that this was the perfect time to talk to her parents about her plans. Her father was a very experienced businessman after all ! He would know exactly where she should begin to set out the lines for her new business, in this foreign country. She was sure her father could stand by her side in this matter.

They sat outside on the terrace, the three of them together with Katherine and Joseph. They were seated in the shade of the house, enjoying a nice cup of coffee. Honey was not sure if she wanted Joseph to join in on their conversation but politeness forced her to accept his presence anyway. She still felt crossed with him for what he said to Michael the night before. She was surprised that her father still remained kind and friendly towards the other man. Normally he wasn’t so easy going ! She would trust his judgement however and give Joseph the benefit of the doubt.

“Papa, can you help me straighten out my plans ? You’re ever so good at these things.”

Nick smiled at his daughter and wondered how fast time had fled by. It was as if it was yesterday that he held her in his arms, his firstborn, a gorgeous little girl. She was the cutest baby the nurses of the maternity ward had ever seen. She had thick dark hair, big brown eyes and a pouty little mouth. Already people told him that he would have lots of problems keeping the boys away from their doorstep as she grew older. Small children, small problems, big children, big problems, he thought by himself. He would always be there for her.

“Okay, go ahead. I’ll help you anyway you can.”
“You know I’ve been thinking of opening a store here in Los Angeles. I need you to think with me.”

“Sweetheart, you can count on me. Do you know exactly where you are heading ?”
“I want the same kind of store as we are running now but I don’t know what style I should follow.”

“What do you mean ?”

“I don’t know… Should I keep the Belgian touch or adjust to the American taste, whatever that is.”

“Maybe you have all the answers already but in order to help you, just tell me once again.”

“Oh Papa…” she thought by herself, “this I cannot discuss right now.”

Honey had already taken a look around at Hayvenhurst and she knew this was not her style at all. So she wondered : was this typical American or typical Jackson? She did like the exterior of the house but the interior was loaded with bad taste, at least from her point of view. This was not what she wanted to sell. Of course this she could not say in front of Katherine ! But all together it forced her to make a decision right now. She suddenly knew ! She would go for something completely different! She had always loved the Scandinavian romantic look and realized this was the right time to explore this further. That was the kind of interior they wanted to sell ! This was what she wanted to establish in the States

She hugged her father and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you, Papa !”

But Nick didn’t settle for just that. He would not stop until he had pushed her into the right direction. Furthermore he wanted to invest some of his own money in this new business, but that he hadn’t told her yet. He would tell her when she left Belgium for good, as a go-away present. And then another idea came to him : he would ask Michael if he would be interested to invest some too. He was sure she wouldn’t mind !

He brought up one question after another and Honey realized that her father had thought this over well, even before she had asked him to help her out.
Slowly but surely the complete set up began to take form. Where she first wanted to import from Europe she now decided to make the best mix of two worlds. Ah, she was already becoming an American citizen ! Of course, it helped that she really adored the Long Island interiors and the delicate colors they provided. It would blend perfectly with the Scandinavian style. And then the name of the store came to her just like that : “North of Aurora”, named after her favorite natural phenomenon Aurora Borealis.

Michael’s parents were a great help too. Katherine was very happy with Michael’s Honey and would do anything to support and nourish this young and fresh relationship. Joe wasn’t too bad after all now that he realized she was not a profiteer. He treated her and her parents with a lot of respect. He and Nick had a long talk the other night and he realized this girl could bring his son some personal happiness. Maybe he wasn’t that bad after all. But he was still far from showing that to Michael. Actually, doing business was his strength and he came up with some great ideas himself. It was he who suggested to open the store in Santa Maria, instead of Los Angeles. He too advised her to take in an employee to run it for her. Honey objected that at first, but then realized that in Belgium, they did the same, only there she was partners with Barbara and they took turns at running the store too.

“Mmm, maybe you are right. But I have to be present at the start.”

“Of course you must be, Honey !” Katherine patted her on her hand. “It’s your business ! But I have a thought of my own that I absolutely want to share with you.”

“Oh, I would love to hear about it.”

“I’m thinking about my son too. He does not have a nine to five profession and I know he wants to be with you as much as he can. I hope you can understand that?”

Honey nodded. “I want just the same. Long distance relationships are very hard…”

“So I thought it would be a great idea to develop a mail order firm too. It would create an extra income for you and keep you busy even when you go on the road with him. What do you think ?”

“This is great ! Wow Katherine, thanks !” She hugged her mother in law to be and then her own mother. She would love to embrace her father too but that meant that she should do the same to Joseph too and for that she wasn’t ready yet. “I’m so fortunate to have you to help me out on this one. I don’t want to bother Michael with all of this right now. He has so much on his mind, with the tour and all. Thank you all so much.”

She thought the mail order firm was a great idea. In that way she could work from Neverland or any other place in the world and would still give her the satisfaction of working. And it would provide her with the time to accompany Michael whenever there was a need coming from both of them. And having an employee for the store would be a giant step forward too. She never had an employee before, but with the right person it would turn out great.

But when she tried to talk to Michael, he didn’t seem happy at all. He sat very still, his brows frowned, just looking at her, from his side of the bed. His business conference had taken the whole of the morning, much to his disgust. When he came out of his office he was in no mood to talk about any business at all. He just wanted to play and be silly. So Honey gave in to him (what would you do) and they finally ended up in his room taking an afternoon “nap”. As for now, they were still relaxing a little bit.

Honey thought, with him being so relaxed, this was the right time to talk about her plans. But obviously, he wasn’t pleased at all !

“So, I think opening this store in Santa Maria is a great idea. I won’t be working too far from home. It’s much better than L.A. Don’t you think so ?”

His full lips turned into a thin line as he shook his head. He pulled the sheet over his nude body and propped himself up to the headboard.

“Why Honey ? You don’t have to work. I have more money than we can ever spent.”

“Oh Michael, I know that. But to me it’s not only about the money.”

“So then why ? I want you to be with me, to share my life, to share everything.”
“I want to share to, Michael. But, I need to work. I don’t want to depend on anyone. It really has nothing to do with you. Besides what would I do when you are working? We already talked about that. Furthermore I am a better person when I have some kind of life of my own.”

He frowned his eyebrows. That was not what he wanted to hear. A life of her own ? This could not be happening… He needed her, every step of the way. She was his lifeline! Honey saw the reflections of his thoughts in his eyes and knew she had some explaining to do. He would not be convinced easily. Not that she really needed his approval but she would hate to do something without his consent. They were in this together. They had to make this work for the both of them.

“Michael, I don’t mean this to be bad. You know you’re the most important person in my life. But you’re not always around. Oooh, I don’t know how to make you understand.” She felt frustrated. Was she bringing this right ? “I thought you knew I wanted to keep working.”

He sighed and rubbed his temples.

“Okay, you wanna work ! I understand that. And I respect that, but with you working outside of the home, our life would be very different.”

“Michael please !! You talk as if I cannot step outside anymore !”

“Oh Honey, you have no idea ! Do you really think that leaving from Neverland every morning, is the same as you do now ? They will find out about you ! I’m not ready for that yet.”

“What do you mean ? You’re not ready ? And who ?”

“See, you have no clue what I’m talking about. You’re in a relationship with me, THE Michael Jackson. The one they hunt down and tell crazy stories about ! You have no idea how nasty people can get just because you are famous. And I know that the media for sure will follow you wherever you go. And they will not be gentle with you. I can tell you !”

“Michael, I’m not afraid of the media. I know the truth.”

He shook his head and rolled his eyes at her. She didn’t know anything. She was so innocent.

“And even more, I’m worried about your safety. Are you willing to be surrounded by body guards all of the time? Whatever step you take ?”

“Do I have any choice ? Michael, I really want my business to succeed. It’s like you don’t want this for me ! And… and, don’t you want people to know we are an item? Are you ashamed of me?”

He didn’t like where this conversation was going. He sighed and softly brushed her cheek before he took her chin in his hand and lifted her face up to him.

“I’m proud to have found a woman like you, Honey ! I want to shout it from the rooftops but I can’t do that ! They would tear you apart and I want to keep you for my own just a little longer. You bring some normality to my life. Just let me savor this a little longer. I don’t want you to talk like this. I will find a solution, so that you can set up your store, okay?”

She looked at him and tried to force a little smile to her lips. “Really Michael ?”
“I promise. What is important to you, is important to me too.” He brushed his fingers over her forehead and through her hair. “I will have to talk it through with Bill and maybe Gillian too.”

“Gillian huh ?”

“Don’t be so jealous, Honey ! She knows how to deal with such things. She books all my stayings everywhere, trying to avoid the press etc…She’s good at this.”
Honey raised her eyebrows in disbelief.

“Ahw pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease…Honey, she knows the business through and through. I need both Bill and Gillian’s opinion upon this. It’s them who can really help us. Trust me on this one.”

“I trust you ! But I don’t trust her !”

He shook his head in disbelief. Women !

“And I won’t change my mind, Michael. I need to work. Do you really want me to just be at your side all the time, without anything else to do ? You would get bored of me.”

“Never !! When I have to perform, I need you there. I want you to wait for me, when I finish. To comfort me, whenever I have to do an interview. You inspire me, you give me strength. Why can’t you reconsider ?”

“We can have all that too. Your mother came up with a great idea ! Please, hear me out…”

Of course he listened to her very carefully, absorbing her words. He heard the passion in her voice and recognized it very well. He had the same happening to him when he talked about his business. So, who was he to forbid her to work ? They were not in the middle ages anymore. The problem was now, how to protect her ? If she were to drive to work every day, morning and evening, that would create an easy way to get to her. That must be avoided in any way ! He liked the idea of the mail order firm very much, but that was not realized in one two three ! He really had to talk to Bill and Gillian about this. He had to make it work for her. They would know what to do.

“Girl, just let me handle this. You take care of your business by yourself, and I take care of us? Is that a deal ?” He held out his hand as if he wanted to shake on it, but when she took it, he pulled her to him for a kiss. When he finally let go of her lips, she felt all shaky and could barely talk.

“Izzadeal…” She closed her eyes and sank to his bare chest. She breathed in the scent of their previous lovemaking and that turned her on in such a way that she was not able to pull herself away from him. He knew her oh so well, and realized what she was thinking about even before she said anything. He put his hands possessively on both of her breasts and squeezed them tightly. He whispered : “When two people agree to a deal they sign a contract. I’m ready to sign yours, baby.”

“Michael…”

“My pencil is sharpened…” He wiggled his eyebrows up and down, implying something very different than writing.

“Michael! Don’t talk like that ! You’re making me shy !”

“Mmm, I kinda like you shy !” He grinned at her red face and kissed her with all the passion he had left, which was enough to get them through the rest of the afternoon.

After they had set things straight, Honey asked Joseph to find her the right property for her to start her business in. Once again they had a meeting, but now with Michael present, because he wanted to bring in some of the safety issues. He not only invited Bill but this horrible Gillian woman too. The meeting was held in his office and it was much more official than Honey wanted it to be. Michael took his place at the head of the table and told everyone to listen to Honey’s needs.
“After all, she’s gonna be the boss!” he stated with a proud smile on his face.
She was shy at first but then she thought that if she could talk to clients and close several important business deals, she could do this just the same. And it seemed that this was indeed the best way to deal with all of the issues regarding her moving to California.

It was decided that Joseph was in charge of finding the right location for the store, in cooperation with Bill (and unfortunately Gillian). It was also Joseph who would coordinate the research regarding the several wholesalers, with whom Honey wanted to work. She already had some pretty good ideas, so that was not all that difficult.

The rest was up to Michael’s lawyers, who would answer for their actions to Nick. Michael resisted the idea of bringing in a new lawyer only for her. He knew his for such a long time now. He trusted them with everything so they could surely handle this. Mission accomplished !

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As long as they were talking business, Honey felt just fine. The far future seemed very bright that way because they could talk about all of these great plans they had in mind. But what with the near future ? What with tomorrow ? They spent some wonderful times together, even with herself being sunburned. They visited their home to be. Their family and friends had bonded. But most important they finally realized that they belonged together for all time. She had always loved him, she knew that now. During this little vacation in his presence, she’d seen a real different side of him and now loved him even more. How could she leave him again the next day ? She still thought some miracle would occur, to prevent her from travelling back home. But no such thing happened of course and their time together was shrinking rapidly.

He didn’t help at all. He kept trying to persuade her into following him on tour, something he hadn’t really tried before. It only showed how desperate he was to keep her by his side.

“Can’t you get them to send you the divorce papers ?”

“Sweetie, I told you already so many times before… I must be physically present at the court house. There’s no way they are going to send me the official papers by mail.”

“Shall I talk to your lawyer ?”

“I don’t have a lawyer. We’re divorcing in mutual consent. We don’t need one.”

“Okay, I’ll ask my lawyer to call the court house then.”

He was really sweet trying to get her on tour with him, but she knew it wouldn’t do any good.

“You could watch me from backstage. You’d only see my booty of course but since you like that so much, I trust you wouldn’t mind.” He giggled, trying to give their conversation a light-hearted direction.

They decided to take a short walk around the grounds, just before dinner time. They strolled hand in hand, every few steps stopping to steal a kiss. When they crossed the little bridge that spanned the brook that was running through Hayvenhurst, he halted her and pulled her close to his strong and masculine frame, giving away how much he desired her. His lips lightly sucked on her earlobe, sending shivers down her spine.

He whispered in her ear :

“Remember when we met again last summer, right after the concert?”

“Michael, how can I possibly forget ?”

“I’ll make love to you like that every night after every performance. Please, come with me.”

She shook her head. “Don’t make this so difficult to me, sweetie. You know I can’t.”

“I don’t want you to go back to Belgium. I don’t want you to see John again. What if he’s really sweet to you ? You could take him back…”

“Oh please Michael ! I won’t ! Not ever ! I love you ! I have always loved you. Remember ?”

“Still…”

She pulled his head down and silenced him with a harsh kiss.

“Let’s not talk about him. Let’s talk about us. When will I see you again?”

She started to stroke his back from his shoulders to his buttocks. When he didn’t answer right away, she lightly pinched his sides.

“I guess that will be in February. Damned !” Michael almost never cursed thus this showed his huge frustration about having to let her go. “I wished I could come back with you for a few days. But I have all those meetings coming up about my movie.”

“Michael ! That sounds exciting! You should be ashamed of yourself ! You have such a fun job !”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t know if a movie is more important than us !”

“It’s part of your job and you know you love every step of the way ! But right now, we have to make some choices for our further future, and some of them are not that pleasurable. But it will make it all worthwhile, I guess. About this movie, when is it to be released ?”

“January. I already have a copy for you back in the house, but you must promise not to watch it with anyone else present. Okay?”

“Why? Are you in the nude?” Her face already flushed of the thought of him in a pornographic movie. She had never seen one before but if he were to star in one, she would be seated in the front row. She giggled. Luckily he had no clue her mind was in the gutter right now, or else he would have been very embarrassed. He innocently answered her question. That was typically Michael ! A beast in bed but sometimes oh so uneasy when they talked about sex, outside the bedroom (except for that time on Sunday, at Neverland).

“No silly ! It must stay a secret until its official release.”

“So I can see you every day ! That’s a little sadistic ! I will want to touch you ! I’ll still miss you like crazy tho’, movie or not.”

“Ahw… if you would come on tour with me, I’d get you back in time to sign those papers.”

“Don’t do this to me, Mikey. You know I can’t. I got to prepare my business.”

He could’ve gotten into another argument about her working or not, but he decided not to. He loved her way too much and he wanted to respect her feelings about this. But it still remained difficult not to try to persuade her to give it all up and just follow him.

At dinnertime, both of their parents were already making plans for the next gathering.

“I guess we’ll be hearing from each other a lot more once the children are settled.” Katherine said.

Michael chuckled at them being addressed as “the children”. It was true, whenever his mother talked about him as being her child, he felt like a little boy all over again. In a good way ! He guessed he would stay her baby forever and he kinda liked that. It made him feel safe and loved.

“And it doesn’t mean because their residence will be at Michael’s estate that you cannot come and visit us here. We would be very happy to welcome you here.”

“That’s really nice of you, Katherine. You know, I was a little scared at first. I don’t like travelling all that much. But the plane ride was actually very comfortable. Thanks to Michael of course.”  Veronica smiled at him.

It was true. He booked them all first class tickets. Pure luxury !

“You only deserve the best, Veronica.” Michael said. “I’m glad you can travel home with Honey tomorrow. I don’t want her to feel lonely.”

That said, he softly caressed Honey’s hand.

Hearing him talk about them leaving tomorrow, made her feel nauseous. It dawned to her that she really wouldn’t see him before February. If all went well, of course. She realized that tomorrow by this time, she would be home already, without him. Her whole inside winced at that thought and she lost her appetite for food in the blink of an eye. This was so not what she wanted and it was all her own fault ! If she hadn’t been that stubborn about marrying John, this dinner table would have been filled with parents who knew each other already for ages, and maybe 2 or 3 children, little Michaels or little Honeys… Her stomach ached and she gulped forcefully to keep her food down. Michael sensed her discomfort and lightly squeezed her hand.

“Are you alright ?” He asked softly.

She shook her head and pulled her chair back.

“I… I’m sorry… I just remembered I still have some more things to pack. I don’t want any dessert.”

She excused herself from the table and hurried to their room. Self pity was raging through her body ! She just couldn’t take these awful desperate emotions anymore! Releasing a tormented moan, she threw herself on the bed, taking his cushion into a tight grip. She buried her face into it, trying to take as much of his scent into her memory, as she could. Thinking about the next months, alone without him, brought tears to her eyes and she didn’t do anything to stop them now. She was exhausted from keeping them in, every time she looked at his beautiful face. With every single one of his touches, she already felt bare and abandoned. When he kissed her she felt as if she was deprived of oxygen. It was simple. She felt like dying ! Big desperate tears kept running down her cheeks, an unstoppable river of grief. She tried to muffle the sound of her sobs into his pillow, and crawled fully clothed under the covers for comfort.

When Veronica saw Honey leaving the dinner table, worry came over her. She glanced at Michael and saw the same emotion on his face. He looked her straight in the eyes and without any words she plead him to go after her daughter and comfort her. Because she knew instinctively that Honey didn’t leave to pack. And she also knew her daughter didn’t need her to talk to. She needed Michael.

Honey didn’t notice him coming into their room until he lowered himself on the bed, next to her. He didn’t ask anything, didn’t even speak, just got under the covers with her and pulled her close to him. Because he was feeling exactly the same … He too felt the despair shredding his common sense to pieces. He didn’t want her to leave either, but he also knew that they needed to arrange their stuff. It was no use dwelling in self pity but this was too strong an emotion to push aside. They would live it and grow stronger. Would they?

He pulled the covers entirely over them, creating a little shelter inside of his room. His eyes quickly accustomed to the fading light and the sight of her, curled up into a ball, her face covered with the wetness of her grief. The obvious pain that she was enduring, sent him over the edge and his eyes ran over too. He kissed her wet cheeks, tasting the salt of her tears and mingled them with his. Their souls connected because they both knew they could not by any means escape the days that laid ahead of them.

“Michael… I …”

“Shht… don’t say anything….”

“It hurts, s..s..sweetie. It hurts s..s..so much.” she cried. “I n…need you.“

Her hands were shaking as she started to fumble at the buttons of his shirt. At the same time their mouths locked in a painfully desperate kiss. Their restrained emotions caused their lips to collide hard but this was not the time to hold back. Michael moaned as she ran her hands over his bare chest and he pulled her to him with such a power that her breasts were crushed against the backside of her own hands. Despair was taking him over and made him violently rebellious. He felt like slamming doors, like throwing dishes ! He didn’t want to hurt her, but it was very hard to hold back his anger and his fear of losing her. His tight embrace left her breathless and she complained against his mouth. “Michael, sweetie, you’re breaking my ribs….”

“Baby, I want you now.. I can’t wait. I don’t want to wait.”

One moment they were fully dressed, the next they were plucking at each other’s clothes, almost shredding them to pieces. Buttons flew in the round, one sleeve of her silk shirt got torn off the shoulder. A few strands of his hair got caught between her fingers when she pulled his T-shirt over his head and he growled from pain. But he didn’t give a damn ! He needed this relief and he knew she did too.

Pure passion and despair were combined into a sensual and intense love dance. Their only interest was to get near to each other as quick as possible. Talking was out of the question but they did communicate with their eyes, with their bodies, desperately trying to still their hunger to be one. This time they didn’t waste time at any foreplay. Their only goal was to connect to each other as only a man and a woman can. When Honey pulled down his underwear, she took her own off in the same movement and urged him with her hips to come to her. With a firm hand she lead him in her, not giving him any chance to retreat. Even when he felt her whimper a little, because she wasn’t quite ready yet, she refused to let him go. She breathed softly into his ear. And he took every inch gently as if it was her first time, not wanting to hurt her more.

When her body enwrapped him completely, he started moving, slowly but determined. It was as if he was learning her body by heart. There were lonelier days to come and the memory of their love making would pull him through. They were silenced by their passion. The only sound came from the soft whispers of their breaths and their light moans of appreciation.

Michael had great difficulties keeping his smooth rhythm as she pulled him back every time he retreated. She just didn’t want to feel any space between them. She only wanted the touch of his skin against hers and locked her arms around his upper body, her legs around his hips not allowing him to move a muscle. Her lips kissed all of his face, his forehead, his cheeks, his eyes, his mouth, tasting him, taking in his flavor. But she knew she had to release him one way or the other. She had to let him go, mentally and physically, there was no other possibility.

He felt her sadness deep down inside and the thorough feeling of utter grief touched him to the core. These raw emotions were so unbelievably strong that he could not escape anymore. He felt them building up inside of him and even if he tried to ease himself, they made him want her even more. They pulled his desire to the edge and once she loosened her grip on him, they drove him further like a wild man.

“I love you ! I love you ! God, I love you so much!” he cried. Tears were now streaming down his face too. His despair heightened his lust for her and with only a few more firm thrusts, he took both of them into a dazzling climax.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Still so many more months to spend alone… Michael felt kinda desperate right now. How was he going to get through the rest of this tour ? He wanted it to end, even more than before. He never enjoyed touring, not because he didn’t like to perform or be with his fans, but he hated the loneliness, the hotel rooms, and just simply being away from home. And now he was forced to be away from her too. But all together, it was part of his job.

So when he finally left for Japan, he felt rebellious and angry with all of his entourage. And it wasn’t even their fault ! Japan was beautiful and the fans were the best, but he only wanted to be in Belgium ! On top of it, he would not be home before Christmas. He wanted to party with his Honey and her sweet family. He wanted to see the spirit of Christmas come alive in their lovely home once more. But no, he had to wait another year before he could experience that again! And for the near future, he faced an entire month without being able to step out for a few days ! He had 9 concerts to perform in about 20 days, so it was absolutely impossible to fly over to Europe and back, just to pay her a visit. He would surely die of loneliness!!

One morning, Frank came in to his hotel room and was devastated to find him still in bed, while he should be ready to leave. Was this his boss, his friend, Michael Jackson, the overactive creative genius ? For god’s sake ! He turned into a whining little boy ! And all that because of one tiny little woman !

“Michael ! C’mon Michael ! We have to go ! Why are you not ready yet ?”
“I don’t want to go out today… You know, I hate to be presented like a fairground attraction! I hate it ! I hate it !”
“Must we have this conversation again?”

Frank shook his head. He was at his wits’ end. His employer was becoming more and obstinate about appearing in public. Although most of the appointments had been set weeks or even months in advance, every day it became more difficult to persuade him to turn up. Furthermore, at the time, Michael himself had given his approval on every one of them. He knew he needed the exposure. Some of the silly stories about him and Bubbles were quite funny. And the story about the bones of the Elephant man was brought up by his own environment, just for kicks, so that was still bearable but the story about him “sleeping” in an oxygen chamber (he was only testing it out to experience how people who needed it, would feel), was something else. That was not what he wanted to read about himself in the newspapers.
Didn’t those people realize he was an artist? That he made music ? That his work was the reason why he was walking this earth and not some over the top gossip ?! Ugh!So that was exactly why lately he was very reluctant to go out among the public. But luckily Michael was not a diva ! He did what was promised, not willingly, but he did.

Frank was very good at counseling and they did talk a lot about all kind of stuff, but he had a feeling that, at this point, at woman’s view would come in handy. He would ask Gillian to talk to Michael ! She would know how to cheer him up. But right now he needed him up and in the bathroom. He went straight to the bed and did something he had never before risked doing. He just hoped he wouldn’t get fired! In one movement he ripped the covers off the bed ! And Michael? Well, he was still wearing his pajamas and he was pissed!

“Hey !” Michael yelled angrily. “What are you doing ? Just let me be!”

“Michael, you know I can’t ! Remember what we agreed on before we started this adventure? I would be your backbone when times would get rough. And I think this is one of these times.” Frank thought that some firm action was in place right now. “Thus Michael, get yourself out of that bed and have a wash and fresh up ! Stop acting like a child and take your responsibilities…C’mon Mike, get ready.”

Michael knew Frank was in his right but he felt soooo bad. He sat up at the edge of his bed and put his head in his hands. He knew he had a serious problem. He couldn’t pull his mind of her in any way. She had him under her spell, even more than before they began their relationship. He had now fully learned to appreciate her sweet nature and her glorious divine body. She was in his thoughts night and day. Every time he hit the stage, he saw her face in every person attending his concert. He smelled her scent wherever he went, which was his own fault. He brought a whole bottle of her favorite perfume with him on tour and every night he sprayed the fragrance on his own body before he went to bed. So actually he was completely Honeyed. And still it made him not feel any better. With a deep sigh he finally managed to drag himself towards the bathroom, leaving Frank muttering and complaining about “women and their filthy love-tricks”, and about him “having to deal with a love-sick boss…”

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

At the other side of the globe, Honey and Barbara were very busy inventorying all of the goods in their store, getting it ready for the Holiday Season. Christmas encouraged all people to decorate their houses therefore this was a very important time of the year for them. With all of the decorations nicely displayed, it was an excellent moment to inventory the other items, stuffed away in the stockroom. And then when it was time to count their stocks, that part would already have been done. Time saved !

It was Monday and the store was closed that day, but being the owners, they rarely had a day off besides Sunday. Honey was glad for the lack of time, because sitting still, meant thinking about Michael. She really had enough of it ! Well, not of Michael of course but of the desperate longing for him. When she came back from Los Angeles, she was very lucky not to be alone during the flight. She sat in between her parents, talking softly about her plans for the future. They kept her quite busy, putting all of it together in one big plan. Of course she realized that they did it on purpose, just to prevent her from breaking down. But she was grateful for their support.

And she was very glad to come home to Barbara and Daniel’s place, so she would not have to be all alone. Barbara was the best friend she ever had and she supported her all the way, even now when Honey had decided to move to the U.S. for good, and leave the store entirely in her hands. They had already worked out all of the details about the takeover. Barbara applauded the idea of establishing a mail order firm and she was now thinking about doing the same in Belgium, once it got on track abroad.

And Barbara, just like Frank, had to cope with Honey’s complaints and bickering, just because she was missing Michael. She drove her crazy ! Every time the phone rang in the evening, she was the first to pick it up, sometimes almost snatching it out of their hands. And when it wasn’t Michael, she would get snappy and impatient for the phone call to end. (Just remember, there were no cell phones yet). When then finally Michael would call, she took the phone to her room and talked for hours, so even if people tried to reach them, they would not stand a chance ! But all together, Barbara was glad for her friend and for Michael, seeing them finally happy.

Now happy was a big word !

Honey sat on a big box stuffed with different fabrics, as she pulled out a red tablecloth from another box. The red color immediately reminded her of one of Michael’s favorite shirts and she let her fingers run over it. Actually, he didn’t know but she brought home a few (like 10) of his shirts (borrowed them) and slept in them. That way she felt much closer to him but it didn’t take away the heartache of being apart.

She dreamed of the sweet love they made the night before she left L.A. They stayed up until the break of dawn and he proved to her that he was worthy of her love to him. She would never forget how his sweet eyes drank in every inch of her body, kissing her from top till toe, caressing her skin, ruffling her hair.

“Michael ?”

“Yes, my sweet ?”

“How come that you are so strong ?”

“Huh? Strong?”

“Yes, you are. I just wonder. You are not a big guy but you are very strong.”

“Huh…” and then his face turned naughty. He was sitting on his heels, on the bed, next to her, and massaging her back. His thumbs drew little circles on her shoulder blades, down to her spine and back. He bend down and whispered in her ear. “The more I make love to you, the stronger I become. You know, all that pumping and…”

“Oooh Michael ! You’re naughty !!”

“Don’t you think it’s true ?”

She felt his hands brushing down the sheet that was covering her lower back. His strong fingers pushed and molded her muscles until she felt all woozy and faint under his touch. This man had magic hands !

“Michael ?”

“Yes ?”

“Why do you have such big hands ?”

He smiled. “Are you little red riding hood, interviewing her grandmother who turns out to be the big bad wolf ?”

“Mmm, could be… “ She giggled. “You’re bad, because of your Bad Tour… You can howl like a wolf … And…huh… you’re definitely big…”

“Huh big ? You just said I was not !” And then it dawned to him. “Oh ! Huh ! You mean, down there ? Oh gosh, Honey !”

He didn’t bother to flip her over but just parted her legs and led himself down between them. With his hot breath tickling her neck, he whispered in her ear. “You shouldn’t have said that to me…”

When Barbara came in to check on her, Honey was blushing all over, almost having relived what followed after these words of his…

Frank was on a mission! He refused to let his boss and friend go down in his depression. Because that was what it was ! So he arranged another in between visit to a place Michael would certainly approve off ! Together with some co-workers and their children, who were with them on the tour, he came to his room early next morning. Frank made sure that this time Michael was ready. He tricked him by saying there would be children involved and that they would be very disappointed if he were not dressed. As we all know, Michael loved children and he would never ever let them down.

Michael was ready to go. In his jeans and his plain shirt he looked like the guy next door, but then much much much more handsome.

When he left his room, the children were already bickering over who got to walk hand in hand with Michael. There were 6 of them so that was a difficult task to accomplish. He smiled and got on his knees to talk to them.

“Mmm, lemme see… am I an elephant ?”

The children shook their heads. Michael rolled his eyes and they laughed. He thought it over for a minute and then said : “Then I am certainly a spider !”

“Noooooooo !” The twin girls little bodies shuddered, causing Michael to giggle.

“Ok, I know ! I know !” he yelled “I’m a beetle !”

The children almost rolled over the floor from laughing. “You are not a beetle, Michael !”

“Oooh ! What am I then ? You tell me !”

“You’re a boy ! You’re a person !” The youngest boy answered. He was about 5 years old. “You are a man !” He said proudly. “You’re a Michael Jackson !”

“Ah ah ! Then I have how many hands ?” Michael held them up.

“One…two…!” they pointed.

“Okay, I have two ! Now…all of you raise one hand…” He then turned to an older boy. “Count one hand of each child all together…”

“One, two, three, four, five, six…”

“See, “ Michael laughed. “We’ve got a problem here ! I only have two and you have six ! I cannot hold all your hands together.” They pouted and Michael laughed again. They expected him to come up with a solution and he had something good in mind.

“I’ll tell you what we shall do.”

The children looked up to him as he got up from his knees, grabbing Frank by his shoulder.

“We’re gonna take turns on holding my hands and ‘Uncle Tookie’ here, is gonna time it ! So that each one of you can hold me for the same amount of time. How does that sound ? I think it’s fair. Don’t you think, Uncle Tookie?”

Frank threw him a look of disapproval and Michael smiled back very sweetly…This was his way to get back to Frank as he tricked him in leaving his room when all he wanted to do was dream about Honey. He knew Michael could not refuse because of the children.

“Well, what’s your plan, Rubber ?” Michael asked, as they headed for the van.

“Ah, I rented an amusement park for you today ! We’re going to Yomiuriland!”

“For me ?”

“Michael, you need to get out once in a while and do some fun stuff ! You’re always sitting in your chambers, watching T.V. or playing those arcade games of yours. But you’re always alone ! That’s not healthy ! So Gillian and I decided to do something about it.”

“Oh Frank ! You shouldn’t worry about me ! I just miss Honey a lot ! You know how it is. Don’t you miss your family ?”

“That’s exactly why I am doing this. Just relax and enjoy.“

And Michael did ! He loved amusement parks ! He tried to pick up as many ideas as he could for his own park back at Neverland but at the mean time he amused himself. He fooled around with the children, taking turns with them on the attractions, making sure they all got to do whatever they wanted ! Their parents were quite grateful to him too. They were able to enjoy themselves too, having the day off with such a famous babysitter around. Having rented the park for the day, there were no queues, they didn’t have to wait and they could eat as many cotton candy as they could manage ! Still he missed Honey a lot. He tried to imagine himself walking here with her, him carrying his own child on his shoulders and her pushing a buggy with another child in it. A third child would be growing inside of her. Oh my, he’d better not think of that ! He did have to talk to her about that again, as soon as possible ! He wanted children so bad !

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Frank was right, he shouldn’t let this situation rule his life. He had to go on! While getting ready for dinner with his closest coworkers, he scolded himself for being such a child ! He knew that he would never ever love anyone as much as he loved Honey but acting like a love-sick teenager was not exactly the way to get the “show” on the road. And thinking about the show… well, this tour made him very proud. It was the first solo tour he’d ever performed and he signed for all of it. Touring was not what he liked most about his job but just like with any other adventure he undertook, he wanted this to be perfect. He owed his fans. They made him the biggest entertainer alive and he wanted them to share in these brief moments of ultimate joy. He did love the stage however, he adored being applauded to, and when the girls sighed and fell unconscious, he felt more masculine than ever ! Of course he didn’t want them to faint on him but it just happened and he would be lying if he would deny that it tickled his vanity. He was a man after all.

And whenever the tabloids were trying to make up if he was gay or not, at least he now could laugh about it because he knew something they didn’t. A smile curled his lips when he remembered the last night he and Honey spent together at Hayvenhurst, past November. They definitely didn’t know !

Her talking about the bad wolf and him being “big” (he blushed at the thought) had certainly turned him on again, even after they had been making love so many times that night already. Would he ever get enough of her ? He doubted he would !

He whispered in her ear. “You shouldn’t have said that to me…” He knew for sure his breath alone would make her skin tingle already. She was sooo sensitive to her ears and neck. He had specialized himself in learning all about her physical reactions to his every move and he smiled broadly when again he was not disappointed. He felt her squirm under him and made himself comfortable, gently pushing her legs further apart from each other.

She was still laying on her stomach and the intimacy of their position was irrefutable. A sigh of contentment escaped her as he massaged her scalp with both of his hands. His elbows supported him, avoiding his full weight to crush her delicate frame. Merely touching her back with his chest, he noticed his nipples hardening when they brushed her soft skin. Even the slightest touch drew a reaction from his body. He saw her eyes flutter close, while her cheek rested on one hand. He hoped his massage didn’t cause her to relax too much tho’. He didn’t want her to fall asleep. He needed her tonight! The flight home would give her all the time necessary to rest completely but right now she should stay awake ! Was he selfish ? Well, maby but he didn’t care and he wondered what had driven him this far …

He moved his hips against her, pushing her a little deeper in the mattress. For sure she must have felt how much he was turned on once again but she didn’t give away any emotion. Except for some light shivers, she didn’t move one bit.

“Are you falling asleep, Honey ? Did my presence knock you out ?” He saw the corners of her mouth slightly turning upwards and immediately felt relieved. Thank god she was still awake.

“I need you to stay with me, baby. Don’t fall asleep.”

“How can I ? You’re crushing my bones with your presence alright.” She chuckled.

“Are you trying to say that I’m either conceited or fat ?”

“I’ll let you choose yourself…”

“Haha, then let it be overweight. You said it yourself, I’m biiiiig… “

He grinded his hips against her bottom one more time. Oh god, he adored the rounded mounts of her butt cheeks. They were like soft cushions to land on. He loved her butt, he could just eat it ! He could just eat all of her !

“You are so sweet, Honey…You do your name justice.” He licked her earlobe and when she shivered again, he sucked a little on her neck. His mouth slowly travelled from there to her left shoulder, then back over her neck to her right shoulder, softly taking her skin between his teeth, gently biting her. “You taste so good, Honey…” He had been very close to her all night long, so right now he could even smell his own scent on her. Oh god ! He never felt possessive about anything in this world but if he could he would brand her “Possession of Michael Jackson”! Being the gentle person he was, he settled for his scent tho’…. and a little bite mark…

“Ahw Michael…are you trying to eat me alive?” She giggled and he felt the vibration run through his body, the soft sound touching his heart, like her voice always did. He loved it when he could contribute to her feeling this good. Right now, he felt that he was put on this earth solely for loving her.
“Mmm Honey baby, you are my favorite dish, don’t you know that by now… “
His teeth scraped against her shoulders and back. She had the loveliest shoulders he had ever seen, not too skinny, just round and soft. And her neck… long and elegant, and so very very sensitive. He could see the little hairs at the bottom of her scalp standing up and smiled to himself. He was definitely getting what he wanted. She was awake and willing…

“You got goose bumps… Are you cold, baby ?” he asked in a husky voice.

“Mmm… noooo….It’s nice and warm in here.” She lifted her head and tried to push herself up with her hands. “Michael, get off me …”

“Huh huh…” He shook his head, denying her request. “I don’t think so. You’re under arrest, baby. Nowhere to run anymore…”

“Do you really think you can hold me in prison just for your pleasure ?! Tst tst tst…” She laughed and tried to wiggle him off but he wasn’t having it! Besides, her writhing and squirming turned him on even more. What else could he do but to maintain his position ?! He even didn’t care to support himself anymore but let himself lie against her back completely while his hands lowered themselves to her hips, molding and squeezing them. He moved his love against her and smiled when she gave up easily. She was so funny ! Pretending as if she didn’t like it… She was such a little flirt! He’d get her good for teasing him like this… starting right now….

A knock on the door, pulled him out of his daydream…

Inviting Bill, Frank and Gillian to come to his suite and have dinner with him was the first step to his change of attitude. He realized that the more he stayed alone in his room, the more isolated and obstinate he became. That had to change ! Second step was to arrange their future together and therefore he needed the people he most confided in, by his side. From now on only looking ahead of him, no looking back, no whining, no nagging!

And he needed all three of them : Bill because of the safety issues, Gillian because she knew all about the media circus, and Frank knew his complete agenda by heart. But they did have another role besides the working environment. These were the three people who knew everything about him. He didn’t hide anything from them, while touring. They were his substitute family and he needed them to be by his side.

And he promised Honey he would take care of the details of her moving to Neverland. He wanted her to be safe and he didn’t want the media to find out about her already. If she weren’t this stubborn about wanting to work, his life would’ve been so much easier ! But who was he fooling ? He loved that side of her! She was not a puppet whose strings could be easily pulled. He had enough of those people around him, family included. He needed a girl that stood up to him and said what was on her mind. Furthermore, he would never admit to anyone that he already tried to convince her and failed.

“You need to talk her out of that business, Michael. It’s making your life pretty difficult.”

Michael shook his head.

“Frank, it’s her right to make it on her own. Didn’t I take that chance in my time? I think we all did and now it’s simply her turn.”

“Michael is right, Frank.” Gillian proclaimed. “Let her lead her own life.”

Michael smiled at Gillian. He really could not see why Honey didn’t like her. Here she was, speaking in her favor.

“She will be driving the same road every morning and every evening, from Neverland to Santa Maria and vice versa. How will we ever be able to protect her at the fullest ?” Bill asked. “This is not the same as when you move around… Your whereabouts are news, wherever you go, so it doesn’t matter if you drive around with a whole army of security. The problem is that you don’t want the media to find out about her either so we must stay invisible. Going undercover is one of the most difficult things to do, especially when your actions are repeated every day.”

“Wouldn’t it be best then if we were to move to Santa Maria?”

“Michael, you know you can’t do that ! You just purchased this incredible home. You love it there. It’s your hide out ! You’re completely at ease over there.” Bill proclaimed. “And if you were to move to Santa Maria, we cannot promise you the same peace and quiet you have at Neverland. How are we to hide and protect her if you’re constantly in the picture ?”

“What do you mean ?”

“You living together, while she has to run to and fro, will complicate both your safety ! The best place for you is Neverland but not for her. We just have to find the best solution for the both of you !”

“Why don’t you just get it over with and release it to the press ? It would be so much easier. She will still be able to run her store…”

“You know she won’t get that chance ! Not ever ! I won’t expose her to the world before she’s ready ! It would not be fair. She didn’t ask to be famous. You both know all the consequences. If the media finds out, they’ll shred her to pieces. Her chances of putting her business together would shrink to zero. They would kill it before it even got started ! She doesn’t deserve that!”

They realized he had a good point there but this meant for sure sacrifices had to be made. They understood he had really thought this over and over and he would not change his mind. Now it was up to them to work it out, avoid the media and respect his wishes.

“So you don’t want her to live at Neverland?” Gillian hid her mischievous smile behind her napkin. This was too good. The longer the girl stayed away from Neverland, the better.

“It’s not that. She needs more time… This store is important to her. I don’t want to take that away. I want her at Neverland, more than anything in the world. But safety comes first.”

“You are absolutely right !” Gillian nodded fiercely. “When she takes that road every day, they will suspect something right away. How will you ever be able to keep the media away from you two ?“

“Well, that’s where you guys come in the picture ! I turn to you for ideas…”

“I have an immediate suggestion !” Frank said. “Instead of driving around in that limo of yours, you should tone it down with a more ordinary car.”

“I could take the Rolls…”

“Michael ! For heaven’s sake ! ORDINARY…” Frank was convinced Michael was serious about it, but then he saw him wink at Gillian.

“Grr you !! I swear, boy ! One of these days …”

Michael giggled and made a move as if he was ducking away from a flying object.

“You realize you will have to be very creative to beat me, Frank?!”

“Man… you almost got me fooled ! But I really mean it, you need an ordinary car, for when you drive around with your honey… It sure would help you going around unnoticed.”

“Okay, take notes, Bill. One normal car…What’s next ?”

“We must make sure that whoever she hires to assist her in the shop, is at your side. This is very important.” Gillian said. “I think it would be best to hire someone with bodyguard skills.”

“Ahw Gillian, I don’t think she will like that. She wants someone with the same creative mind. It will be easier to persuade her to have a personal bodyguard. I think I can talk her into that. We have to find someone who can keep an eye on her, if I’m not around.”

Frank started to laugh at the idea of Michael guarding Honey with his body !! As if Michael had body guarding skills ! He almost choked in his drink when Michael threw him an indignant look.

“Well, a personal bodyguard can be arranged.” Bill added.

“Well guys, I think I know the right man for the job !” Gillian shouted out enthusiastically. “In fact, I shall call him tonight to check if he will be free for the next months. I mean, if that is okay with you, Michael?”

“If you know him that is fine with me. Thanks Gillian.”

So far so good ! They had come a long way tonight. Tomorrow there was another day, they would take it one step at the time. Michael yawned and stretched himself. For the first time since he set foot on Japanese ground, he felt that he would sleep soundly. Not all was cleared out yet, but he felt much more at ease now that he had talked it over with three of his closest co-workers, annex “friends”.

Bill looked him over and signaled Gillian and Frank that they should leave. He was so glad Michael eased down a bit, now that all the plans were coming together. He loved his boss as if he was his son and he would do anything to keep him as happy as he had been for the last few months. He knew they had to thank Honey for that. She was the best thing that could’ve happened to him and he would do anything to grant her the same service as he granted Michael.

He waited until Michael retreated to the bedroom, did a last check up to the rest of the suite and excited to the hallway. The entire floor was rented just for Michael and his entourage, so having one guard up at night was enough. He talked with the guy and gave him some last orders, before he turned in.

Frank smoked one last cigar in his suite. He never smoked in Michael’s room because he knew how much he hated the smell impregnating his belongings. He respected that. Thinking about his boss made him realize how much Michael had changed over the last few months. Each day he became much more an adult instead of the man-child he once was. He guessed that the responsibility he had to take for the woman he loved, made him aware that there was more to life than just being Michael Jackson. And Frank was proud of him. He was doing great !
And as for Gillian, she did what she had promised to do.

“Robert ? Hi sweetheart ! I’m so glad I finally caught you ! I tried to reach you for ages…” That wasn’t exactly true but Gillian could bring up her flirty side any time she needed it. She knew how to get what she wanted. “So, where have you been, handsome?”

“Uuh uuh…”

“What does that mean ? You weren’t in jail again, were you ?”

“Mmm, you know me. Living dangerously !” She heard him chuckle. “So what brings you to me, pretty baby ? Need some daddy care ?”

“Robert ! You know very well there is only one woman for you ! Besides we have too much of a history together.”

“Yeah yeah ! But you know me, I like to change my plate once in a while.”

“You will always go back to Rose ! And you know I would never be content with only the second place. But I will always need you, baby. To look after me, to care for me, to help me out…”

“You know me too well, sweetheart.”

“So, if I asked you, would you assist me on any matter?” She already knew the answer but he had to make it his own. Men were so stupid sometimes! A nice face, a sexy voice and on their knees they went ! And Robert ? Well, he was no different. Robert and Gillian shared some history together. They grew up in the same criminal neighborhood. She got lucky ! She came out unharmed ! But Robert still lived his life on the wrong track.

But still he came in very handy right now ! He was convinced he was a dear friend of hers but little did he know that a woman like Gillian actually wasn’t interested in friendship. Power was all she cared for !

“Anything babes, anything. Me and my brothers owe you !”

Well, that was true. Although Gillian was not as nice as her looks implied, she accidently saved Robert’s mother from a certain death. There was a time when Robert frequently called her and one day while she was talking on the phone with him about his ill mother, Frank overheard the conversation and took the story to Michael. Nor Robert, nor his brothers and certainly not his mother, could pay for the necessary medical care. Being his gentle and sweet self, Michael took care of everything and even visited the sick woman. From then on, Robert and his brothers were devoted to Michael. They were tough guys, but they were honest when it came to family and friendship and that was exactly what Gillian needed right now ! She could use someone like Robert and had no scruples to misuse his loyalty to Michael.

“I may have a job for you…”

“Could need one right now…”

“In Michael Jackson’s entourage…” She knew how to drop a bomb !

“Ahw Gillian, I’d work for free for him. You know that.”

“Don’t be silly, Robert. No one works for free ! And furthermore, Michael would not want that.”

“Okay, tell me about it.”

“First of all, I want you to trust me and know this is for Michael’s best. Can you promise me that?”

“Of course ! Tell me what you want from me…”

“There is this woman…” Gillian started to tell him about Honey, but she didn’t paint a pretty picture. She pictured Honey as a money seeking b*tch, eager for fame and success. She told him that in order to achieve her goal, she used Michael as a way to get what she wanted. And poor old Michael ! He had fallen in love with this vicious creature and granted her every wish.

“So, you need me to protect him from her ?” Robert seemed kind of puzzled. Michael Jackson already had the best of bodyguards ever. Why would he want him on the team?

“Oh no ! That is not my intention. Well, in a way it is, but we have to approach this very carefully. You see, he wants a bodyguard for her protection. Period… So you are going to fill that in for him. That is the first part of your job and you’ll have to answer to the head of his security team. But I want you there for another reason. You know Michael, he puts his trust in everyone he meets and a pretty face is a great aid of course. And she is very pretty.”

“I’m not influenced by a pretty face ! A woman needs to have more than that !”

“Well, that’s why I thought of you ! You are so mature and manly !”

Robert felt his chest raise with pride. Coming from Gillian he thought this was a huge compliment.

“Actually Robert, I want you to protect Michael in a different way. I need you to watch her closely and report to me. Michael must not know a thing about it because to him she is the love of his life. We cannot meddle in his love life, you see… He must find it out all by himself because he won’t believe us, even if we told him over and over. Love is blind, remember ?”

“Poor guy !”

“Ahw, he is. So, the plan is that I hire you as her bodyguard, but at the same time, we’re looking after Mike too. Remember, I must know every little thing she does. If necessary I can report to Michael of course, but I’d rather not. My only hope for him is that she will give herself away and that he will end the relationship. But I can tell you, she is very smart !!”

“I think you are waaay smarter, Gillian ! To come up with an idea like that !! Wow ! Michael should be glad to have you as an employee.”

“He’s my friend, Robert. I’d do anything for my friends.”

“You are sweet too, girl.”

She was great, he thought ! He wished he could be more like her, then he wouldn’t get into trouble all the time. And here she was, giving him a chance to get away from all the misery in his pitiful little life.

“My further plans will be revealed once he hires you. I just need to talk to him and convince him to hire you. I’m sure he will remember you and your family. You’re in?”

“Of course I’m in ! If I can do anything to prevent Michael Jackson from being hurt, I will!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Honey and friends… She was so lucky to have friends like these. Once more, Barbara and Daniel had organized a dinner party for the whole bunch, just to try and cheer her up a little bit. They had never seen her down like this. They knew she couldn’t see Michael for yet another two months at least and witnessing her becoming more sad every day was very hard. They did the best they could.

For Honey, it was not merely enough to talk to him on the phone lately. Having been in his presence, day and night at Hayvenhurst, had given her a taste of how their life could be and now she wanted more. Much more… She knew she should be grateful for having a man like Michael in her life, sweet, loving, handsome and very sexy, but it were all these lovely characteristics that didn’t make it easier after all. She missed him even more than before and her heart ached for him.

In fact, from time to time it made her angry and very obstinate ! Angry at him, angry at herself, angry at everyone around her. Why could he not be the guy next door ? Why did he have to be the famous performer, traveling all over the globe ? But then she remembered falling in love with just that guy, back in 1980. To her, he was not a superstar. He was simply Michael, and his job came with the complete package. Even if she resented this, she couldn’t do anything about. Acceptance was the best solution but that didn’t come easy on her.

Sometimes when he called, she thought she would faint of happiness. Not because she was star struck, that didn’t matter to her at all. It was his whole being, his gentle nature, the way he talked to her, how he listened to her every need. His soft voice always pulled the right strings and every time they had to say goodbye, her heart broke. But she never told him. It would hurt him very much and she knew he would feel guilty about it too. And he shouldn’t, because she still felt it was her fault they could not be together yet. It was her divorce that kept them apart, not his tour and she was very well aware of that. It tore her to pieces. Did she dwell in self pity ? Well, maybe a little…

Honey was grateful tho’ to Barbara and Daniel for arranging another dinner party and she would do the best she could to not feel too lonely without Michael by her side. He would have loved it. If was so endearing to see how much he felt at ease with her friends. It was refreshing to see how he interacted with them and how much he trusted them. He was accepted as a dear friend as if he had been grown up with them. Neither did they ever question any of his actions nor did they spill the story about their friendship to the media. Honey and her friends did have a long history together after all. The only original “boy” was Daniel of course and he was proud of it ! Luckily, being around the ‘gals’ all the time hadn’t made him less manly ! Sometimes, he acted like a rooster in a henhouse, especially when there were no other men around and he could be at the center of their attention. But he was always caring for all of them too and tonight he took Honey’s well being into his own hands. He cooked all of her favorite meals !

When Honey opened the door to let Emma and her husband Troy in, she noticed that Emma had a beautiful glow over her. Troy was even more caring than usual, anticipating on every move she made and gently rubbing her lower back after they were seated at the table.

“Is there something we should know, Emma ?” Honey whispered in her ear.

Emma didn’t answer right away but the blush that appeared on her face told her enough. She smiled and whispered back. “Patience, girl… You’ll know soon enough.”

“Guys, it’s Honey’s night… You’ll eat what she likes best…” Daniel stated.

And they didn’t mind because he was a great cook after all and presented them an exquisite menu. As an entrée he made a delicious creamy chervil soup. The main course was an all time favorite and a Belgian specialty : “Witloof in den oven”, or cooked chicory wrapped in ham and dressed with a rich hot cheese sauce. His dish was perfect, served with mashed potatoes and a little bread at the side.

When Daniel poured out the wine, Emma protectively held her hand on her glass.
And then of course it dawned to all of them, because Emma normally drank like a sailor, if she was into it.

Rachel pointed at her and screamed : “You’re pregnant !”

“I knew it ! I knew it !” Honey called out. “Come here girl !” She pulled Emma out of her chair and hugged her. “I saw it on your face ! You look so beautiful tonight. As if you are golden !”

She pulled Troy into a bear hug. His chest rose with pride as everyone congratulated them on the happy occasion.

“We must toast to that ! Sorry Emma, you can have all the bubbles you want, but only in sparkling water ! No alcohol for you…”

They all raised their glass in a toast to the miracle of life.

“And there is more…” Emma said laughing.

“How much more pregnant can you be ?”

“We’re having twins !” Troy cheered loudly. Troy had a very extrovert personality, completely the opposite of Emma. It was not that Emma was shy but she was a bit more reserved than her husband. Emma was a very loving person but she only opened up to the people she really trusted. At that point, she was much like Michael, so Honey could really relate to that. Honey also thought that she was very wise for her age and if necessary she knew she could always turn to her for advice. But then again they all turned to each other for support and advice.

“And boys or girls or mix ?”

“That we won’t share…” Emma leaned into Troy and smiled up to him. He was a tall guy and whenever she was with him, she felt protected and cared for. It was clear that she gladly allowed him to look after her. They had a good marriage.

“I’m so glad for you…” Honey hugged her once more. “Michael will be jealous though…” She giggled. “When he finds out, he will never stop bugging me…”

She knew how much he longed for children and he never stopped asking her if she wanted them too. Sometimes she felt guilty because she wasn’t ready yet. He would make such a great father! She had seen him play with his nieces and nephews, the day they celebrated her birthday. He attracted children like a magnet because when he was with them, he turned himself into child mode. He let them be themselves and never underestimated them. He valued their honest and pure opinion because children never beat around the bush. What was in their mind, came out of their mouth ! An ability that lots of grown-ups lose while maturing, even Michael himself. In a way she understood his wish to be a father. He needed children as his lifeline, to complete his being. She on the other hand wanted to wait until all was settled. Well, they would see what the future had in store for them.

After the toast there was still more good news to share.

Rachel and Elvis announced their wedding for next year. Rachel was the youngest of them all, only 22 and Elvis was even one year younger than her. They fell madly in love since they danced together at Ally’s wedding. Elvis was Ally’s adopted brother, and they had all known him for a long time but no one had ever imagined that Rachel and Elvis would end up together. It should not have come as a surprise though ! They matched beautifully. They both were playful and friendly and well…a little mischievous. They were full of pranks and jokes even towards each other. And they never ever quarreled. The funny thing was that Elvis even looked a bit like Michael in his younger years, with his dark skin and afro hairdo.

At the beginning their relationship had been under a lot of strain as Rachel’s dad had some tough prejudices against people of another origin. It turned out that it had nothing to do with the color of his skin however but it took Rachel ages to figure that out. Her father was extremely worried because Elvis was adopted. He kept repeating that she didn’t know where he came from and that even if Ally and her family were very caring, it could well be possible that Elvis would turn out to be a pain in the ass. It all happened while Honey was in the midst of her separation of John and she felt bad at the time because she wasn’t of much help to Rachel, being such a mess herself. But as always the whole bunch clung together and pulled them both through. With their help Rachel could finally invite Elvis over to meet her parents. And once her father got acquainted with the young man, he took back his words. He even apologized to him because he realized that Elvis was indeed the right man for his daughter.

So that would leave Honey the only “bachelor” in their little club, as Ally so nicely stated. Ally was the oldest of the bunch. She married her math professor just before Honey separated from John. She was not only the oldest but the brightest of them all too. She was a very gifted computer analyst and one of the sweetest persons Honey had ever met. She never ever prejudiced anyone and was always ready to hop in and help out. Her husband Stephen fell in love with her because first of all she was the smartest of his students and because she was different than any other woman he had ever met before. She had great imagination and loved to tell jokes. She made him feel like a young foolish little boy and he loved that. And she was always compassionate and caring, having a kind word for all the people she met. They had no children yet. They even had not decided yet if they would get any. They loved to travel and had already visited numerous countries, more than one can count on two hands.

Honey wondered if Michael would ever fall on his knee and ask her to marry him. They did talk about it while she was at Hayvenhurst but he never actually asked her. And then she knew he wanted her to have his baby but would that include marriage ? She didn’t know if she was ready for another marriage so soon after the disaster she went through. She still had to appear in court one more time to get the divorce settled for once and for all. And that was something she wasn’t looking forward to. She didn’t want to meet John at all after how he treated her. She realized it was partly her fault but still…

She was startled out of her daydreaming when the phone rang. She jumped up, forgetting all about her fatigue and leaped to it, yanking it off the hook before anyone else could.

“Hello ?”

“Honey ? It’s me, Michael…”

Her smile cracked her face in two and her friends started laughing at her as they realized who was at the other end of the line.

“HI MICHAEL !” They all shouted as one choir.

“Honey, put the phone on speaker, so I can talk to them…”
She obeyed, gladly making him a part of their gathering.

“Hey guys! What are you doing tonight ? Having a party without me ?”

“Michael man ! We wish you could be here !” Daniel shouted.

“Hi Daniel ! How are you all ?”

Everyone started to talk at the same time and Michael laughed at his end of the line. They really enjoyed talking to him and it was exactly that, that made him feel wanted, even more than when he was on stage, being cheered to by thousands of fans. It was so good to have friends like these !

They talked for over half an hour, each of them telling him the latest news. He toasted to Rachel and Elvis and when he heard that Emma and Troy were going to have a baby, he burst out singing to them.

“This is for you and the babies….”

But still he felt a little green devil, creeping up on his shoulder. “No Michael ! No !” he shouted to himself. “Just be happy for them.” But he couldn’t shake the feeling immediately. He so wanted a baby and he knew for sure Honey had to be the mother. He’d love to have a baby girl with her eyes and her straight hair. A little girl that babbled and laughed all day long. Or a little boy, looking like him when he was a small child. With a big afro ! Yeah, that would be fun ! He never thought of it before, but actually their children would be a beautiful mix of black and white. That was a great thought! They could mix the black and white ! They could have it all. This would make a great song title also ! Well, at least something was to be born !

After having talked to all of them, he asked if they would agree on missing Honey for a while.

“Well Mike, if you can put a smile on her face, go ahead man ! We’re out of tricks.” Daniel replied.

Honey gratefully smiled to him and put the phone through, to her room.

“You should be grateful for friends like that, Honey.”

Michael said once they were alone. Well, once she was alone in her room that was because he was still in Japan…but that was just a minor technicality.

“Ahw, I know. They are the best. I’m so glad they are all doing great.”

Sitting on her bed, she pressed the phone against her ear, trying to feel as close to him as she could be.

“How are YOU doing, Honey ? You sound so sad.…”

“I’m sorry, Michael… They are really trying to cheer me up. But I feel lonely without you. I only want to be with you.”

“I could arrange you a ticket…”

“No, that is no solution. You know, I must appear in court in a couple of days.”
“And then you’ll finally be free… I miss you too, baby, but I’m looking forward to having you for my own. I really do. Can you do me a favor ?”

“Anything… You know that, Mikey.”

“When you go to court and sign for the last time, will you think of me ? Will you think about the last night we spent together ? Will you ? Do you remember what I said ?”

How could she not ? In her mind she went back to that night and her breath quickened even by just thinking about it.

“You remember, do you ?“ he softly asked.

“Huh huh…”

“I held you prisoner…” he chuckled.

“You did more than that, sweetie.”

“I think I never experienced anything like that before… I never did anything like that before either.”

“Now didn’t you ?”

“Nooo… you make me do those things, baby. When I think of loving you…

“His voice dropped an octave and Honey felt her knees go weak.

“Michael…”

“Yes baby ? Tell me what you feel…Just fill me in…”

“Huh huh…”

He lowered his head and started kissing her collarbone from her neck down. She protested when his chest left her back and she felt the cool night air instead, but he made it up to her right away. Every single vertebra was touched by his tongue. He licked her all the way down to her butt. His hands had left her hips and moved up, slowly brushing the sides of her breasts. At the feel of his fingers touching her, she wanted to turn around and offer herself completely to him but he wouldn’t let her.

“Michael…!”

“Mmm, you taste like cotton candy…”

He kissed his way down to the back of her knees where she was so extremely sensitive.

“Ooooh Michael…”

“You are so lovely, Honey. Oh my god… I’m gonna miss you so much.”

He suddenly stopped his movements and Honey heard a muffled sound coming from him. She tried to turn herself around and sit up but he wasn’t having it.

“Let me make love to you, Honey. Let me have it my way… I’m promising you right here and now that you will love every minute of it.”

“Michael…” she protested a little.

“Aah baby, you just lay still and I’ll take care of you.”

And he did, in a way she had never experienced before. He straddled her, sitting on her upper thighs, massaging her shoulders and her back in the most sensual way ever. His fingers slowly brushed forwards and back making it feel like he was holding a feather. He took her hands and laid them above her head, close to the headboard. His own hands crept under her body and took hold of breasts. She gasped when he squeezed them firmly while he lowered his body to hers once again. He slowly laid himself down on her, pushing her legs open and positioning himself at her entrance. She saw his face appearing next to hers, his breath tickled her ear once again. She couldn’t see him completely but she saw his shimmering eyes and knew they were filled with un-spilled tears.

“You’re so beautiful…” he whispered…“Let me love you, Honey… please let me…I need you so much.” He softly bit the skin of her neck.

“Ooh Michael… ” All of his kissing and caressing had done its work and overpowered by desire, she pushed her hips into his.

“Baby…” his voice sounded hoarse and very very sexy. “What are you doing to me? Oh god, I think, I’m not gonna last.”

His right hand slowly found his way from her breast through her soft curls to her loving center and his long sensitive fingers started to caress her intimately. His exploration of her body from this different angle only increased the passion that was overtaking her and her heat enwrapped his fingers. When he found her ready like this, for him to take, he couldn’t wait any longer. He tenderly joined their bodies the way he had been dreaming of. He pushed himself into her soft wet tunnel, filling her completely with his love.

“Oh my god… Honey… this is amazing.”

He bent down and kissed the back of her neck. Goosebumps formed all over her body and made her shiver. She trembled like a leaf when he did it again, on the outside where it was visible but also on the inside where only he noticed the soft contractions she could not withhold. Her obvious physical reaction to his kisses, made him lose all of his self-control. Where he had been soft and tender just a minute ago, he was now hard and inflexible.

“Huh… Oooh…Ho…Honey…” Sobs of desire shook his body. “What are you doing to me…?”

He could not have foreseen the way this newly discovered position made him feel. He went completely crazy with passion and when he started moving, he was like a hunter chasing his prey. Nothing and no one could take his attention away from his goal. He went after his own release, his deep need for comfort. His cries came from very down inside, the low sound of them making her head spin. His fingers were still firmly stroking her center of desire, at the rhythm of his own movements. He left no doubt in her mind where he wanted to take her.

“Come on… Honey… huh… baby…”

He claimed her to be his in every way and hurled her forwards. To her a dominant Michael was sexy beyond compare and the familiar feeling of completion started to unwind in her lower abdomen. There was no turning back. And when he expressed himself orally too he left her no choice. He turned her world upside down and made her lose her mind completely. With a sob she reached her climax, just a second before he did.

“Oh my god… Honey, my sweet Honey…” He collapsed on top of her, breathing heavily against the back of her skull.“You’re mine, Honey, mine alone. This is mine…forever. Remember that when you go to sign your divorce papers…Mine…”

Oh, Honey remembered it vividly. How could she ever forget ? Her breathing stopped for only a second but he knew.

“You remember, do you ?” he softly asked.

She could see the smile on his face even without actually having him in her vision. It soothed her that he was so sure that all would turn out just fine but still…

“Oh Michael, I’m so scared he will retreat suddenly ! I want this so bad ! The more I think about it, the more I realize how stupid I have been !! ”

“Honey, stop doing this to yourself ! It’s not because we’re not together right now that our time won’t come. You have me for all eternity ! You know that, don’t you ?”

She nodded but then realized he couldn’t see her doing that. His impatient reaction came immediately.

“Well?”

“Yes Michael, I know.”

“Come on then ! Go back to your friends and have some fun ! Can you promise me that?”

She sighed. “Okay Michael, I promise. I’m sorry, I don’t want you to worry. It’ll turn out just fine.”

“That’s my girl ! You know, it’s only gonna be a few more weeks and then we’ll be together for the rest of our lives. I can’t tell you how much I love you !”

“I love you too, Michael !”

“Oh girl, you bring sparkles to my eyes ! You should see me now ! All of Tokyo is in lights just because I’m talking to you…”

He made her smile again. Ahw, he was so sweet !

“Will you call me again tomorrow ?”

“Baby, how can I not ? But it will probably be very late. Will you wait up for me ?”

“I will, Michael. Thanks for cheering me up.”

“So you go now and have a good time…”

She kept her promise and spent a delightful and fun evening with her friends.
And the day she had to go to court to meet with John and sign the final divorce papers, she had Michael on her mind. All the way to the court house she was dreaming about the last time they made love.

And then she was free !

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christmas passed and 1989 was just around the corner. The shop was buzzing with activity from people buying gifts for their loved ones. It seemed that Rachel, whom they asked to come and replace Honey in the shop, was a natural talent. Honey was very relieved that she could soon move to the States without worrying about leaving Barbara and their business behind. But there were still a lot more tasks to accomplish.

She didn’t know when she was to move because they hadn’t set an exact date yet. On top of that she still didn’t know when she would see Michael again. She missed him very much and even though she could watch his video day after day, it still was not enough. She needed more. His Moonwalker movie was released in theaters on Boxing Day in the United Kingdom as well as in Australia and he had been very excited about it. At least he was getting somewhere ! She on the other hand, felt trapped, waiting for him. She felt more like a mistress than like a girlfriend, sitting and waiting patiently for him to spend some time with her. She knew he was about to leave Japan any day now but unfortunately, due to the problems with his voice in November, there were still a few more concerts to perform in L.A. It wouldn’t be until the end of January that he would be free again and then one never knew how many more appointments his people would have arranged for him.

It seemed like she was caught up in a never ending story and it was getting to both of them. The last time they talked, they even had a quarrel. They were so frustrated with all these events getting between them that they took it out on each other. Honey still felt bad about it even now. It was too stupid for words ! He told her that she whined too much and she had called him selfish. She didn’t even remember how it ever got started but she felt really stupid after throwing the phone on the hook. As it rang a little later, she didn’t pick it up. If he thought she was whining, then he could take his selfish ass somewhere else !

And now she regretted her behavior. She overreacted ! He hadn’t called back and she had no means to reach him except for his home phone but he was still on the road. She had slapped herself mentally more than once these last days. It couldn’t be over, could it ?

“Come on, Honey, we’ve got to close up. Daniel is waiting for me.”

“Are you going out for the evening ?”

Honey sounded a little disappointed. She desperately needed some cheering up.
Barbara had been filled in with the latest events and felt really sorry for her friend. Honey could be a little hot-tempered at times but at the given situation she thought her frustration was understandable. The poor thing could only wait.

“Oh Honey, I’m sure he will call you one of these days. He’s probably just tired from all that touring.”

“He performed only in Japan ! He even didn’t have to move from town to town! How can he be tired ? He doesn’t have to deal with anything but his performances.”

She knew very well this wasn’t true. There were lots of problems being Michael Jackson ! And he took on much more besides performing ! She was just being unreasonable because she really wanted to see him, touch him, smell him, just be with him.

“You’ll be fine, I promise you. Just take some time for yourself tonight. I bought some new videos during lunch break.”

“Hmm…” Honey was only interested in seeing Michael on the TV screen but she would never admit that at this point. She was supposed to be mad at him !

“Don’t you wanna know which ?” Barbara asked.

“Okay…”

“Ahw girl, you sound really bad… Come on ! Get yourself together and let’s go home.”

She braced herself for a boring evening, all alone, wallowing in self pity… Well, nothing to do about that ! It was her own fault !!

After Barbara and Daniel had gone out, Honey ensconced herself in the corner of the couch, wearing one of his red shirts and her pajama bottoms. With her big fluffy rabbit slippers, she looked like a cartoon character. The bag with the new bought videos laid on the coffee table. She was about ready to explore the films Barbara had brought with her, as the doorbell rang.

Honey was alarmed immediately ! She wasn’t expecting anyone and with Barbara and Daniel out, she thought she’d better be careful. You never knew.

“Who’s there ?” she shouted through the door. They had no spy-hole.

There was no answer. “Is anyone there ?” she shouted again.

Then her eye caught a white envelope that was slid through the mail slot. She jumped back.

“Who is there ?”

Her voice sounded very scared now, but still no answer. Her heart raced in her chest as she carefully picked up the envelop. What in heaven’s name could that be? She looked it over, upside down, at the front, at the back but no trace of a sender or any mark what so ever. There was nothing else to do than to open it…

She took the envelope with her to her spot on the couch and carefully tore it open. There was only one piece of paper in it, neatly folded in 4. She slowly unfolded it and discovered a copy of 2 train tickets. However the destination on the tickets was carefully crossed out with a felt-tip, so that didn’t leave her any clue to what or for whom this was. She found it kinda creepy ! Furthermore there was no accompanying message, so was this for Barbara and Daniel ? They didn’t tell her they were to go on a trip however…

As the doorbell rang again, she almost jumped ten feet in the air. There was definitely someone trying to get her attention. She felt a strange sensation crawl under her skin. Was it fear or anticipation ? What should she do ? Open the door and risk … what ? She pulled an umbrella out of the umbrella stand, to defend her with, just in case.

The bell rang again ! Whoever was at that door, was very persistent to get in ! She swallowed and gathered all of her courage. She pulled the door open with all her might, jumped outside like a ninja turtle…

And was greeted with a very amused giggle !

She turned around and there he was, leaning against the wall, next to the front door ! He laughed out loud at the sight of her, ready to attack, wearing his shirt, her pajama bottoms and those fluffy rabbit slippers, the umbrella ‘en garde’.

“MICHAEL !” She had never yelled that loud in all of her life!!

“Shhhhhh ! Honey, be quiet !” He pulled her inside and shut the door behind them, before anyone could see where the noise was coming from. “You’re gonna blow my cover !”

“You’re not undercover ! You look like you !”

“You look funny enough for the both of us !” He pulled her in a tight embrace and started kissing her. “Oh my god ! I missed you so much !” He picked her up, bridal style. “Where is your bedroom ?”

“Michael !”

But as he was unstoppable, she showed him the way, a big smile on her face. They had the same on their mind…

Once there, he pulled her slippers from her feet and threw them in the far corner of her room, muttering : “Don’t want no rabbits spying on us…”
She laughed and threw his fedora in the same direction, covering the eyes of the two gazing fluffy animals. He giggled and pulled her up once again, his hands on her bottom cheeks, lifting her as high as he could, turning around with her, as if they were on a merry go round. Now hovering over him and staring down at his beautiful face, she realized how much she had missed him. Words could not describe how happy he made her right now. But she could show him ! And she would for sure ! She softly kissed his forehead, his nose, his cheeks, his chin and then finally his mouth. Her tongue first caressed his upper lip, travelled to the corners and then gently touched his full lower lip. He opened his mouth and let her in. They lost themselves in a tantalizing kiss, sucking on each other’s tongue, dislodging the history of the past lonely days.

While kissing, Michael slowly walked towards the bed with her high in his arms. Once there, he softly pulled his lips away.

“Girl, I cannot tell you how much I missed you. Let me make love to you.”

He slowly let her slide down his body and laid her down on the bed. Now standing before her, without taking his eyes off her, he began to undress himself. He took off his shoes and socks, balancing like the dancer he was, and put them under the nightstand. His coat, which he hadn’t taken off yet, was carefully hung on a chair. One by one he pulled each button on his shirt through the matching little hole. When he finally accomplished the task of unbuttoning his shirt he took it off his shoulders and threw it aside. It landed on his coat, like a kite would land on the beach. His T-shirt followed shortly after, revealing his smooth chest.

Slowly he then took his hands to his belt.

“You want me to go further, baby ?” he asked in a low husky voice.

“I don’t know …”

He looked startled for a moment but as she rose of the bed on her knees and gestured him to come closer, he smiled and shook his head. No way she could take over now.

“No, no, no… “ He pushed her back down and stepped away again, just out of her reach. “Let me undress myself for you this time, Honey… just for you… And then I’ll be all yours…”

She held back her breath as his long slender fingers found their way to his belt again. He pulled it loose and threw it on the pile of clothes on the chair. With both hands he started to undo the buttons of his jeans, one by one. The black satin fabric of his boxers, came shining through. It was her favorite pair. She loved the feeling of his lower body, wrapped up in this silky cover. To her, when she took it off, it seemed like she was unwrapping a precious gift. But now it was as if he was presenting her this gift all over again.

“You like what you see thus far, baby?”

“It’s torture…”

He giggled and slid his pants down his legs. She adored his legs ! They were strong with hard long muscles, and covered with soft black hairs that caressed her legs while they made love. But what she longed to see right now, was still hidden in his boxers. Well, hidden was a big word… She licked her lips at the sight of the bulge, right there before her eyes. He was more than ready to please her ! So much was clear.

“Mike ! Take it off !” She ordered him.

“Heehee, I like severe women…” He sang. “You turn me on, baby… so much. Say it again…”

“T.A.K.E. I.T. O.F.F.”

Never taking his eyes of her, one of his fingers travelled down on his stomach, leading the way to the soft hairy road to heaven. When he got to the hem of his underwear, he put both of his thumbs under the elastic band. Slowly but surely he opened the shiny garage in which his love machine was safely parked. She eagerly followed every movement he made. And when finally he stood before her completely naked, she allowed herself to fall back onto the bed and close her eyes. The mattress moved when he crawled onto the bed with her and she opened her arms to pull him towards her.

“I don’t want to wait, Honey. I hope you are ready because I am.”

With those words he undressed her quickly and nestled himself between her legs. His eyes were burning like fire and when his love probed at her center, she thought she would burn up. She gladly invited him in.

Never before, she had witnessed him being this passionate and anxious to be with her. It was as if he was claiming her, after the harsh words they had spoken a few days ago. He moved like a swimmer, with long forceful strokes, not too quick, but slow and very thorough. He let her feel all of his body, his strong dancers legs pressing against hers, his thighs between her thighs. His upper torso moved over hers in an increasing rhythm, sensitizing her nipples with the little hairs on his chest. He didn’t kiss her but just kept looking at her, caressing her with his eyes, his long curls tickling her face now and then.

“Oooh Michael !” she cried out loud, as she reached her peak much too quick to her liking. But he had her in the palm of his hand and controlled every muscle in her body.

“Is this what you call selfish, baby?!”

He whispered in her ear and with one last forceful stroke he joined her, calling out her name too.

Afterwards, she laid on his chest, and they were both heavily breathing, completely knocked out by the power of their lovemaking. It wasn’t after a few minutes that Honey was able to speak again.

“Michael, what did you do to me ? Oh my…”

“Huhuh, don’t tell me you don’t know…”

“Haha, no that’s not what I meant… You know…”

“My little rabbit, I had to miss you for ages. I could only restrain myself as long as my striptease continued ! Otherwise, I think I would have raped you… Couldn’t you tell?”

“Michael ! You are a naughty boy !”

“I am, am I ? Well, the sight of you was too much for my lonely soul. I had so much trouble holding back.”

“You did great, sweetie.. Wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”

“Do you want to go for another round ? A slow one ?”

He tried to seduce her with his voice and his hands started to roam her body. He squeezed her breasts.

“No Michael…” She shook her head and took his hands in hers. “I think we should talk first.”

“I think we should love first…” he pulled away his hands but she was quicker and put them aside of his head, bringing her face near to his, pinning him down with her body.

“We talk first !”

He raised his eyebrows and started moving under her, from left to right, trying to get her from his chest. She laughed but remained fixed at her spot anyway.
“Don’t try this with me, Mister Jackson ! Or I’ll have to punish you…”

“Oh yes, please…” His voice just dropped a few octaves and left her breathless for an instant.

“Michael…. really !”

“Okay, I surrender … talk to me !”

She looked deep into his eyes, trying to see what was currently going on in his mind. When she acted like this, he knew something was brewing.
“Do you really want me to come to the States?”

He frowned his brows. “What did you say ?”

“I said…”

“I know what you said ! Let me put it this way : why did you say that ?”

“Well, you always say you want me there, but never ever we speak of fixing dates. I’m beginning to wonder…”

“Honeeeey…” he complained “Are you listening to what you are saying ?”

“It’s true ! We never fix a date…”

“Remember this ? “Michael, stop arranging things around me !..”” he said mimicking her voice. “Can you imagine why, since then, I’m trying not to do that anymore ?”

“You mean, I have to come up with a date ?”
“No…”
Honey’s mood turned within the blink of an eye. Her imagination was already taking over her common sense, as usual. She was a little spitfire, he thought, already making up all kind of scenarios in her head about why he didn’t want to fix a date.
“You changed your mind ? You don’t want to live together anymore ? Is it my fault ? Am I too difficult ?”
He was taken aback by this waterfall of questions and didn’t respond immediately. That worried her even more !
“I am !” she yelled, confirming her own thoughts. “You came to know who I really am and you’re having second thoughts ! I knew this would happen ! Stupid me !”
She got off of him and without thinking about her nudity, retreated to the window sill. Luckily the rolling shutters were down.
“You can have any woman in the whole wide world and you picked me ! I knew that at the end of the line I would bore you. I really don’t blame you !”

Again he tried to interfere but she kept going. “And you hate my independence ! You don’t have to say that ! I already understand ! You want a stupid little woman that always says AMEN to whatever you bring up ! Who goes wherever you go ! Who waits for you to get home and comes to the door with your slippers and newspaper when you finally arrive late at night, after going out with the boys !”

Ahw, now she was really pissed, he thought. But funny too… As she already did once before, she only made herself angry. Now, that she should not have done because the only reaction she would get from him was amusement. He thought she was really comical at that point and he couldn’t hold himself from laughing. But she did this only to herself ! It was her own fault. Because he didn’t want to upset her even more, he turned around to sit at the side of the bed, his broad smiling face out of her sight. Maybe if he would not react she would see for herself how comical she was. In one way she acted unreasonable too, however he would never say that out loud. Maybe later when she regained her common sense, he would bring it up. But still he couldn’t stop himself from shaking with laughter when he heard her sniffling hard through her nose. She was like a bull, ready to attack the red flag. The thought of Honey racing through the arena in his direction while he was the toreador, almost made him roll over the bed from laughter. No Michael… don’t even go there…

She saw his shoulders shaking and heard a muffled sound. Ahw ! Did she make him cry ? Oh no, she was so stupid ! Now she was even more angry with herself ! Poor Michael, she did him wrong ! Why was she so unreasonable ? He didn’t deserve this at all. She had to straighten this. It was not his fault that she was such a stupid b*tch.

“Michael, please…” she crept up behind him on the bed and cradled him in her arms. He was shaking violently by now and the sounds he made really worried her.

“Ahw sweetie, I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault ! Please don’t cry.” She felt really bad ! Poor thing, he was obviously very very upset with her.

“I’m n… no..ot !” she heard him say in a breathless voice.

“Michael ? Are you crying ? What’s wrong ? Are you ill ?”

He shook his head and at the turn of his face she noticed that the corners of his mouth were turned up and not down as she would have expected. He was not crying at all, he was laughing at her !

“Oh you !! “ She pushed him away and started slapping him with a pillow… He ducked away, and fell off the bed doing so, uncontrollably laughing.

“And you know Honey, Honey, that you’re so funny funny !” He sang to her “And you mean all the world to me..e !”

She pouted and turned her back to him.

“You’re not a good man, Michael ! For teasing me like this ! It’s not nice ! I was really worried! I thought you were crying !”

In a flash of light, he jumped back on his feet and launched himself at her. He threw her off balance and she ended up under him, in the middle of the bed.

“And you, little firecracker, you worked yourself into a frenzy without any reason ! I promise you, we will talk about this later. Okay ?” As he was in charge right now and he was so much stronger than she was, she had no choice but to give in. Yeah, they would talk about it later.

“Alright, I guess that’s what we’ll do then, but Michael Jackson… you’re full of mean tricks !”

“Baby, you should know that the only time you can make me cry is when you say goodbye… That’s not gonna happen ! I won’t ever let you go ! You’re mine forever and all eternity ! Don’t you know that by now ?”

He kissed her pouting lips and got up.

“Where did you put my present ?”

“Your present ?”

“An envelope ! You took it from under the door.”

“Oh, that ! I left it downstairs.”

“I suggest you go and get it.”

“Hey, are you telling me what to do again?”

He chuckled. “I wouldn’t dare, ma’am ! But you know this house better than I do.”

Of course he was right. She padded to the door, butt naked, and ran off the stairs, before she realized that Barbara and Daniel could have come home. Michael had just the same thought and ran after her, with his shirt in his hands to cover her up, but all the same he was nude too !! And when they both realized what they were doing, they went straight into a laughing fit. Luckily their friendly hosts hadn’t come home yet, so the sight of them, hanging on the stairs, laughing and giggling, is just reserved for you and me.

“Oh my god ! We are a comical duo !” Honey laughed.

“Like Laurel and Hardy ! Or Abbot and Costello !”

“I definitely don’t look like any of them !” Honey almost choked laughing. “I’m a lady…Whoaa !”

“C’mon then, Lucille Ball ! Do you have the envelope ?”

Triumphantly, she held it in the air.

“Let’s get back to bed and I’ll tell you all about it.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Michael watched Honey running around nervously, gathering her things and packing as fast as she could. In the meantime she was chitchatting away. His eyes registered everything she was doing but whatever she was saying didn’t reach his mind. He was lost in thought, trying to figure out how he would justify the solution they had come up with regarding the safety issues. When she tried to talk about him about setting a date earlier this evening, he was not ready to go into that. And he still wasn’t although he was sure she would understand why they had to take these precautions, once he explained it thoroughly to her. Until now she had not yet experienced the danger of simply being in his neighborhood. She had never been mobbed yet and he hoped she would never have to endure it either. He would do anything to prevent it from happening. It was horrible and the thought of her being pulled and pushed at, made him wince inwardly.

Suddenly, a loud shriek startled him out of his thoughts. What in heaven’s name was she doing ? He jumped out of his chair and ran to her help. She was trying to pull a suitcase of the top of the high bedroom cupboard and at the same time trying to keep her balance on the chair she had climbed on. Instead of putting down the toilet bag that was in her hands already, she only just realized that the suitcase itself was much too heavy for her to pick up with one hand. But dropping the toilet bag was no option either. Miss “do as much as you can in one blink of an eye” was in trouble and he courteously came to her rescue.

He shook his head. “You’re trying to get out of this trip ?”

“Huh ?” she looked like a cow on a train.

“If you break your legs, you’re not coming… You’re much too heavy to carry around.”

“Oooh ! That’s not nice !”

Once he helped her off the chair, he snuggled her neck and let his hands quickly trail over her curves.

“It’s not true either. You’re fine to me. You have the body of a goddess !”

“Mmm, now I don’t know whether I should believe you or not.”

“Shall I prove it to you ?” He cupped her butt cheeks and pulled her closer.

“Noooo ! You said I had to hurry up ! I’m nervous enough as it is. Why didn’t you warn me beforehand ? I could have packed already.”

“I wanted it to be a big surprise ! I only told Barbara and Daniel I was coming over to take you away. That’s why they went out, remember ?”

“You still didn’t tell me where we are going.”

“To the train station !”

“Haha ! You think you are so funny ! Please tell me… please, please, pretty please…”

She fluttered her eyelashes at him and started putting little kisses in his neck.

“Well…” he acted just as if he was going to spill it all out, but then…”No, you’re right ! We’re already in lack of time as it is.” He slapped her on her butt. “Get ready, woman. We have to leave in half an hour.”

“Ooooh ! I’ll get you for this ! I swear !” she yelled.

“Is that a promise ?”

Finally seated in the train wagon, first class of course, Honey realized once more, how rich Michael must be. He rented three train wagons, complete with restaurant, sleeping areas, and one complete wagon for her and him only. Not that they would need all this luxury because it was a night train after all and they were meant to pass this journey while sleeping. But for Michael nothing was ever perfect enough and he wanted to make sure that everyone enjoyed their selves when in his presence.

She watched him standing at the exit door of their wagon, talking to Gillian. He nodded at what the blonde woman said to him and slightly turned his head to Honey, looking at her, his eyebrows a little frowned, his eyes examining her face. Honey quickly looked the other way and wished she had been able to hold her temper earlier. She was a little ashamed of her outburst right now and the thought of it made her fiercely blush. Michael would not be happy with her.

When she had finally packed, Michael went downstairs to fetch one of his coworkers to help them with her luggage. Until then Honey was convinced he had taken a cab or some other means of transport to meet her. But she soon realized that would not have been safe for him. Then she figured he would have his bodyguards with him of course, sitting outside in a car, waiting for him. But never in her wildest dreams she could have imagined he brought along all of his entourage ! She winced when she realized that the trip to the train station was to be made in different cars. The first car would take Michael and his body guards, and Frank. They would take a different route. Honey was to follow in the second car, accompanied by Gillian, for god’s sake ! Talking about a cold shower !! She thought they would spend a romantic rendezvous, just the two of them. Instead they were surrounded by the half world population !

After they said goodbye to Barbara and Daniel, who of course were involved in the complot from the beginning, Michael softly pushed her to the waiting car. And when he released her hand and kissed her slightly on the lips, it began to dawn on her.

“Michael ?”

“It’s only for a short time, baby. I’ll see you back at the station. It’s all for safety.”

She pouted but nevertheless obeyed the safety orders and got into to the car. She really didn’t want to be in this small space with Gillian. How could Michael do that to her? He knew how she felt about that woman! With a simple nod to Gillian and then turning her head to the window, she tried to make clear that she didn’t want to engage herself in any small town chitchat. Not with her anyway! But Gillian had something else in mind.

“Did not expect to see me here, did you?” she smirked.

“What ?”

“You really thought he would take you away to some deserted island, just to spend time with you… You should know by now that work comes first… always…”

“I realize his work is very important, Gillian. No need to rub it in like that. I’m a grown woman and I know my man.”

“Can you truly say you really know him all that well ? I’m still here…we all are…”

“Huh ? What do you mean ?”

“Okay, I must admit it. He’s with you now…”

“You bet !” Honey snapped at her.

“But he has a thirst for novelties. One day he likes black, the other day he wants nothing but white. That’s why he takes us along with him, everywhere he goes. We provide him with lots of entertainment. He likes that. He’s afraid he will get bored of you.”

Honey swallowed away the lump that instantly formed in her throat. She had been thinking that just this evening. Not a comforting thought….

“He has been with women before… Beautiful successful women… Women who challenged him. He’s all man and he likes to hunt, I can tell you that.”

“You can, huh ?!”

Honey mentally slapped herself on the head. Why did she respond anyway? She should not react to that woman !

“Mmm, don’t forget that I have been his employee for quite some time now.”

“You’re Frank’s employee..”

Gillian waved her answer away.

”That’s only a minor technicality. But now I come to think of it, it’s actually even better. If I really were his employee, then that could get in the way of our friendship.”

Honey shrugged her shoulders. “Whatever…”

“I know him inside and out, Honey. You hurt him. Bad. Did he tell you about all the nights we stayed up and talked ? I bet not.”

Indeed he had not said a word about that to her.

“I’m sort of his confidant. He tells me everything. This trip? Who arranged that, you think?”

“Of course he didn’t arrange it by himself. He had his shows to run!”

“I really didn’t want to come but he insisted. Would do me good, he said. Because we all worked so hard during these past months… Being together night and day for more than 15 months creates a bond, you know. It has been wonderful. He’s such a caring and loving man. We really developed an intimate friendship.”

“You’re lying. There is nothing intimate going on between the two of you !” Honey was getting mad. That woman was pure torture!

“There are more ways than one to be intimate which each other, Honey. You speak of the physical bonding between a woman and a man.” At this Gillian shook her head as if she pitied Honey over her lack of insight. Her tone was like the one a teacher used to lecture his pupil. “When I say intimate, I think of long walks down the hotel corridors or into the city at night when everyone’s sleeping. He has difficulty sleeping. You didn’t know that, huh? He has to take sleep medication every night! A good girlfriend should pull him through all this but you weren’t available, were you? You were busy with your own little life. You do have a life without him, just as he has one without you. No offense of course… but don’t shoot me. I engaged myself to take care of him in your place. Late night dinners, or cozy snack time in our rooms. That creates a bond, you know. I can recommend it.”

Honey gritted her teeth. This woman was getting on her nerves! And what was all that talking about him being medicated in order to get some sleep ?! If it was really a problem, Michael would have told her that ! Would he?

“And I prefer it to be this way.” Gillian continued.” If I would have gotten physical with him…and believe me, I had the chance… we would never have become this close. I don’t want him to get tired of me. I know him, when he’s after something, he will chase it as long as it is out of his reach. What Michael wants, is what Michael gets. But whenever he gets his way, he’s easily bored, you know. I’m sorry to say that, but that’s just in his nature. The man doesn’t have many bad qualities but this is definitely one of them.”

Of all the things Gillian had paraded, this one was true in a way. Honey knew that all too well, but she never thought he would apply it to his relationships.

“You were out of his reach for a long time, Honey… And I was available… as a friend…“ But she said it as if she was implying there was more between her and Michael than just friendship.

“Stop right there, Gillian ! It’s none of you business !”

“And now that he got what he wanted… Well, I don’t know what he will do. I just don’t want the both of you to get hurt…”

“For god’s sake ! Stop acting like you’re a goodie goodie friend of us ! Just say what you have to say !”

“You’re not losing your temper, are you ? I’m sorry to say but that’s so not his style. Maybe you should remember that when he breaks up with you. For all you know this could be your farewell trip…I’m so sorry…”

“Stop talking like this right now !” She was losing it for real now. “YOU ARE LYING“ She yelled.

“Please Honey…” Gillian said in a soft voice, making it tremble a little like she was really devastated. But when she looked at her, it was with a sneer on her face.

“YOU ARE A WITCH, GILLIAN.”

“Please, the driver… “

“F*ck the driver ! Don’t you think that I don’t know what you are trying to do ?”
Gillian shook her head and pressed her lips together. “Poor you… so unsure of him…”

“STOP IT !!”

She almost launched herself to Gillian but restrained herself just in time. She would not go there ! She hated physical violence but this woman really tried to push her over the edge. She wouldn’t let her ! With all her might she tried to bring Michael’s sweet face before her eyes and focused on him. He would never betray her, would he ? Even when his needs would become too much to bear while on tour, he would never go there.

“Tst tst, Honey ! With this attitude you’re gonna get into trouble when he introduces you to the world. Are you sure you are up to that ?”

“Again, that’s none of your business…”

Honey hissed between her teeth. She knew Michael was worried about exposing her to the world, but in her opinion it had nothing to do with her character.

“Oh, but it is. I’m responsible for the press releases, remember ? I think you’re not ready yet. You’re much too nervous. You should relax. You act as if I am attacking you.”

Again the shaking of the head. Honey almost threw up from holding her anger back. She was not nervous about her relationship with Michael !! It was Gillian who was making her feel inadequate because she almost lost her temper. That woman made her blood boil!! And not for a good reason !!

“Really Honey, I’m only doing what’s best for Michael. He needs peace and quiet. He doesn’t need an over emotional woman at his side.”

GRRRRR !!!

When they arrived at the train station, Honey stumped out of the car and almost ran Michael over on her way to the train. But then she realized she didn’t know where she was to get in, so she had to wait, ashamed of her angry reaction. She felt so humiliated as Michael and the rest of his entourage slowly followed her. She could almost hear them thinking out loud that she was childish and stupid. This felt bad. Where there was bliss only half an hour ago, now it seemed to have turned into the most shameful happening of her life.

“Hey…” he said softly, finally seating himself down next to her. “Did you miss me?”

“Hey to you too.” She answered, looking into his eyes, trying to read them. “And yes, I did. Why did we have to come in different cars? I thought…” She started complaining.

He brushed her forehead with his fingers. “Don’t think so much… It’s all for the best. The last thing I want to happen is the media finding out about you.”

Silence…He looked her over as if he were examining her.

“Are you feeling alright, Honey ?” He asked with an undertone of worry in his voice.

“Huh ? What kind of question is that ? You know how I’m feeling !” She said defensively.

“Woaaa… relax, baby…” He put one hand on her upper thigh, squeezing it lightly.”We’re here to enjoy ourselves. You have nothing to worry about.”

“What did she tell you ?” she asked, referring to the little chat he had with Gillian before he boarded the train.

He WAS worried because Gillian had just told him that she thought that Honey would not be able to cope with the media attention once Michael would reveal his relationship. She said she found Honey super nervous, and extremely short tempered only because they had to drive in different cars. While all Gillian tried to do was to put on a light “conversation”. Gillian also told Michael that she was really concerned about him and Honey and that she didn’t want anything to come between them but if necessary she would take his side of course. He didn’t go further into the matter though. He had already made up his mind that it must’ve been about something Honey had said to Gillian. Women… Poor Honey. She must have been exhausted and then when she found out that she was going to travel towards the station apart from him, she must’ve been really disappointed. She must have complained to Gillian about that but surely that would be no reason to start a fight, would it? Again he thought about how he would justify the decision made, regarding the safety issues. He still hadn’t figured that out yet and he was not going into it right now. He only wanted the turn of the year to be memorable and nothing was going to spoil that.

He kept stroking her thigh, down to her knee and back up. He always thought it funny that she was jealous of Gillian. There was nothing to be jealous about. Gillian was his co-worker and a good friend. Little did he know how unsure Honey was regarding his relationship with Gillian. Of course he had no idea that Gillian bullied Honey psychologically, not visible for anyone else to see. So when he tried to turn her mood and tease her about it and make her smile, he got the complete opposite reaction.

“Do I see a little green monster, whispering silly things into your ears ?” He shook his head.

Now Honey had enough of people shaking their heads at her and she abruptly rose from her seat, ready to scold at him. She was so pissed ! But as a result to her anger, she didn’t exactly look out very well and severely bumped her head against the luggage carrier above her head. She shrieked and fell back, right into Michael’s lap.

“Ahw ahw ahw….” she cried. How stupid !! And … how painful !!

“Oh my god, baby…” Immediately he put his arms around her in the most protective way.”Why are you such a hothead ?” He sighed a little and pushed her hard against his chest. “Come here…”

Honey put her hands to her head, cursing from pain. “Godverdomme ! Godverdomme !”

“Ssst… let me see, baby.” He gently pulled her hands away and searched her head. A bump already appeared on top of her head. “Ahw… this must hurt. Sit still… I’ll kiss it away.”

He softly put little kisses on the sore place like a mother would do and the pain slowly subsided. It was as if bumping her head suddenly sobered her up. She realized that Gillian wasn’t worth fighting over. In fact, there was nothing to fight over either at all. Gillian was only a jealous b*tch who tried to take Michael away from her. If Michael really would have wanted Gillian, he would have already jumped into a relationship with the woman. No, Gillian was not his type. He would never fall in love with her. She relaxed back into Michael’s arms and hid her face in the crook of his neck.

“You want to talk about it, Honey ?” He pulled her close.

“Mmm, no… actually not. Just hold me, Michael. I love you.”

Michael sighed in relief. “I love you more. And Honey… I will always be here for you, you know that. No matter what, we can talk about it. Will you promise me to come to me first when you are experiencing any trouble ? Will you ?”

“Mmm.. I will, Michael. I promise.”

They sat together like that for a little while longer until Honey’s weight on him became heavier. Hearing her regular breathing, he realized that she had fallen asleep on him. With a little smile, he carefully got up with her still in his arms and laid her down on one of the little beds and tucked her in. She looked so lovely. His girl… all his….Unfortunately, even on a luxury night train, there were no king size beds and they had to be content with the little bunk beds, placed on both sides of the wagon. He couldn’t bring himself to laying his head next to her because that certainly would awake her. He wanted her to be well rested and refreshed in the morning so that she could enjoy his surprise all the better. So Michael himself, got into the little bed on the opposite side and turned off the light. He fell asleep with her on his mind.

“Oh my gosh !” Honey yelled out when finally they could leave the train station. They stepped out into a completely white world. All of the streets and rooftops were covered with a blanket of snow and the cool winter air revealed that indeed they were somewhere high up North. “Wow ! We’re in winter wonderland ! Michael, this is breathtaking !”

“Now you know why you had to pack those warm clothes ! And look what I got us…”

“Oooh !! Michael, that’s so much better than a car !!” and by herself she thought: ”And no room for Gillian…”

In fact there was another carriage for his entourage, a bigger one, and not half as romantic as the one he had rented for themselves. The train ride brought them to the very far North of Sweden near the town of Abisko, where Michael intended to spend the turning of the year in a very comfortable cottage. What a romantic surprise ! Immediately she forgot why she had been upset the previous night. An idea like this could only come from a man who was very much in love. And she was the lucky subject of his affection !

Once seated the driver tucked them in under a whole pile of blankets, providing them with warm woolen hats and advised them to cover their mouth with their scarf. It was freezing cold and at this time of the year the sun even never rose above the horizon. The sighting was surreal and breathtaking at the same time and both Honey and Michael spend the whole drive looking around in awe. Everywhere they looked there was snow, and more snow. It glistened softly in the light coming from the carriages and left them with the feeling that they were driving through a field of diamonds.

Honey and Michael sat snuggled up together, inhaling the quietness of their beautiful surroundings. Michael intuitively felt that there was no need for talking and had never felt as calm and peaceful as this before. If the driver had taken a look at them he could have seen two people with sparkles in their eyes and broad smiles on their faces (if the scarf would have been down). The romantic view asked for a kiss but it was simply too cold… So Honey decided to treat him with something special tonight.

Their destiny was the town of Abisko, 250 km north of the Arctic Circle.
When Honey asked Michael why he chose this place, he simply said mysteriously: ”You’ll see!”

Their cottage was the most beautiful house Honey had ever seen. It looked inviting and comfortable. She was sure she would spend the best New Year ever !

Their room was everything a romantic girl like Honey could have wished for. It was simply beautiful and she couldn’t wait to retreat for the night. She was determined to thank Michael for this beautiful trip and this setting would surely inspire her.

But right now they were expected to dress even warmer and go outside. Michael’s coworkers (Frank, Bill, Miko, André and Gillian) were already waiting in the hall when a disguised Michael guided her in. They were all quite anxious about their trip but still Honey had no clue of where they were going. And it seemed that the others had sworn secrecy to Michael. He wanted to spill it to her himself.

“I thought to surprise you with an encounter of a special kind. Something you have always dreamed to witness.”

“Huh ?”

She still didn’t get it. She searched her mind for the ultimate dream but with him by her side she was actually already living it. What could she possible want more?
But once they stepped outside she immediately understood what it was all about, as it was to be seen all over the sky.

“OH MY GOD !! OH MICHAEL !” She flew around his neck and started kissing his face all over, while jumping up and down. “Michael ! Prachtig ! Magnifiek ! Dit is het beste dat je ooit had kunnen bedenken !”

She was so excited that she simply forgot to speak English but the smile on Michael’s face revealed that he had understood every word she said.
He slowly pushed her to their ride.

“Come on, I took reservations for the best seats…” he winked.

Honey could never have imagined it could get even better because the spectacle that she witnessed right now was not to be compared to anything she had ever seen before. But it did get better once they were at their destination at the Abisko Mountain Station. They had the spectacle right over their heads, a 360 degree light show up in the skies, the Aurora Borealis, or the Northern Lights.

No wonder that Honey was enthusiastic. She had dreamed of this ever since she was a little girl and he just made her wish come true. She couldn’t have wished for any better place to spend the turning of the year. Not even the presence of Gillian annoyed her any more.

They were all enjoying the spectacle as it went on and on. The barkeeper of the sky station told them that they were very lucky to be able to watch it on their first day, this early in the season ànd for so long. When they got cold they ducked into the café to warm up by the wood stove and enjoyed some freshly made hot chocolate. While their companions were seated at the bar, Michael and Honey toured the aurora exhibition. They walked together in a close embrace, Honey’s head on his shoulder, her arms around his waist.

“I’m never gonna let you go after this!”

He smiled down at her. “I’m glad you like it..”

“Oh Michael, glad is an understatement. I’m absolutely, extremely, over the top, in awe ! You cannot imagine how I feel right now. It’s wonderful! I can’t even remember me telling you about this.”

“Huh huh, you didn’t. Your brother did…” He nodded, the biggest smile ever spreading over his face.

“And you made it happen… just for me…”

Tears of happiness came to her eyes. She had never felt loved like this before. To her it seemed that he had just given her the world. Without considering where they were and who could see it, she pulled him towards her and kissed him in a way she had never kissed him before. He felt her loving touch from the crown of his head, all down to tips of his toes. When she finished kissing him, he felt like he glowed all over. He was sure light came beaming out of all of his pores. She left him speechless once more. To him she was as beautiful as the Aurora itself.

They slowly returned to the bar, where the guide to the station was telling how this phenomenon could appear. They learned that the Northern Lights were formed when electrically charged particles are thrust into the earth’s magnetic field at great speed, propelled by solar winds. They appear year round but they can only be seen in the black winter skies. And of course there were the legends too, one exclaiming that the shimmering lights were swans frozen to the sky, struggling to break free. In ancient times the visual drama of the Lights generated many myths and legends. The Finnish called them Fox Fires, an expression which refers to a legend that the Northern Lights were sparks in the furs of giant foxes. And some would describe it as a wounded dragon fighting for its life. Now that was what Honey liked the most about all those natural phenomenon, the magical stories… She could already imagine herself saving the poor dragon and flying away on its back, together with Michael of course.

They stayed at the mountain station for the rest of the day, talking to the staff, hearing more fantastic stories about their work, and about all the famous people who visited the station before. Little did they know that standing in front of them was the most known man walking this earth. Michael had his picture taken with all of them, without any of them knowing why. He meant to send them the print-outs with a little word from himself, thanking them for the wonderful reception they had received and revealing who he really was.

When they drove back, it was almost time for dinner. They all retreated to their rooms to take a warm bath and chase the cold away. And of course they needed to dress up. It was New Years Eve after all and even far away from their families and friends, Michael would try and give them all a treat. He rented a Swedish caterer for the occasion so their senses were to be spoiled. The Swedish cuisine is a healthy blend of traditional and modern taste and Michael couldn’t wait to find out what plates would be served to them.   When he was in Sweden with the Bad Tour, he tasted some of the typical food and liked it very much.

Even though they were just among each other, it was a time to celebrate and that called for some make up and beautiful clothes. Both Honey and Michael took the time to get ready. It was funny how they both applied make up standing next to each other at the bathroom counter. Honey thought Michael didn’t need any and he thought the same about her but still they tried to look the best they could.
They showered together, taking their time to make love to each other, slow warm wet love. He massaged her scalp with his long strong fingers because he knew she loved that… well, as long as her hair was not done that is. And she let her hands roam his body as if she had never felt it before, whispering sweet nothings in his ear, promising him more loving in the new year.

“Tonight, I do have a surprise for you, big guy…”

As he had done before when she was sunburned he softly dried her after they left the shower cabin. He loved drying her because in his eyes it was the most intimate thing one could do for one’s lover. When he saw her dressing herself, he got all hot and aroused again. Ahw, what did this woman do to him? She was so amazingly beautiful and didn’t seem to notice it for herself. There were a lot of women out there that thought they were, but once you got to know them well, it seemed that they were selfish and full of themselves. Honey attracted him like no one else could because she was not only gorgeous on the outside, but she had a beautiful heart too. She was compassionate, gentle and very very loving. She had more love in her pinkie than most people in their complete body. That’s what he found the most appealing to her.

And then she put on that gorgeous little dress of her, velvet, soft as her skin, sparkling, just as her dark eyes. He loved it how it left her shoulders bare. He only hoped that she wouldn’t get too cold. But hey… he could warm her.

And of course he looked a million dollars himself.

The caterer provided them with traditional Swedish dishes, just as Michael had required. Pea soup (which both Michael and Honey tasted but only a little bit, for the obvious reasons… , accompanied by crispy fresh baked bread, and then of course the famous Swedish meatballs, which Honey in particular loved very much. The chef surprised them with a dish of reindeer with potato dumplings and mushrooms but that she refused to eat. She couldn’t eat reindeer! She associated reindeers with Santa Claus and Christmas and all things cuddly and soft. No way she was going to put her teeth into Rudolph ! Michael thought that was sweet. He tasted a little of the reindeer but decided that it was not for him either. Especially because she was humming about some red nose reindeer while he was chewing.
He preferred the smoked salmon and the salads.

But what he specifically asked for was the dessert. He tasted this delicious little dish while he did his concerts at Gothenburg in June and he was addicted forever. The Gino, as it was called was made with white chocolate, ice cream, berries, almond slivers and lots of sugar. When Honey tasted it she moaned out loud. She had never in her life eaten anything this divine.

“Oh Michael ! This is pure heaven !”

“I know ! Can’t get enough of it.” and then he whispered in her ear: “Keep eating… I want you to taste just like my favorite dish when I make love to you tonight…”

“Oooh…” she gasped, turning all red. Luckily the others were busy talking and didn’t notice their little naughty conversation.

After dessert the countdown to 1989 began. They put on their coats and excited the cottage. When it finally turned 1989 they were again looking at the sky, witnessing the Aurora Borealis again, a much more appreciated spectacle than the usual fireworks celebrating the beginning of the New Year. They all gave each other their best wishes. Even Gillian could not escape kissing Honey on the cheeks, wishing her all the best. Honey chuckled. She knew she had nothing to fear. Michael would never ever fall for a woman like Gillian. Of that she was sure !!

The words Michael whispered in her ears were sweet as ever. He promised her an exciting and loving 1989. He said it would be their year, but more important, he said he hoped that this would only be the beginning of a lifetime, wishing each other “Happy New Year”.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Michael wondered what exactly she had in mind when she disappeared in the bathroom with a big plastic bag in her hand. She said she had a surprise for him. He sat on the bed, propped up against the head board, thinking of how happy he had been these past few months. And it had build up to this… A wonderful, truthful, honest and most important real relationship.

He remembered his last Sylvester. At the time he actually didn’t feel all too miserable because he was just getting used to the idea of having to go through life without his one and only true love. It was no use to keep crying over her. She had a husband to take care of and he couldn’t do anything about it. He was glad however to have her as a dear friend, although the communication was far more less intense as in the beginning of their friendship. But maybe it was not such a bad thing after all. This way, he would give himself the chance to cure his aching heart once and for all. Little did he know that there was already a lot of friction between Honey and John and their time together was to end.

Michael himself had just ended a short termed relationship, which only served him to fill his physical needs as a man. It had been a mutual agreement between him and the lady concerned. He paid, she delivered. He always thought that sex and love could only come together as a whole. But he learned a lot during all these years of performing and travelling all over the world. It was not that he hadn’t struggled with his conscience. After all he believed in god and purity and he was taught to save himself for marriage. But he was long past that line of thinking. Sometimes he just needed to feel the warmth of another body next to his, the feeling of someone caressing him and holding him, the voice of someone telling him how sexy he looked. But he never ever shared his deepest thoughts with any of the women he shared his body with. They were there to provide him some sexual relief and even that only to a certain extend. It was fun, sure, but nothing more than that. He bought them expensive gifts, treated them with a trip and sometimes just gave them money. He didn’t fool around with them, didn’t play erotic games, like he did with Honey and he certainly didn’t express himself as the sensual man he had discovered deep within himself these last months. He even didn’t know he had it in him to please a woman like he pleased her. Nothing could have ever prepared him for the experiences he went through with Honey.

All that seemed so long ago. They were together for more than 4 months now, 4 gloriously happy months.

But right now he was beginning to become impatient. What in heaven’s name was she doing in that bathroom ? When she locked herself in, she had a mischievous look on her face. She only told him to sit back on the bed and relax. And could he already get himself into something comfortable ? That’s what he had done several minutes ago now but he was getting bored with only himself as company.
“Honeeeey !” he called out. “Aren’t you ready yet ? I’m waiting. I wanna go to sleep!” He didn’t mean that of course. He wanted to spend the first night of the new year wrapped up in her arms. He wanted to lose himself into her sweetness, to make love to her until the break of dawn.

The door to the bathroom opened and Michael looked up in anticipation. Through the door opening, sexily gliding against the doorframe, a gorgeous legs he had ever seen. Now normally knees are not the most appreciated part of human anatomy but hers were to die for. And then she stretched her leg, revealing it completely to him …. and then he saw it !

“Oh my god !! You stole them from me !”

“Huhuh ! I told you I would wear them, just for your amusement.”

At the end of the appearing leg, her foot was covered with (you can all guess) a yellow moonboot. She slowly put it down and finally appeared completely, presenting Michael with a sight he had not expected at all. Her slender but perfectly shaped body was covered with the most gorgeous sexy yellow lingerie set he had ever seen. Her skin was a little tanned as always and the bright color of the fabric created a seductive contrast, and showed every curve of her gorgeous body. Michael gulped as she slowly approached to where he was seated. He had already left his previous place at the headboard and had scooted to the edge of the bed, his feet at the ground, ready to get up and pull her into his arms. But she shook her head.

“Uh uh…no, you sit right there, sweetie. I’ll come to you.”

Michael’s big dark eyes wandered over her body, from her round soft shoulders, over her breasts, to her hips, down her legs, to the moonboots. Now, when any other woman would appear dressed like that to him, he would have burst out laughing. Only Honey could wear something like this and still make him horny as hell. The see-through slip hugged her body like a second skin and when she came closer he could see that she wore the tiniest underwear he had ever seen. Oh god ! He felt like fainting ! But even more he felt like shredding it all off and make her his at the spot. Of course he could not do that ! He wanted to but she looked simply too gorgeous, to not enjoy a little longer.

He sat paralyzed at the edge of the bed with his mouth slightly open as she stopped in front of him. She put one hand on his shoulder and put a “moonbooted” foot in between his thighs.

“Hi handsome…” she whispered in a sultry voice. “I hope you are feeling warm and cozy ?”

He cleared his throat and shook his head to clear to chase the clouds away. “Hmm… more like hot and bothered.” he managed to bring out. “You look amazing…”

He put one hand in the fold of her knee and pulled it a little closer to his mouth. His tongue licked the sharp and hard bone of her kneecap while his hand softly slid down her leg over her calf into the moonboot. When he caressed her ankle, she slowly moved with the rhythm of his strokes and the tip of the moonboot touched him between his legs. He was only wearing his pajama pants and she witnessed the bulge forming under it. She softly rocked her foot on the bed, until he pulled down the moonboot with both of his hands. They were there for him to take off and uncover her sexy feet. Unlike his own dancer’s feet, hers were perfect, with tiny little toes which looked like sausages.

“The other one…” he ordered, his voice hoarse from excitement. She was happy to oblige and did the same to him with this moonboot too. His fingers buried themselves in the soft flesh of the back of her leg as he pushed himself against the round tip of the shoe. She massaged his shoulders and his throat with her fingers and let them trail down his chest to the hem of his pants. Did she touch him or was that just wishful thinking ? He thought he felt her touch him intimately but he wasn’t sure … His mind was already in a state of utter bliss…

“Take down the boot, Michael.” she whispered.

After he had accomplished this simple task with trembling fingers, she straddled him, pushing herself against him in the most seductive way. When he felt her crotch touching his manhood, he almost exploded right away. How would he ever be able to contain himself if she acted this way ?! He had to stop her… But did he want to do so ?

He raised his hands in order to put them around her waist but she waved them away. She gently put them next to his sides.

“You just hold on, big boy. You’re gonna need all the strength you can get, because I’m gonna make you scream.”

He gasped at her bold statement. Wow, his sweet woman had turned into a sexy vixen !
She approached him and touched his upper body with hers just a little, the soft tissue of her slip caressing his tiny nipples. She retreated swiftly.

With fluttering eye lashes and one index finger between her teeth, she asked : “Do you like what you see, Michael ?”

“Honeeeey…” he moaned.

“Yes Michael ?” The act she put down, being a lascivious temptress, became her very well. He almost believed her. But he knew that underneath this seductive creature, there was a sweet loving little woman. And knowing that was even more a turn on than the lap dance she was performing.

“You don’t know what you are doing to me right now…” He moved his body up to hers so that she could feel every inch of him.

“Mmm, I guess I do.” She leaned forward and whispered in his ear. “Do I turn you on ? A little bit ? Or a lot ? Huh…? ” Her warm breath tickled his ear and he almost couldn’t answer her. The air he tried to inhale, halted just before it could reach his lungs and he almost choked.

“Oh god, Honey… I’m going to explode if you keep acting like this….”

“Huh huh … not yet, you gorgeous man of mine. Not just yet.”

She pushed him down with his back on the bed, still straddling him and put her hands at the hem of her slip. With tantalizing slowness she pulled it up, up, over her head. While she stretched her slim body his eyes almost popped out of his head. Her hips were embraced by a sexy pair of mini lace shorts and the balcony bra in the same fabric almost made her breasts jump out whenever she moved. Michael gulped again and shook his head to chase away the dizzy spell that came over him. He had a serious lack of breath !

“You did a little striptease for me back home….” she smiled teasingly. “Well, now it is my turn.”

“This is no striptease.” he panted. “This is torture….”

She giggled and put her hand to the back of her bra but he took her hands in his.

“Ooh… let me, baby. Let me…” He reached behind her back to the hooks that held her bra together. He unclasped the garment and while taking it off, his big hands slowly went up front, cupped her breasts and began to squeeze them firmly. He watched his hands kneading and molding and licked his lips. At the sound she made, he knew he was doing her well. He lowered his head, but only a little bit as she was still on his lap, and with his tongue he circled her pink nipples, causing the little tops to stand erect. Then he started to suck them softly. At the sound of his mouth sucking and kissing her breast, Honey let escape a little cry. She arched her back to give him even better access. The man didn’t know how well a kisser he was and he certainly was not aware of what he could do with his tongue, she thought. But he knew all too well. He knew exactly what her reaction to him would be and he used all this knowledge to bring her to ecstasy. While he was hungrily taking in first one and then the other breast, she put her hands to his waist and started to lower his pajama pants. Meanwhile she took one of his earlobes in her mouth, gently biting and licking, causing him to hold his breath. His ears were very sensitive to her touch and she knew that her kisses would tickle him and arouse him even further. With one hand she now reached down between their bodies, slided in his pants and took his love firmly in her hands.

“Honeeeey…” he moaned out loud. “Oh yes… touch me there… ooh girl…”

Never had she experienced him being so excited. She felt as if she was caressing steel. Soft skinned steel, but still…
His hands roamed from her breasts down to her backside and slid in her shorts. Rubbing the warm cheeks of her butt, he slowly laid himself down with her on top of him. He pulled her high over him with his face between her breast. She had to loosen her grip on him because he started to push her up and turn her around at the same time. He crawled back until her lower area was in front of his face. He hooked his thumbs under the elastic band of her panties and pulled it out of the way. At the same time he lowered his head and kissed her between her thighs.

“Michael… oh my god.”

“You taste so good, you taste so fine…” he whispered between kisses and soft suckles. “You’re sweeter than summer wine…Lady, you do me well, only my heart can tell…” While making up this little poem, he pulled her to the edge of the bed. “Your honey is driving me wild, this man is no more than a child.” He crouched down on his knees between her legs. “A child, craving for love and tenderness, but also a man, longing for your hot body and sweet caress. For there’s nothing as good as you, just let me just show you, how much I love you.” While he was exclaiming his devotion to her, his breath tickled her most sensitive spot. His lips were still teasing and pleasing. “You said you were to make me scream… “ he said between pecks. “Forget that, baby. I’m always in charge.” And that said he plunged in again and at that point she lost all control over her own body. She shook violently when his divine lips brought her to fulfillment, over and over again, time after time. Michael sincerely hoped his crew would be fast asleep because her screams and sobs of excitement must have been heard all over the house.

“See what moonboots can cause…?” He smiled devilishly. “And you thought you were gonna make me scream ? We’ll still have to see about that…”
Honey’s head spun from all the excitement he had just given her. She kissed his sweet lips that still glistened from her passion and pulled him back with her on the bed. She clung her legs around his waist and pushed herself up to him.

“The night isn’t over yet, Bagheera.”

She lowered herself onto him, slowly inch by inch. She saw his eyes flutter close as the passion overwhelmed him.
“I love you too, Michael Jackson…. Happy New Year, sweetie…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They stayed over for one more delicious night and Honey really didn’t want to leave this beautiful haven in the snow, but Michael had something else in mind. And when he made a final decision it was just that : final !

“We’re going to Norway today.” he said, while stretching himself.

“But why ? I like it here !” She looked him up and down, drinking in his glorious naked body.

“Aha ! But we’re going to do something every woman loves to do most !”

Honey shrugged herself against him. “Mmmm, making love to Michael Jackson in the bright daylight ?”

“You’re insatiable !”

“Haha, we are tarred with the same brush, sweetie. Who woke me up this morning, already having his way with me, while I was fast asleep ?”
Michael blushed profoundly. “It wasn’t that I didn’t try to wake you first !”

“Mmm… how come that I don’t believe that ? I didn’t notice any of it.”

They were still lying in bed after Michael’s wake up call. Of course she couldn’t admit it but if he woke her up like this every morning, she would be happy to pay him for it. She woke up to him rolling on top of her, already pushing himself inside of her. She was just in the middle of a sweet dream about him so who was she kidding if she were to say that she didn’t like it ? She knew he had chased his own release but she didn’t mind. As long as he made it up to her. And he did… in every single way…

She rolled on top of him and put a soft peck on his nose.

“So tell me, what are we going to do in Norway ?”

“We’re going shopping in Tromsø.”

“Shopping ? Oooh…Mr Jackson… I like that !”

“I knew you would. You’re so girly !”

“Speak for yourself mister ! You like shopping too !”

“Mmm, but I’m not girly !”

“Oh no, you’re all man ! My man !”

After a last kiss, Michael pushed her off of him and scooted to the edge of the bed, pulling her with him.

“We do have to get ready, baby. We have a train to catch.”

“Again ? What do you have with trains ?”

“Mmm, my dream is to make love to you on a train… “ He giggled when she slapped him on the head with a pillow. Well, it was, but right now that was not the point and he explained. “You know, in Europe it’s much faster to travel by train anyway. Almost every town, even the smallest one has a train station, so why shouldn’t I ?” He pulled her into the bathroom. “Come on… we’ll have to hurry !”

Honey was reluctant to leave the lovely cottage behind but a train ride with Michael could be exciting too. She wondered if they were to have another private carriage for the both of them but after seeing him all dressed up in one of his disguises, she knew that this was not going to happen.
They did travel first class, but this time they were surrounded by a lot more different people and they definitely didn’t have as much privacy as they would’ve wanted. So they stuck to talking quietly. His bodyguards made sure that they were not approached by anyone else without giving away that Michael Jackson was amongst them. His disguise once again did a great job. Honey hated it when he hid behind a moustache or a beard but she knew he had no choice. He held her in a warm embrace and kissed the top of her nose. The black moustache tickled her skin, and strange to say because she was not a “moustache” woman, her senses too.

“I’m gonna spoil you in a way you’ve never experienced before.” he whispered in her ear.

“But…”

“And I won’t take no for an answer.”

“But…”

“Oh no…just grant me this pleasure, Honey.”

“Oh Michael, I will. But you do so much for me already.”

They had to talk softly which certainly created a form of intimacy. She scooted a little closer to him.

“I really don’t…” he denied.

“Well, you come to me and take me away… you arrange trips for me… you call me on your expense almost every night… Don’t tell me that is nothing.”

He nuzzled her neck.

“What is mine, is yours too, baby. Besides, I don’t do those things for you. I do them for me too. Because I just can’t miss you that long. Whenever I think of you, I want to call you. And when talking on the phone isn’t enough anymore, I come to see you. So you see, I’m quite selfish….”
She kissed his cheek. “I’m so sorry I called you selfish the other day. You’re anything but that.”

“Mmm, keep calling me names, baby, because I can come up with a 100 ways for you to make it up to me.” His hands roamed her body in the most suggestive way.

“Michael….” She protested a little. “We’re not alone…”

“Mmm I know, I like it dangerous, baby… But you’re lucky. No one is paying attention to us. Just imagine what we could do unguarded …” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. She gently punched him in the shoulder. “You have a naughty brain, Michael.”

He chuckled. “A dirty mind is a joy forever.”

She sighed. “It is forever, isn’t it ? Us, I mean ?” She didn’t laugh, just looked him over with a very serious glance in her eyes. It was as if she just realized how fast this had been turning into a very steady relationship, and not just a random love interest. Michael brought his face right in front of hers and pierced into her eyes as if he was trying to look all the way into her heart.

“I don’t know if I will still be able to bring my naughty thoughts into practice when I’m 80…” He smiled a little. “But I can promise you this. I will love you even when we’re old and grey, I will love you when our first child is born, I will love you when our first grandchild is born.” He came even closer and whispered in her ear. “I will love you until I die.”

She swallowed away the lump that had formed in her throat at his declaration of eternal love.

“Ahw Michael… I’m not that good with words… ” Instead of trying to explain it out loud she decided to show him.
Without even thinking about the fact that they were not exactly alone, she took his face into her both hands and brought his head down to hers again. Her lips slowly met his, lightly touching the corners of hit mouth before pressing themselves on his moist flesh, hidden under his fake moustache. Her eyes hooked into his and with a light pressure she opened his lips for her tongue to join in the kissing game. She slid over his teeth, exploring the sharp edges before she travelled further in to his mouth and started a sensual dance with his tongue. She put all of her emotion into this kiss, her longing to be his, her never ending love for him. And he understood. After all they didn’t need any words to pledge their love to one another. They constantly showed each other how much they cared.

Finally arriving at their destination, they were plucked out of their little dream world, and had to end the intimacy they shared during the train ride. They split up, leaving Michael and Honey by themselves, with only Bill and Miko following them at a short distance. They got specific orders not to be spotted anywhere near the couple, in order not to attract any attention towards them. Even though Michael was in disguise there was always a possibility that a diehard fan would recognize his bodyguards and come to a dangerous conclusion. Michael didn’t want to take any risk regarding his little outing with Honey.

They strolled to the main street which was still beautifully decorated for the holiday season even though New Year had already passed by. It was the Northern way to chase away the dark days of winter. Little lights were reflected in the snow and ice on the streets and the Christmas ornaments added to a homely atmosphere. Both Michael and Honey felt at ease in this town, the Paris of the North. The people were very friendly and everywhere they went they spoke English. Luckily… because Norwegian was a little bit out of reach for them.

Right after they arrived they decided to go for a latte in a little coffee-parlor, near the harbor. They laughed as Michael’s moustache was all covered with white cream after he plunged in for a sip.

“I’m so happy you don’t have to wear them all the time. It really stings. Look at my mouth… it’s already irritated and all red from kissing.”

“Ahw poor baby. I’ll make it up to you. We’ll go and search the softest cream to heal your skin. And I’ll apply it myself.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you will .. and to more than my mouth alone, I can imagine.” She giggled.

It was nice to be outdoors amongst regular people for once. It was not that he didn’t go out in disguise before but walking with your baby all over town, just hanging out and shopping was an out of this world experience to him. He didn’t feel like the superstar today. He felt like the guy next door and together they looked like any every day couple.

Now shopping with Michael was NOT a normal event. For starters, he never asked for the price. And when she only dared to glance at something, he was already on his way to the counter to pay for it. She really had to stop him more than once even though he had already explained over and over again that he wanted to spoil her in every way possible. And it was not that she didn’t want him to do so but she tried to teach him that she just loved window shopping too. It was no fun to have everything you wished for. What was there left then ? And so he slowly learned just strolling around and enjoying the shops. And he got all excited when they visited a toy store and ran around like a little boy, showing her everything he liked.

“Look Honey, this is just great ! I own one and I take it with me wherever I go.” He showed her the relatively new NES game. “You can call me addicted but I just love video games !”

She shook her head but still had to laugh within herself. She loved toys too but she was more the Barbie girl type. She stood in awe in front of a beautifully dressed Barbie doll, all made up according to the season.

“Wow ! If I were a little girl, I would love to have a dress like that !”

“Baby, even without a dress like that you will always look like a princess to me.” And he meant it ! Looks were highly overrated and so was wealth !

He had long forgotten how it actually felt to desire something materialistically. Most of the time he only had to snap his fingers and it was delivered to him, simply because he was THE Michael Jackson. Except for his art and Honey of course, he had never struggled for anything since they had joined Motown. But with Honey trying to “normalize” him, he slowly began to remember how it felt back in the old days when they were poor.

With 9 children it was impossible for their parents to give them special treats. Even candies and toys were gifts that were highly appreciated because they were rare to them. Luxury ? What was that ? He never knew that when he was a small child. And were they unhappy because of that ? He honestly couldn’t remember. Okay, the house was small, they slept in a crowded room but it was exactly that togetherness that meant having lots of fun too. And they could rely on each other to solve any problem that came their way. They stuck together when Joe was angry with one of them and comforted each other when they got a spanking or were scolded at.  And wasn’t that much more important than any material discomfort they could have experienced ?

Presents and festivities were not their thing either because of their religion. As a small child he struggled with it more than he did now because whenever his friends and class mates had a birthday party, he felt left out. But then his sweet mother talked to him and explained their belief in Jehova all over again. She had this gentle way of bringing the religion to them and made them feel special in the eyes of God. In a way he was happy to fall back to the basics of their belief. It comforted him in so many ways when he was a teenager, struggling to grow accustomed to adulthood. When “Thriller” came along and he had to resign from the religion, he had felt sad because at that time he still needed to belong to a group, to a family. He felt safe and secure being a Witness. And that was taken away when they forced him to leave. He had mourned over it until he realized that he hadn’t betrayed God in any way. The Witnesses were just people, like the Christians, the Latter Day Saints, the Muslims, the Jews, all joined in separate unions, one not better than the other. Was that really what God wanted ? Did he want them to join an actual movement or was there a higher goal ? He didn’t want to be the judge of that but he knew that he was living his life the best way he could and now that he had Honey, even more happily than before. That he truly believed.

So actually his money and all the things he could buy were completely worthless without her by his side. He laughed at himself because a toy store was not exactly the place to have such serious thoughts anyway. But he simply had to tell her about it. He didn’t want these thoughts to take over his mind without sharing them with her.

“You know, baby…even if I were poor, I wouldn’t mind that at all, as long as you are by my side. All these goods mean nothing to me, without you.”

“Huh…huh… Can you actually say that while looking at all these lovely toys ?”

“Yes, I can. Of course the child in me wants the toys. Badly… I must admit that. But, you know, even when I act childlike, I’m still a man. And the man in me chooses you over the toys.”

She pulled him towards her.

“If we weren’t in a toy store, I would kiss you all over… but … huh… we already have an audience…” She gestured towards a little girl and boy who were intensively watching them, their eyes curious on every move they made. Honey realized that it must have been because they were talking a language other than Norwegian. To them they probably were aliens from outer space. She couldn’t resist the naughtiness inside of her and while winking at them sideways, she quickly pecked Michael on the lips. The children giggled and fled to their mother.

Could this day get even better ? Well, it was as Michael said : he was a man and his real toy was definitely not for sale in the toy store. It was walking right next to him, her arm hooked in his. He eyed her slowly when she stopped at a woman’s clothing shop, with definitely interesting items. He looked from her delicate frame to the shop window and as he took in the nature of the lovely lace garments displayed before them he suddenly knew what he wanted to buy for her. Well… and for him too actually. At least for his pleasure. He had adored her coming on to him dressed up in that sexy outfit and he wanted more of that. Much more. His male ego braced itself for the good times to come and he pulled her inside the store.

“Michael, what are you doing ?” She hissed at him. “I was just looking…This is not my kind of store.”

“Hush Honey ! I’m going shopping. And you… you are going to be quiet and just do as I say.”

“Huh ?!” Her mouth fell open at his sudden forceful demeanor. “You can’t talk to me like that.”

“I can and I will.” He didn’t speak loud, just in his own soft voice but there was an undertone in it that send the shivers down her spine. When he looked at her with fire in his eyes she gulped down the scolding that she was about to give him. Oh oh, there was the vampire again and he was up to no good !

And in all honesty, she had to admit that she liked it when he got fierce like this. She only hoped they would not get into trouble while his obvious desire was on display. She pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh and lowered her eyelids a bit. That was enough for him to dive further into his role of a conquering Viking warrior.

Once inside and both on a different side of a clothing rack, his eyes pierced hers as if he was trying to impregnate her with his thoughts. He pulled out a black dress and came round the rack, grasping her upper arm.

“Put this on.” he ordered.

Mmm…she kinda liked this little game of his. Well, for now at least. He knew better than to act like this for serious. “You know this is not how I dress usually, Michael.” She’d thought she could provoke him a little and see what he would come up with.

“I’m bored with usual, baby. I want you in this. Now !”

She let him push her into the dressing room but when she thought he was going to stay outside and wait until she was ready, she was dead wrong ! He pressed himself with her into the tiny little room and closed the door.

“Michael ! What are you doing ?” she hissed at him.

“I don’t want to miss a thing. Get undressed !”

Her mouth fell open at first but then she decided to play along. She would give him a taste of his own medicine. Once she got rid of her coat, she bend forward to take off her boots and her backside bumped right into his pelvis.

“Hmpf…”

“Oh I’m sorry, Michael. Did I hurt you ?” She glanced backwards at him.

He shook his head but he didn’t say a word. He just kept staring at her bum which he now held into his both hands. He pulled them away as if he had burned himself and hid them on his back and pulled his lower lip in. Once her boots were off, she turned around facing him. Did his color just change? He seemed rather flushed !

“What now, Michael ?” She played her role of innocent maiden very well, with battling eyelashes and all.

He growled and took the hem of her sweater between his thumb and index finger.

“Like I said, get undressed, woman ! Don’t let me repeat it one more time or I’ll have to punish you.” Of course every word he said was whispered because he didn’t want to get caught while playing this naughty game with her. But he could easily maintain his act as the captain of his ship.
She giggled at the thought of him doing anything to her that she would not like. She just couldn’t think of anything. She put her arms around his neck and pushed her lips onto his. He was so cute when he tried to be forceful with her. But Michael didn’t want to quit his game just yet. He took her hands from behind his neck and pulled them down. He growled.

“Did you not hear me ?” he said again in a very low and dark voice. “When I get my hands on you the next time we’re alone, you’re so gonna get it. Now, take it off.”

Honey slowly pulled her sweater over her head, stretching her body as far as she could, just to tease him. While her face was hidden behind the fabric of the sweater, she couldn’t but smile broadly. He started this game and she was going to give him what he wanted and more! Much more ! More than he could handle ! She would take care of that !

After the sweater followed the shirt. She undid it, pressing each button carefully through its hole, tormenting him with her slowness. She somewhat hollowed her back to show off her breasts which were covered with a sexy black lace bra. She knew she had to take it off in order to fit in the dress but she would toy a little with him. She wiggled her hips undoing her jeans and revealed the matching panties to him.

“I have a peeping Tom in my dressing room….” she teased him as he looked down at her panties, licking his lips already.

“Not Tom, Michael…” As soon as she was standing in her underwear he pulled her into his arms. “Say my name, Honey… Say it and know who is going to make love to you for the rest of your life.” His voice was deep and seductive and she felt as if she was drowning in a pool of desire. This man was dangerous!

She put her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear: “Michaeeeel… sweet sexy Michael. The king of my bed.”

His reaction was more felt than seen, as it pressed up to her thigh. His fingers unclasped her bra and cupped her breasts. He bend down to give them both a quick peck and took the gown of the hook.

“You’d better put this on before I take you here and now.” He ordered her, his voice low and hoarse.

Oooh, he sure sounded like an invincible ancient hero to her. And she felt like a fresh little maiden, trapped in his castle of seduction. This game was fun! She pulled the dress over her head and turned her back to him to let him zip her up. When she turned around, his mouth fell open and he had to sit down on the little stool.

“Wow Honey ! Oh my god ! Come here ! Or no… don’t, stay there before they have to call the vice squad. I’m not sure if I can restrain myself.”
“It’s your own fault, Michael ! You chose the dress.”

“We’ll take it !” He stood up. “You stay here ! And don’t move. I’m gonna get some more.”

And with that he vanished into the store. And did you really think he was shy ? Well, maybe he made the world believe he was but when in disguise and in the presence of the woman he loved, he became a totally different guy. In her presence he was definitely the lover.

He came back into the dressing room with underwear and nightwear in all colors.

“You are gonna try on all those bra’s and babydolls and I’m gonna choose.” He sat back down with a smirk on his face. He had found his fetish !

“You’ve got to be kidding !”

“Nope…” he shook his head. “I’m gonna sit here and enjoy. Bring on the show, woman !”

She almost slapped him over the head but with what ? A bra ? A see through robe? At least she knew she had the power to turn him on whenever she felt like it. And she loved to show off, especially to him. It was as if he could never get enough of her, a very re-assuring thought.

When she was a young girl, around the age of 10, she felt really ugly. She wore those thick glasses (she really didn’t see a thing without them) and her hair looked thin and greasy (in her mind at least). On top of that she hated her body. At the age of 11 it was already full grown, making her an outsider amongst her peers. When all of her classmates were still slender and slim, she had these feminine curves and they forced her into wearing a bra already. And at that moment in time, there was not much choice in underwear for young girls. A bra was a bra, white and functional, nothing more to it. So now, whenever she got the chance, she bought the prettiest underwear possible. Even better, she was finally at peace with her own body. She knew she looked good and she loved Michael for appreciating everything about her. So what harm was there in a little peep show ?

With each change of bra she acted as if she was shy and tried to hide as much of her curves as possible, knowing that it made him only more eager to see all of her. His hands were clutched between his knees and it looked as if he had tied them down, in order to restrain himself from touching her, or maybe of touching himself. Honey of course knew what she liked and she was very glad Michael had more or less the same taste. Only he preferred the more revealing stuff too, something she would never have chosen herself. But she had to admit, it looked good on her. However, would she wear that when in public, even if it was covered? It seemed that she had uttered her thoughts out loud and he answered her immediately.

“I can imagine you, wearing these little frillings under your clothes when we go out. Only you and I will know about it. And only me will reveal them when we come home eventually. Exciting thought, isn’t it ?”

“Michael…” she sighed.

“I like this one in particular.” He released his right hand and his index finger followed the trace from one shoulder strap to the cup of the bra, softly stroking the lace that barely covered her up. She held back her breath as his finger disappeared under the soft fabric and found its way to her nipple. He repeated the same act with the index finger of left hand and pulled in his lower lip as both of her nipples became erect instantly. They pushed against the lace as he left them alone and he couldn’t do anything else than put his open mouth fully around one of them and suck real hard.
Honey closed her eyes for an instant, taking in the wonderful sensation of his hot lips on her cool body, but then jerked away.

“Michael ! Stop it !” she hissed to him. “This hasn’t been paid for yet.”

“Consider it done.”

“No no… what will they say when we stand at the counter paying for a wet bra ?”

It slowly dawned to him and he started giggling, breaking the spell of the moment.

“Oh oh !! They will take us away and we cannot have that. There is one more thing I have to do today.”

“I can imagine it vividly !”

“Mmm… I don’t think so. But first, let’s make our choice here. I want all of these… and these too … and the dress for sure… “

“Michael, I don’t need that many. I can only wear one bra at the time.”

“I know, I know… But I don’t want to choose. You look good in all of them. And before you say anything; I’m gonna get the matching panties too. And garters… oooh, I want them too!”

While she was redressing herself, he left the dressing room with all of his choices and already paid for them. And if the shop lady noticed the wet spots on the bra, she certainly didn’t let him know.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was late in the afternoon when they realized their time together was coming to an end. Bill and Miko had rented a car and were waiting for them at the end of the main street to pick them up. Besides lingerie they had purchased some cd’s and sheet music of traditional Norwegian composers and traditional Sami music (Sami people are also known as the Lapps). And Michael wouldn’t be Michael if he hadn’t bought a traditional Sami outfit.

Honey laughed at him when he tried it on. She had to admit it tho’ : he looked great in it. These were definitely his colors.

“But when are you gonna wear this ?” she asked.

“Maybe I’ll let me be painted in it. I have plenty of paintings of myself.”

“Yeah, yeah. You told me.”

“Wouldn’t you like to have a painting of me ?”

“I’d rather have the real thing, sweetie.”

He could only approve of that.

But now they were walking towards the car, packed with bags and parcels.

“Honey, there is one place left where I want to take you before we head home.”

Honey wasn’t looking forward to leaving. But their ways had to part on the airport. He was going back to Los Angeles and she was to go home to finish up her business. Therefore she whined and struggled when Michael tried to pull her into the rented car. She was acting like a little child.

“Wherever it is, I don’t want to go. If it means this is truly the last place we are going to visit together, I don’t want to.”

Michael laughed because she was putting on such a spectacle and pulled her to him. “You’re so silly. You should be an actress ! Shht ! You’re drawing attention to us. People will think that I’m trying to kidnap you.”

“You are !” She put on her biggest pout. “You’re kidnapping me from happiness !”

He shook his head. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, girl. I’ll show you happiness once we get there.”

“Promise ?”

“Absolutely, head over heels, no doubt about it…”

“Okay then…” and she let him pull her into the car.

Michael gave Bill the sign that he could start driving once they were safely settled inside. He was still laughing over Honey, relieved that no one had come to her aid. He could only imagine what would have happened then. Spoiled little brat ! She almost ruined the biggest surprise he had yet in store for her. But he had only himself to blame. It was he who had spoiled her these last few days and he had loved every bit of it.

“Where are you taking me ?”

“There is this building I wanted to show you. It’s breathtaking !”

“A building ? Why ? What is so special about it?”

“You’ll see.”

In the meantime it had started to snow softly and both Michael and Honey enjoyed the sight of the white thick flakes floating down from heaven. They sat closely together, breathing the same air, watching the same scene. There was no need to do much talking so they sat quietly until the building came in sight.

Michael pointed it out to her : “There it is… Isn’t it beautiful ?”

Honey’s mouth fell open at the grandeur of the illuminated building but still she didn’t know what it was. She turned to Michael for an explanation.

“It’s a church. They call it the Arctic Cathedral. Some call it the opera house of Norway, because it looks so much like the opera house in Sydney.”

“I can see why.”

As Bill stopped the car, Michael jumped out and held out his hand to Honey. He was extra courteous today, Honey thought by herself. Most of the time he was indeed a real gentleman but right now he was showing off the best of himself. Still he seemed rather nervous and she couldn’t put her finger to it. He pulled her arm through his and walked her up to the entrance of the church.

“Take care, Honey. It’s really slippery here. Hold on to me.”

She gladly did because even with her moonboots she felt unstable on the fresh snow. She didn’t have much of an equilibrium even without snow and ice, and Michael was very aware of that. He thought it funny that they were so completely different at that point. He almost never tripped over anything but she was the clumsiest of the clumsiest. Always bumping in to things, or stumbling, she was not exactly the most gracious person in the world. But it was just that difference between them that he found so refreshing. She was his opposite in many ways but at the same time she filled what he lacked. They were just perfect together. And right now he wanted only this perfection to rule so it was very important that his angel would not fall flat on her face. Certainly not with what he had in mind.

“Come, they opened it especially for us.”

“They did ?”

“Mmm… normally it’s closed except when a service is going on. But it’s so freezing cold outside and I wanted us to be cozy and warm at this occasion. I know you are not religious but I am and what I want to do now, I want to do it with God watching over me.”

She still had no clue what he was talking about. She swore the man talked in riddles sometimes.

“Michael, there is no one here.” She looked around in awe because this was one of the most impressive buildings she had ever seen. The enormous stained glass windows were astonishing but what struck her the most was the absolute silence inside the church. No sound of honking cars, not a whistle, nothing. It felt almost sacred, and she dared not to move too abrupt afraid that she would disturb the peace and quiet that came over them while entering this place. She may not be religious but she had great respect for arts and crafts that were inspired by the beliefs of men. And this was certainly one of them.

“Michael… “ she whispered, “this is beautiful.”

“No Honey…” he replied, his voice soft as she had never heard it before, “you are.”

And then he fell on one knee, covering his heart with his right hand, his left hand taking hers in a firm and warm grip.
Her eyes almost popped out of her head and for an instant, she thought she would faint. She held back her breath and only released it when he started speaking.

“Honey, my baby, my sweetheart, my angel…”

His voice was soft and steady, although she noticed that he himself was trembling, obviously trying to hold back the emotions that threatened to overtake him.

“I’ve never met anyone like you, Honey. From the first time I laid eyes on you, you captured my heart. We’ve come a long way since then, you and I. You could say we were lost for a while because we both made the wrong decisions. But I prefer to look at it in a different way. These same decisions gave us the chance to build our relationship on solid ground, the firm base of a lifelong friendship. And I will always cherish that.”

He took a deep breath and his lips formed a faint smile.

“Honey, you are more than a lover to me. You’re more than my best friend. You’re my soulmate and I truly believe that our match was made in heaven. You know, when I see only darkness, you guide me to the light. You give me strength when I feel weak. You fill me when I’m empty. You comfort me when I’m sad. You keep me sane. My sweet, sweet Honey, you are the love of my life, my everything. Will you marry me ?”

From the moment he kneeled down, she knew what he was going to ask her but still as he uttered the words, it overwhelmed her and thoughts were tumbling into her mind, one over the other. Even if she wanted to, she would not be able to speak. She hooked her eyes into his, drowning into the sweetness of his deep dark chocolate pools and she knew what her answer would be.  Actually she had known it since her visit to Hayvenhurst, since she completely opened up to him, letting her in into her most intimate thoughts and feelings. Since then she knew that she would marry him if he asked her. Slowly she lowered herself until she herself sat on her knees too, eye to eye with him. He too put his other knee to the floor and removed his right hand from his heart, so that he could take hers in his. She then brought both of their hands to her chest, to the place where her heart was beating rapidly. Everything she had ever emotionally experienced over the years was completely overshadowed by this feeling of utter bliss that came over her. Her heart almost jumped out of her body, overwhelmed by the deepest feeling of love that she had ever felt for any other human being.

“This is it…” she thought by herself. “This is the moment I’ve been living for…”

His eyes searching hers, were brimmed with tears and his hand laying on her chest trembled like a leaf.

“Honey…?”

Finally she was able to speak. For months she had been dreaming of this moment, making up all different answers in her mind, beautiful words of acceptance but that was all gone. What more could she say?

“Yes… yes Michael, I will.”

“Oh my god… oh baby….” He pulled his hands out of her grip and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her against his chest. He sobbed uncontrollably now, tears of happiness flowing over his cheeks. She put her arms around his waist and held him real close as emotions raged through her body. They sat there for a long while, on their knees, on the cold floor. But it couldn’t hurt them. They were warmed from inside.
Finally Michael let escape a sigh, coming from real deep down and lifted his head. She thought he had never looked more handsome, with his wet eyes and his red nose. She took his face between her hands and softly kissed his lips.

“Thank you, Michael. Thank you for making me happy. I love you.”

“I love you more.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hi baby…”

“Oh Michael, I was waiting for your call… I missed you. You’re finally done touring. Glad ?”

“Yeaaaah…after 16 months…”

“I guess you must be real tired ?”

“Very…”

“So you already booked my flight ?”

“No……”

“No ? You are teasing me !”

“Heehee, you know me too well.” He giggled. “I’m coming to get you.”

“Ooh ! That’s nice ! Then I don’t have to travel all alone.”

“I wouldn’t want you to, baby. I want to bring my bride “to be” home. Did you pack all of your belongings ?”

“Mmm no. Except for my clothes and most precious belongings, I gave away almost everything. So actually, I’ll come packed lightly. I won’t need anything else.”

“That’s nice….”

Ahw, he sounded really tired. “Sweetie ?”

“Mmmm…”

“You should get some rest, you know. You’re not gonna last this way.”

“Well, I do have some days off and I thought we could spend them at your beloved seaside. Do your parents still have that cottage ?”

“Of course… You know it’s their favorite hangout.”

“Could we go there for a few days ? You know, just for relaxing and stuff. I know they hire it out sometimes. Do you think I…”

“Michael, what are you talking about ? You don’t have to hire it ! You’re family !”

“Oh, okay. That’s so sweet…”

“Nothing sweet about that, Michael ! It’s perfectly normal. You just have to get used to it.” She heard him sigh of contentment. She smiled. “When will you arrive ?”

“I received an invitation for the AMA on Monday and Frank thought it wise to show up anyway. And then I have a few more meetings to attend. After that I have a photoshoot in New-York and then I’m really gonna take some time off. I wanna spend some free time with you, baby, just as we did in November. It did me so much good ! You heal me.”

He didn’t sound joyful today. Something was bothering him.

“What’s wrong, Michael ? Why would you need healing ? Are you sick ?”

“I don’t know. I don’t feel too good lately but I can’t put a finger on it.”

“You should see a doctor then.”

“Maybe it’s just fatigue. I’ll give it some time. I’m sure I’m gonna be alright after all.”

“Mmm… yeah, maybe rest is all you need.”

“Yeah, after the award show, I’ll be counting the days till I can come and get you.”

“You’re nominated, aren’t you ?”

“Only for two…”

“So what’s the problem ? You’re gonna win them both.”

“You’re too sweet, Honey.”

“Oh, I’m not ! You’re the winner ! And we’ll celebrate as soon as you arrive.”

He chuckled. She was so sure of his mastership ! He loved her for that ! Whenever he doubted anything, he just had to call her and her positive thinking and admiration of his person, immediately healed him. He knew she loved him just the way he was.
But right now, he had a very difficult matter to handle. A matter of which he was not sure how to solve it. And even if he should solve it. Maybe she could help him out.

“Honey ?”

The sad tone in his voice alarmed her. Something was troubling him, badly.

“Yes Michael ? I’m here for you. Is there something you want to talk about ?”

“Yes, there is. I need your help. They want me to break up with Frank.”

Honey was speechless for a moment. Break up with Frank ?! Where was that coming from ? Who in their right mind would try to break up the two of them ? Frank and Michael were a winning team for sure. They had accomplished so many things together. And furthermore Frank was not only his manager. He was his rock, his friend too. He said once in an interview that if he was hurt by the gossip Michael was surely hurt too even if he acted a little blasé about it. He fervently stated that the people who wrote these things were sick !

And now someone was trying to poison Michael’s relationship with Frank ? What were they thinking of ? Now normally Michael knew exactly what he wanted so his behavior worried her even more. This was so not like him. He must be really exhausted, she thought.
This surely was something she hadn’t expected to hear and for a moment she didn’t know what to say or how to react. It was definitely too important to take lightly.

“Honey ?”

“Sorry, I’m just…. surprised.”

“What’s your opinion, Honey ?”

“Gee Michael, this is not easy. If I were you I would never let him go. Look at what you’ve achieved together. He and his team have brought you to the top of the world, didn’t they ? Would you throw that away because someone asks you ? Could you do that, Michael ? And furthermore, you have a very special bonding with Frank too. He’s more than your manager, isn’t he ?”

“I realize that, Honey. That’s what makes it so difficult.”

“Michael, you shouldn’t even consider this. There are some people out there that are trying to break you. I think you and Frank together are a threat to those people. Don’t you think so ?”

“I don’t know. They sound truthful enough.”

“You know them well ? Better than you know Frank ?”

“No…”

“Well then… “ She heard him sigh. It was definitely hard on him. What had they said to him to make him doubt Frank’s capability to take him even further ? And they had come to him after this exhausting tour. They must’ve senses his vulnerability.
And then suddenly, this idea came to her ! She knew whom he could turn to with these kind of worries.

“Michael, listen to me. It’s not that I don’t want to help you out but I’m not the right person to advise you in this matter. I’m not objective enough. You know how much I like Frank …”

“I know and that’s exactly my problem. I’m trying to be objective too but they are really pushing me.”

“But who is, sweetie ?”

“Some major record executives…”

Well, this was certainly surpassing her capability but she knew just the person who could give him the advice he needed.

“Okay… Well, I have this idea… Don’t know if you’re gonna like it though.”

“Any help is welcome, Honey. I’m really at my wits’ end.”

“I think you should talk to my dad.”

“You do ?”

“Huh huh. He’s good at analyzing problems. Remember when we were in L.A. ? When we talked about the store ? He really helped me out there. He made me see things much more clearer. I think you should talk to him.”

“I don’t know… Won’t he mind ?”

“Michael, you know how much he likes you. Didn’t he step into the breach for you when your father tried to make a fool out of you ? He would never have done that if it were not for you ! He truly likes you. So what do you say ? You want his number ?”
She heard him hesitate. She knew he wasn’t used to ask anyone for help. To put his trust into anyone else beside his closest entourage, was very hard on him. He had his mother whom he could talk to and herself of course but when it came to business there were only a few and one of them was Frank himself. And then suddenly she realized what this was about. He was afraid her father would turn him down. Poor Michael, his own father really messed him up. She once more realized that his upbringing caused Michael a lot of psychological problems. However, Michael knew of his father’s capacities and he respected him for that. But she also knew he would never turn to Joseph with this problem. After all Joseph would certainly try to get Michael’s management back into his own hands.

When Michael finally called Nick, he felt awkward and not quite at ease. As Honey presumed he did have a lot of trouble putting his faith into someone else. He needed a lot more time to get acquainted to someone because he had been betrayed so many times before. How he’d wished he could have called his own father instead. But the man would only press him to follow his lead and then when he would refuse, scold him for sure and he wasn’t in the mood for that at all.

Michael had asked Honey to warn her father that he would call and present himself as Mike Jackson. By the time he made his call, he knew Nick had already informed his receptionist that if a Mike Jackson would call, he was to be transferred to him immediately.

“Thrills and Loops, good morning. !” a cheerful voice resounded in his ear.

Wow… he had completely forgotten about the amusement park ! How could he ? The cheerful greeting on the other end of the line, made him feel much better right away. Normally he ordered someone else to do his phone calls for him and put the right people through to him but now he was glad he hadn’t.  Michael made his voice sound a little deeper than usual but he seriously doubted that anyone in Belgium would recognize his speaking voice. But better be safe than sorry !

“Huh..can I talk to Nick Dubois please ?”

“Whom can I announce ?”

“Mike Jackson…”

“Okay, one moment please…”

He waited and waited, while “The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” by Tchaikovksy resounded in his ear. Ah.. the best tune ever for an amusement park. Someone for sure had a good taste for cheerful music.

He loved Tchaikovsky and was soon taken away by the music, almost forgetting what he was here for. Thus, when Nick’s voice called out to him, he almost fell of his chair.

“Hey Michael ! Nice to hear from you ! Honey told me you were gonna call.”

Nick barged in with his usual straightforward behavior.

“Oh hi, Nick, nice to hear you too !”

“What’s up, son ?”

“Hmm… well… I’m really sorry to bother you at work. I hope I’m not interrupting anything ?”

“Of course not ! You’re always welcome, Michael. You’re my son in law… well almost.” At that he chuckled. “When are you going to set a date, boy? We need a party !”

“Huh oh…” Michael had forgotten all about Nick’s dynamic composure. He was a man of the action, unlike Michael, when it came to the matters of the heart. Michael knew what he wanted but he took his precious time to make it work, just how he wanted it to be. And sometimes, well, sometimes, it took him loooooooooong.

“Oh Nick, that’s not why I called you. But I will set a date, I will.”

“So tell me about your problem. You would not call me just to chitchat ?”

“Well, it’s about my management. It’s a delicate matter.”

He explained him the whole situation with the executives and the lawyers who didn’t leave him alone and kept asking him to get rid of Frank. They were really pressuring him and when Michael felt pressured, he just flipped.

“I never met Frank but Honey told me about him. She’s a very clever girl, Michael. And if she wouldn’t like Frank, she would have told me too. I guess he must be a great guy.”

“Yes, he is. We’ve been together for 5 years now and we’ve never really disagreed on something. We had our differences… but in the end, we solved them all.”

“I see…Hmm… So they are trying to break this strong bond you have. Mmm… and what exactly are they offering you ?”

“They promised me I could go make a Hollywood movie. Oh Nick, this has been one of my dreams since I was a child.”

“Okay, I understand. And why can’t you do that with Frank ?”

“Huh… I don’t know…”

“You didn’t think of that before ?”

Michael felt kinda stupid. What had he been thinking ? These people were so evil and they knew exactly how to handle him. They had talked in to him over and over until he was completely numb. He had overlooked the essence of the whole case! Now why would he not be able to make a movie with Frank ?

“I made “Moonwalker” with Frank.” Why didn’t he think of that before ? He felt really stupid.

“See, you answered your own question. Why did you need me again ?”

Michael started to laugh. “Oh my god, Nick !! You cannot imagine how I needed this. Thanks so much.”

“No need to thank me, son. You would have come to that conclusion by yourself too. Can I tell you what I think of all this ?”

“Oh please do !”

“I think you and Frank are too powerful together. I think there are people out there that want control over you and your business. This is only about power. It’s got nothing to do with art.”

“Yeah… I’ve been thinking that too but I thought it was only a figment of my brain.”

“Michael, can I give you some advice ?”

“Always trust your first conception. Sooner or later, you’re gonna get hurt if you keep listening to bad advisors. You’re a smart guy ! Trust yourself on this. Don’t rely on others.”

“Thanks Nick ! I really appreciate your honesty.”

“I’m glad I could help you…. So what did I hear ? You are finally coming to take away my daughter ?”

“Oh yes, I am. I’m really sorry for that. Or…no actually I’m not.” He laughed. “You know you can always come visit her ?”

“We will ! Rest assured ! Just promise me one thing, Michael….”

“Yes sir…”

“Treat her well, treat her the best you can. She’s my little girl and I don’t wanna see her hurt.”

“Oooh Nick, I will. You can put your trust in me. I’m doing everything in my power to keep her safe. You know it’s not easy living in my presence but I will do the best I can. Everything is set up, just for her safety. Trust me.”

“Mm… that’s not what I mean, but I will settle for this, for the time being. I’ll talk to you when we meet next time, hopefully when you come to pick her up. That would be nice. Would you mind if I arrange something with Honey ?”

“I would love to see you when I come to Belgium. And your family of course.”

“That’s settled then. We’ll work something out. I really have to go now, son. I have a meeting with my staff holders and I am late enough as it is.”

“Okay… Thanks again, Nick. I really appreciate you listening to me.”

He really did although Nick didn’t have to tell him what to do after all. He knew now. He would not ever let go of Frank, especially not because someone else was telling him to do so and make him sweet promises of how much better it could be without Frank. But he did want to talk to Frank about the media circus. It was fun enough while it lasted but all the bull**** about the Elephant’s man’s bones and the stories about him sleeping in a hyperbaric chamber had to go.

“Don’t be sad sweetie, I’ll award you with the sweetest love you have ever experienced. You know these awards do not depend on the loyalty of your fans. It’s all about the money, you should know that. You sold so many copies of your album. You had a great tour and made many many people happy. You’re worth so much more than any of these awards.”

Honey tried to soothe him after the disappointment he experienced the night before. He was feeling incompetent. He had expected to win both the awards but it was not happening. Okay, the one he did win, was presented to him by one of his best friends and the tribute they paid him was long and beautiful, but still he had expected more. The Bad Tour was the longest any single artist had ever undertaken and the album sold millions of copies too. So why the award of achievement ? Did they think he was finished ? It made him feel like a failure, an artist on his return… However being the great entertainer he truly was, no one ever noticed his disappointment when he accepted the award.

“And I still cannot leave the States.” he complained. “I miss you so much.”

“Michael sweetie, you’re whining like a baby. I miss you too but you knew beforehand what you were getting into… You signed for the photoshoot yourself, didn’t you ? You are the one who asked for these meetings.”

“No…”

“Tst tst tst… don’t you try to rub it off on someone else. You know you want to be in charge all of the time, so don’t tell me you didn’t know !” She couldn’t help but chuckle a bit. He was a good actor but not good enough to fool her.

“You’re probably right…” he admitted.

But he didn’t sound very sure about what he said. She could feel he was really down and needed some cheering up.

“Michael…” she whispered in his ear. “Shall we play a little game ?”

“Huh… a game ?”

“Yesss, I ask you a question and you have to come up with the right answer. And for every right answer, you can choose the item of clothing I have to take off.”

She heard him hold his breath. “Okaaay… but I can’t see you.”

“Use your imagination, sweetie.”

“Oh my ! I can’t believe how naughty you are.”

“Huh… as if you’re an angel !”

He giggled. “You bring this out of me, baby. But… I kinda like it. Okay, I’m in. There is just one thing I want to know. How many things are you wearing ?” He sounded breathless already.

“Haha… I can make you believe anything. You cannot see me !”

“Would you betray me ?” he asked in a low voice.

“Betray you ? In what sense ?” She loved to draw him out sometimes.

“You know… telling me things that are not true…” His voice became even lower and she knew exactly what he wanted to hear from her. But she would not give that away easily.

“Michael, you should know. You always tell me that you are so sensitive about … huh … my condition so you should answer that question yourself.” She softly laughed as she heard him clear his throat. “And if the answer is right, I shall take off my slippers.”

“Oh no ! This question is so going to be worth much more than your slippers. Even the bunny ones. If I answer it right, I want you to take off your top. I wanna know what bra you are wearing.”

“Huh… so you assume that I’m wearing one you bought for me ?”

“Yes…”

“I’m in my pajamas already, Mike… I’m not wearing a bra underneath, just a little camisole.”
He coughed a little as if he was choking on his own saliva. “The white one with the lace panels on the side ?”

“Boy… you have good memory… Yes, I am. And the matching panties…” She definitely heard him fall backward in his chair… “And I’m wearing the flannel pajama you bought me. You know the one with the bunnies ?”

“Oh, I like them. You look so soft and sweet when you wear that. I could cuddle you for hours then.”

“So you wanna cuddle ?”

“Hmm… maybe. But there’s one thing I wanna do more….” He purred.

“You are incorrigible…”

“You started this, Honey ! Don’t blame me.” But now they were well on their way in their own little fantasy world and he had no intention to let go. He loved sexy phone calls like these. He preferred to call them “lovers calls” instead of “phone sex” and ever since the first time they tried it out, he was hooked. Of course it wasn’t anywhere near the real thing but they did have a good time and it took away some of the loneliness.

“Honey…ask me that question…”

“I got another one for you first, sweetie.”

“Aah !! You are such a tease !”

“Not a tease… A quiz master.”

“And what will be my price ?”

“Your imagination ! Isn’t that enough ?”

“Okay, ask me anything.”

“What do I like the most about your looks ?”

“I thought you loved all of me ? Were you thinking of any particular part ? As … huh under my clothes ?”

“No !! It’s not under your clothes, you pervert ! I’m an innocent girl !”

“Hahaha ! Do you really think I’m that gullible ?”

“Oh you !! Well, think hard and I’ll take of my bunny top !”

“My hair… You like my hair verrry much ! I know you are sooo jealous of my curls ! Aren’t you ?”

“Ahw, I am. But your hair so soft… and it smells so good.”

“Okay, did you lose the top ?”

“Huh huh ! It’s cold tho’!”

“I can imagine that.” He closed his eyes for a second and saw her sitting there on her bed with only the little camisole covering her upper body, while her nipples, standing erect from the cold, were pushing against the white silk. He sighed a little.

“Why don’t you get under the covers, Honey ? Just imagine that duvet is me. I’ll warm you in my arms.”

“You are so sweet.”

“And sexy ? Do you think I’m sexy, Honey ?”

“Michael ! How can you even ask that ? Do you really think any other guy could make me do this ? Undress like a stripper ? You are the only one who can unleash these feelings in me.”

“True ? And huh, what about Patrick Swayze ? I know you dig him ! You told me yourself !”

“Well… I do love his legs ! Dirty Dancing was sooo good ! That man can dance !”

“Can he now ?”

“Mmm… but you are sooo much better. When you dance, I just faint. When I see your little tushie shake, I just have to draw in my breath and watch.”

“Honey !! I’m not a sex object !”

“Sure… and I’m a virgin ! Michael, it’s your own fault ! You shouldn’t act so sexy !”

“What else do you like about me ? Except for my hair and my **huh** tushie ?”

“Well…”

“Is it in my pants ?”

She started laughing so hard that he had to take the receiver from his ear.

“Honey !”

But she could not possibly hear him. She was rolling all over her bed, caught in a major laughing fit.

“Hihi, hoho, haha, oh Michael !!” she screamed out. “You’re killing me !”

When her laughing subsided, he asked dryly : “Did you have a good time on my expense, dear?”

“Ooh, are you angry, pretty boy ?”

Ahw, it had been a while since she called him like that but he fell for it again, as he always did. And of course he was not angry. He was happy as never before. She made him feel so good.

“Never baby girl. So, what is your next question ? And you are going to take off the camisole, right?”

“Gee Michael, you are very eager to get me naked !!”

“Of course ! Always ! Question !!”

“Okay, what do I absolutely detest about you ?”

“Honey, what kind of question is that ? How can I possibly answer that ?”

“Think Michael ! You have brains, don’t you ?”

“Nothing !”

“I beg your pardon ?”

“You detest nothing about me. Maybe there are some things you don’t exactly like but detesting is too big a word for it.”

“Okay, there goes the camisole…” she whispered in his ears. He brought his own hand down to his lap and softly touched himself. No… he would not !!

He would save himself for her. Only a few more days… weeks ?! Ahw, how was he going to last ? He shook his head to get rid of the sensual enchantment she got him in, but… no use… he was trapped.

“Michael ?”

“Yeah…”

“You know there is only one thing I don’t like. And that’s you trying to boss me around.”

“Honey, I don’t boss you around !”

“You do ! You are always trying to tell me what I should do and what I shouldn’t do !”

“Exactly !! I’m TRYING !! To try : to attempt to do or accomplish. That’s what it says in the dictionary. You know very well that I hardly succeed at bossing you around. You won’t let me. But you can’t blame me for trying.”

“Huh huh…”

“Only in bed… You know, when we make love, you let me. That’s the only time you let me draw the rules ! True !”
She blushed. He was right. She loved it when he was dominant in the privacy of their bedroom. He was a hot lover and she would never deny him her love. She simply couldn’t.

“You’re still wearing way too much clothes. Are you under the duvet, nice and warm ?”

“Huh huh, I am.”

“With your pajama pants and your knickers ?”

“Huh huh…”

“And you got another question for me ?”

She laughed a little. “Yep, one more !”

“Nonono ! Two more ! Don’t you forget about that very important question that I wanted you to answer first.”

“You won’t give me the chance to step out, will you ?”

“No !”

“Okay… here is my question. On what place of your body do I prefer to lay my head when we fall asleep ?”

“That’s easy !”

“It is ?”

“You really think I don’t pay attention to you, don’t you ? I watch every move you make, girl. Every breath you take, I hear. Every blink of an eye, I notice. You can’t hide anything from me. I’m your watcher… and I can tell you, it’s the best job I’ve ever got… But the best is when I make love to you. You’re so sexy right then ! You bite and lick your lips… and your eyes… ahw your eyes are shining when I kiss you. And they are so soft when I caress you. But when I take what is mine, your eyes blaze with passion. And often that is just enough to send me over the top…”

“Ahw Michael… “

“Yeah…”
They both sighed, looking forward to the next time they would meet and make sweet tender love, or maybe hot passionate sex…

“So Honey, I know where you want to be….”

“You do ?”

“You know that spot on my chest, next to my armpit ?”

“Oh Michael… you do. Gosh, I didn’t realize you knew of it.”

“I told ya’… I know everything about you.”

“Are you obsessed ?”

“Not more than you, Honey !”

So the trousers had to go. And she was now in only her panties, warmly hugged by the duvet, pretending it were Michael’s arms.

“Honey… take of those panties…”

“Noooo… you still got that last question.”

“Honey, are you going to sleep naked ?”

“Why do you want to know ?”

He was writhing in his chair. Yeah, why did he want to know ? It was difficult enough as it was. He knew he shouldn’t let it but his free hand lead its own life. Oh god, she turned him into an aching heap of desire.
“I want myself to picture you when you go to sleep. I still have half of the day to live through, without you. And I want you so much !! You cannot imagine.” He tried not to pant too loud but he could not possibly hold back that one desperate moan.

“Michael ? What are you doing ?”

“N.. nothing.. n..next question please.”

Honey frowned her eyebrows and then sucked in her lips from trying to not burst out into laughing. Oh !! She would get him for this ! She would launch him into space, throwing stars and sparks at him.

“Are you sure you are ready, Michael ?”

“Y..yes…”

She chuckled. He sounded out of breath. She would not go easy on him !!

“When we make love… you know, passionate, tender, or even kinky… it’s always obvious how it effects you. A man cannot hide that… That’s just a given. And huh… Michael junior isn’t exactly the shy type either. He’s always out to play. And you know, I like to play with him too. He’s so much fun to be with. He’s big and wanton and very playful. Hard and yet soft to touch. I like him verrry much. I could never cheat on him…” She started purring and whispering sweet nothings and he knew he was lost. “So you see, Michael. You cannot hide it when you have fun, but … and this is my question … do you think I ever faked an … well you know … orgasm ?”

He was dead and gone !!

“Michael ?” she asked when he didn’t react immediately. “Michael, did you hear my question ?”

With his eyes closed, he leaned back in his chair. He just lost his ability to speak and coughed a little to let her know that the line wasn’t dead.
“Oh Michaeeeel…” she teased. She knew well enough what he had been doing. And maybe that was just her intention, just to let him forget his fatigue and his worries.

“No…” she heard him say. “No, you never did.”

“Oh well done, pretty boy. Next time we meet, I’ll put these panties in your pocket for you to keep. How does that sound ?”

“As if it can’t get any better… I love you.”