Almost two hours had passed by before Lily and Michael saw a doctor walk into the waiting room. Those two hours were spent mostly in silence while Michael held her hand in an attempt to calm her growing anxiety as the minutes ticked by. Thirty minutes earlier Sean had come back and informed her that since she was here, Sophia didn't feel comfortable staying and that he was going to take her home. This annoyed Michael more than words could even begin to describe, and by the death glare that Lily had shot at Sean as he was telling her, it was obvious it more than annoyed her.
"Are you kidding me, Sean?" she said through gritted teeth. "If Princess Sophia is uncomfortable, let her drive your car home. Your daughter is in surgery, I think perhaps it's time you change your priorities!"
Lily saw Sean look down at Michael's hand holding hers and quickly look back up at her. "Can I talk to you alone for a moment?"
Looking at Michael and seeing him nod his head, urging her to see what he had to say, Lily got up and walked just outside of the waiting room where Sean was now standing. "What?"
"Seriously, Lily, who is that guy?"
"Why the hell do you care?" she shot back at him, annoyed at his sudden interest in who she spent time with.
"You've been with him all weekend, haven't you? That's where you were going, to be with him?"
Her annoyance level grew. "Sean, that is absolutely none of your business. I don't ask you where or who you spend your free time with, do I?"
"I just don't want you to get hurt..."
"Oh shut the hell up, Sean... you don't give a damn about whether I get hurt or not, and you know it! You only care about yourself!"
"Whatever. I'll be back in an hour, Lily. Sunni won't even know I was gone," he huffed, rolled his eyes, and disappeared from sight.
"Bastard," Lily muttered under breath after sitting back down. "Who the hell does he think he is!? What kind of a father leaves the hospital while his child is in surgery?" And who the hell does he think he is asking who I spend my time with?
Michael squeezed her hand tighter, and the feeling of it muted her anger a touch.
The doctor, wearing a signature white lab coat, looked around the room, in search of someone. Lily got up for her seat and rushed over to him. "Are you Dr. Ramirez?"
"Yes, are you here for Sunniva Branum?"
"Yes, I'm her mother. How is she? Can I see her?" she asked with panic saturating her voice.
"Your daughter is fine, the surgery went very smoothly," he said, placing his hand on Lily's shoulder as a gesture of comfort. "She's in recovery right now. You can see her in a few minutes, I'll have the nurse come get you as soon as Sunniva wakes up from the anaesthesia," he told her before excusing himself from the room.
"I told you she would be okay," Michael reminded her before she felt a pair of strong arms envelope her from behind; if she wasn't still filled with anxiety and a burning hatred for the father of her children, this embrace would likely make her melt.
***
"Gracie, you can't miss school," Lily said to her daughter while trying to find an outfit for her to wear.
"Sunni gets to stay home!" the little girl pouted, dramatically folding her arms and making her best pouty lips that she could muster up.
"Sweetheart, Sunni just had surgery, she has to stay home so she can heal," she told her. "Remember when you had the flu and you had to stay home but Sunni had to go to school?" she reminded her.
"It's not fair!" she pouted again.
"Honey, unfortunately life is not always fair. Now come on, you need to get dressed, Millie's mom is going to be here in a few minutes to pick you up," she said, ushering her daughter out of the bedroom she shared with her sister and into her bedroom so she could get dressed without disturbing Sunniva further. "I'm going to go get your backpack together and make sure you have your homework while you change."
Ten minutes later, after sending Gracie off to school with one of the neighborhood moms, Lily snuck back towards the girls bedroom door and opened it a crack, peeking in on Sunniva who had fallen back asleep after being awoken by Gracie's insistance on staying home. Looking in on her, suddenly flashes of similar memories flooded her mind. She had spent so many nights staring at the twins while they slept... when they were babies, some nights she would barely sleep at all herself because she was so caught up in watching them; she knew it was something she could and would never get tired of doing... they were so angelic when they were sleeping.
Ever since she was a baby, Lily could tell when Sunni was dreaming... her eyelids twitched, no matter if it was a pleasant dream or a nightmare. How many times she sat wondering what it was that she was dreaming about, and wishing there was a way to record dreams so she could see what it was her daughter was seeing, she had no idea.
A light knock on the front door broke Lily's concentration. Her heart dropped into her stomach from shock when they looked out through the window to see who was standing on the other side of the door.
"Michael, what are you doing here?" she almost demanded.
"I was in the neighborhood," he lied, with a cheeky smile on his face. "I just wanted to see how you're doing... and I was wondering how Sunni was doing," he added, pulling a big stuffed elephant out from behind him. "I thought she might like this?" he said, eyeing the stuffed creature.
Lily had insisted that Michael go home before she was brought back to see Sunniva after her surgery; she told him that she knew her kids would freak out upon meeting him, they loved him, and being fresh out of surgery was not the proper time for such an interaction. Michael was disappointed, but he understood her reasons, and he made her promise that he would get to meet both Sunniva and Gracie soon.
And here he stand at her door two days later, unannounced.
"Michael, that's sweet... I'm not sure this is such a good idea, though."
He looked back down at the stuffed elephant, biting his lip as if he were in deep thought. "Lily, I actually need to talk to you about something important. I didn't think it would be right to do it over the phone, that's why I came by."
"Something important?" she asked, not being able to help the bubbling anxiety that had quickly begun forming in the bit of her stomach. "What is it?"
"Can I come in?"
Against her better judgement, she moved back, allowing him to step inside. "Let's go out onto the deck, I don't want Sunni to hear someone else here," she said, leading the way out through the sliding glass doors. She sat down in a chair, and Michael followed suit, taking a seat next to her.
"Lily, I..." Michael began, unsure exactly how to continue what he wanted to say. He wasn't sure why, he had offered financial help to so many people over the years, it was never difficult for him to offer to help someone who needed it... he thrived on helping people, he felt it was his purpose.
"You what?"
"Do you remember the other day when I asked you what the name of the facility was that your brother was at?" he spit out.
"Yes..."
"There was a reason for that," he admitted. "I had someone call the facility up to see how much your brothers care is."
"Wh...why would you do that, Michael?"
He leaned in closer to her, wanting to be near her. "I wanna help you, Lily," he told her. "I can help you."
"You wanna be my knight in shining armour, Michael? You wanna be the King who swoops in to save the damsil in distress, is that it?"
He shook his head. "No, Lily..." he said, while looking into her eyes that he could clearly see were now filled with... anger? He had never really gotten a good look at her eyes when she was angry... would it be twisted to say she looked beautiful? Snapping back to reality, he had to take a second to remember what he was trying to say. "It just breaks my heart that you have to do what you do to get by. You can't tell me you would be happy if your daughters found out you slept with strangers to pay bills. I can make it so they won't ever have to know," he told her, while holding onto hope that she wouldn't take that part the wrong way... "let me help you, Lily."
Lily knew that she should be grateful for his offer; for him even wanting to help her when he didn't owe her a thing; and he was right, she should be mortified beyond repair if Sunniva or Gracie ever found out. Despite there being a good reason for it, that didn't make this job... right. It was an amazing thing he was trying to do. If there was one thing she couldn't stand however, it was when people went behind her back to do something that they could have easily have come to her for first; so many people in her life had done it, and each time it only caused her pain.
"I don't need you to save me. I don't need your money."
"Lily, if you let me help you, I can pay for the best possible care you could ever hope for your brother to have. Let me do this for your brother," he pleaded, hoping a different angle would soften her up. "I checked out the ratings for the facility he's in now, and while they're good, they are nowhere near what he could have."
"Michael, Sandybrook is the best facility in the state. I did research, I know about every single place there is in California."
"I'm not talking about moving him to a new facility, Lily."
She was now confused. "Then what are you talking about?"
"I can hire the best doctors, the best nurses... hell, I would build a small private facility for him at Neverland!" Anything for you to quit your job...
Now he wants to build a facility at his home!? Is he insane!? Lily thought to herself...
"Michael, I think you should leave now," she said, slowly standing up.
"Wait, Lily..." he said, standing up and grabbing her arm, forcing her to look at him. "You're mad at me?"
"I don't know," she told him.
"Mommy!" a little girls cry poured through the sliding glass doors from inside.
Lily's head quickly shot towards the direction of the sound... "I'm sorry. You know where the door is, I have to go check on my daughter," she said before disappearing inside.
Michael was left alone on the deck, still holding onto the stuffed elephant, with a feeling of sadness now flowing through his body. "Please, God, don't let her be angry with me..." he whispered.
After making sure Sunniva was alright, Lily made her way back to the living room and let out a sigh of relief when she realized Michael had left. Moving into the kitchen to get something to drink, she suddenly felt a wave of guilt as the conversation with Michael really sunk in… needing to talk to someone, she picked up the phone and dialed.
"Sasha, have you ever done something that after it's happened, you realize you were a complete moron for doing it?" she spit out as soon as her friend answered.
She just laughed at Lily’s urgency to get to the point. "Well, of course, I think we all have, why?"
Grabbing a nail file that was laying on the kitchen counter, she thought about how she could word what she wanted to a say in a way not to raise any suspicion? Lily began to over file her nails, lost in thought, and was only brought back to at the pain it caused.
"I have a friend who... is financially well off, you could say. Today he stopped by and he offered to take care of Jeremy's medical bills from now on... and I kind of..." her voice trailed off.
"--- you freaked out, because you have way too much pride, and never want to accept help from anybody," Sasha finished her statement.
"... you know me too well." She let out a deep sigh, partially annoyed at how transparent she apparently was to Sasha.
"Of course I do, sweetheart. So this guy just offered to pay Jeremy's bills, no strings attached?"
"Well... I actually didn't let him get that far, but I doubt there are any strings..."
"Lily, someone who was in the middle of the ocean, stranded, would never send someone away who came along offering them a lifeboat. I don't know who this guy friend is, but if he's offering you a lifeboat that you desperately need to keep you from sinking, sweetheart, take it," she advised. "You can't do everything on your own. At one point or another, we all need help. I know how hard it is for you to accept that, but it's the truth... Lily, you really can't do everything on your own. It's beyond me how you've made it this far, if I’m being honest, honey."
Lily moved into the living room and out of the corner of her eye, something gray caught her attention. Turning her head, her heart sank and she immediately felt a sting of guilt hit her heart. Sitting on the edge of the coffee table was the stuffed elephant that he had brought for Sunniva. Without realizing she had begun to cry, she felt a single tear slide down her cheek.
"Who is this guy, anyway?" Sasha's voice cut through her thoughts.
She wiped the moisture from her face with the back of her hand. "Umm... you don't know him." It wasn't a lie, after all... she may know of him, but she didn't know him.
She picked up the stuffed animal and absentmindedly brought it up to her face, inhaling his scent that attached itself to the stuffed creature while he was holding it.
“… you’re hiding something from me, aren’t you?” Sasha said.
Lily didn’t say anything.
“Lily, I can tell when you aren’t being completely truthful, you are a terrible liar,” she pointed out; and it was true… she was amazed she was able to ‘lie’ about her current occupation for as long as she had.
“Uhh…” was all she could say at first. “Don’t be mad at me, Sasha… this isn’t something I can really tell, at least not right now…” Could she ever tell anyone about knowing Michael Jackson?
Sasha sighed. “Fine… but I’ll find out whatever it is eventually,” she promised.
***
Michael sat at his desk, trying to concentrate on something he was supposed to be doing, but his mind was preoccupied with the events of the previous day at Lily’s house; truthfully, it had been that way ever since he left. He had the urge to call her last night when he was laying in bed trying to fall asleep, but he decided maybe to give her a day to figure out her thoughts on what he was offering. God, he hoped she wasn’t angry with him…
Looking at the clock on the wall, he realized it was now ten o’clock… he couldn’t take it anymore, he had to know. He had to hear her voice…
“She should have put her girls to bed by now,” he said out loud to himself and slowly reached for the phone. Before his hand touched it, it rang, causing him to jump in his seat.
“Hello?” he answered.
“Michael?” her sweet voice filled his ears, causing a huge grin to form on his face.
“I was just about to call you,” he told her.
"I'm not mad at you, Michael," she spit out, as if she were reading his mind, and could hear his thoughts; his worries.
He immediately let out a sigh of relief and all of the anxiety and worry he had felt since the day before were instantly washed away. "You aren't?"
"No, I'm not," she assured him. "I, umm... after you left, I talked to my best friend, and I think maybe I should explain to you why I think I reacted the way I did."
"Okay," he said, curious as to what she was going to reveal.
"I've been on my own for most of my life, Michael. Even when my parents were alive, even when I was a child... they weren't really there for me; I wasn't exactly the child that they wanted. I've had to do things for myself for as long as I can remember, and even when I was offered help, it always came with a catch. I think because of that, I am very reluctant to accept help from anyone, for anything. I'm a very stubborn person, and I sometimes have far too much pride for my own good. When you told me what you did and what you want to do for me, for my brother, even though you didn't intend for it to be perceived this way, it was like a punch in the gut... like you yourself were trying to tell me that I couldn't... that I was failing at taking care of my family," she admitted. "And failing at taking care of my family is one of my worst fears, Michael; my daughters and my brother are all I have and they depend on me... I cannot fail them."
His heart sank. "Lily, oh my god, I swear to you that isn't what I think at all. You aren't failing at all; I admire you so much for doing what you have to do to take care of your family..."
"And like I said, I know you didn't mean for it to come across that way. After you left yesterday, when I had time to think about it... I felt like such a jerk for reacting the way that I did."
“You weren’t acting like a jerk… as much as I would have hoped for you to immediately say yes to my offer, I can understand your reaction…”
"Michael, if I accept your help... I don't ever want you to hold it against me that you're paying so much money. I couldn't handle it if I thought you might resent me for it," she admitted. "I know there has to be so many people trying to stick their hands in your pockets, and I don't ever want to be thought of as one of those people."
"Lily, honey, I promise you. I am offering this of my own free will, because I want to help you; I will never hold it against you, not ever. And no one will ever think of you as someone just out to get my money."
"Well, I'm not sure how you can promise they won't, but... if you still want to, I would very much appreciate the help you offered."
“I absolutely still want to,” he assured her.
Waking up to the sound of the alarm clock buzzing, her hand shot out from under the blanket, smacking the obnoxious black box of doom into silence.
“Give me ten more minutes,” she whispered, pleading with the object, falling immediately back to sleep, and the dream she had been abruptly pulled away from resumed almost instantly.
"Jeremy!" Lily shouted out to her hyper two-year-old brother who was currently trying to climb onto the kitchen table. Ever since that boy learned to walk, he had become a monkey, climbing onto anything and everything he could. "You're going to hurt yourself, Jer-Bear, that's not good!" she softly scolded the young child while putting him safely back onto the ground.
"Sissy, I can!" the little boy argued back.
"No, you can't," she reminded him. "Come on; let's go play with your toys. Momma bought you that new train set; do you want to play with that?"
"No!" the little boy shouted.
“Do you… want to go to the park and play on the swings?”
The boys little blue eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. “Swings, sissy!”
“Okay, munchkin, let’s get your shoes and coat on.”
The scenery quickly changed to the beautiful little boy, now four-years-old, running around in the backyard through the sprinklers; one of his favorite things to do.
“Sissy, come play with me!” he shouted to Lily who was sitting on the back deck, watching with joy at her brothers carefree spirit.
With a hand on her stomach, she shouted back. “I can’t, Jer-Bear, I can barely move. You keep playing, you’re entertaining me.”
Jeremy stopped what he was doing to look back at his sister with a huge smile on his face. “I want you to play with me.”
“I’ll be able to play with you again once your nieces are here, little nugget.”
Once again, the scenery changed.
Now the boy was six-years-old, trying to teach two-year-old Sunniva and Gracie how to color.
“Sunni, you’re doing it wrong!” he told the small child as she colored outside of the lines in his coloring book. The little girl got frustrated and dropped the purple crayon in a huff.
Once more, the scenery changed.
It was a scene Lily did not recognize; it wasn’t a memory she knew. Jeremy, nine-years-old---she knew this because of a shirt he was wearing; one that she had given him for his ninth birthday---was sitting in the backseat of a car. She couldn’t see who was in the front, the focus was on Jeremy, but she could hear their mother and father fighting.
“Philip! Don’t you start with me!” she heard her mother scream; it was a tone Lily was all too familiar with.
“Laura, I am sick to death of you trying to control what I do…” their father’s voice broke through.
“Momma! Dad! Please don’t fight!” Jeremy begged.
Lily could see tears starting swell up in his eyes, breaking her heart. She wanted to scream for them to stop, to see what they were doing to him… but she couldn’t.
The focus suddenly changed. She was now looking through the windshield, seeing everything ahead of the car; the cars going by ahead, the trees flying by to the left and right of them…
The situation suddenly clicked. She suddenly recognized where they were. Looking back over to her brother, she recognized the shirt he was wearing…
Looking ahead once more, she saw it coming…
She wanted to scream. Stop, dad, stop the car!
*BAM*
Lily’s eyes shot open. Her chest moved violently up and down as a result of her erratic breathing. A tear slid down her cheek.
“Jeremy…” she whispered, curling up into the fetal position as more tears began to fall just as the alarm clock announced it was once again time to start the day.
“Lily?” Michael said during a late night phone call when neither of them could sleep.
“Yes?” she asked, while snuggled up in a blanket on a chair on the deck.
“You’re going to quit working for Dominic, aren’t you?” he asked.
“Yes, I am,” she answered, without a moment of hesitation.
Michael let out a breath that he felt like he had been holding in for ages.
“Good. The thought of you with other men makes my blood boil,” was what he wanted to say… it was the truth. He wasn’t sure when it happened, but he felt… like he wanted her for himself. “Good. A girl as amazing as you shouldn’t do that. No girl should do that,” he said, even though he was fairly certain she was already aware he felt that way. How could she not, considering his offer?
This somehow amused Lily. “No girl, Michael?” she asked.
“No,” he answered.
“When did you come to that conclusion? Was it before or after you hired me?” she teased.
There was a pause in the conversation.
“Lily?”
“Yes?”
“I’m not proud of what I did,” he said just above a whisper. “I’m not sorry for it, though. If I hadn’t gone against what I believed in, I wouldn’t have met you. That’s worth any lapse in judgment in the world.”
“I’m no one special,” Lily insisted. “Certainly not someone worth going against what you believe in.”
Michael laughed in response.
His response confused her. “What’s so funny?”
“It’s not funny. Why do girls never think they’re special?”
“I don’t know…” she trailed off, unsure of the answer to his question.
“Lily?”
“Yes?”
“Are you going to quit?” he asked once again, as if he needed reassurance.
* * *
Lily sat in her silent, lifeless car for what seemed like ages, unable to move. The sound of the rain crashing against the windows was both soothing and irritating. She had just dropped the twins off at Sasha’s house for the weekend for Mandy’s birthday party; now she was sitting in the driveway of Dominic’s home to deliver news that she had been putting off for the past week ever since taking Michael up on his offer to help. If her car hadn't been concealed by a group of trees, she was sure anyone looking out through the windows of the house would think she was insane just sitting there.
“You can do this, Lily... you want to do this. This is the right thing to do... don't be such a goddamned chicken!” she scolded herself.
A tap on the window startled her. Looking to see who it was, she smiled at the sight of Adrienne, who was soaking wet from the rain.
“What are you doing just sitting here, girl?” Adrienne asked after Lily rolled down the window.
“I was... thinking about coming inside to talk to Dominic about something, but I... I think I'm just going to call him,” she said, unsure what to say.
“Are you sure? Is it something important?”
“Somewhat important, yes,” she answered.
“Well, I'm going inside, I don't want to get sick out here in the rain. I hope you change your mind and come in. I miss seeing your face around here, girl.”
“Don't tell anyone I was here, okay?” Lily begged.
“I won't, I promise,” she assured her.
* * *
Sitting outside of Michael's beach house, with a heavy heart, Lily wasn't sure how to tell him she was unable to break the news to Dominic. How do you explain to the person who all but offered to help save your life that you were simply too chicken to grant his one simple request?
The buzz of her cell phone from the passenger seat broke her free of her thoughts. Reaching for the tiny object, without paying attention to who it was, she answered. "Hello?"
"Why are you sitting outside in your car?" his sweet, velvet voice purred into her ear. "Aren't you coming inside?"
Guilt.
"I was just lost in thought, I hadn't realized I had spaced out for that long," she admitted with a small laugh. "Yeah, I'll be inside in a minute."
His giggle on the other end was enough to brighten her day for a small moment. "Don't be too long. I've missed you; I need to see your sweet smile."
Reaching to open the car door, she smiled. "I'm opening the car door now; although I'm sure you already know that since you're staring at me through the window," she teased. "Come to the door,” she playfully ordered before hanging up the phone.
The thirty-second walk to the front door seemed to take hours. Countless thoughts rushed through her head. How was he going to react? Would he be mad? Of course he would be, she didn't see any other outcome. Would he scream at her, make her feel even guiltier and make her leave?
Almost surely.
Unaware that she had already made it to the door, she was brought back to reality by the sound of it opening. Not even saying anything, Michael pulled her inside, bringing her into a tight embrace.
“I've missed you so much, you have no idea,” he declared while pushing the door shut with his foot.
Guilt again.
“I couldn't do it!” she practically shouted , unable to contain her outburst, once Michael released her from his embrace. Might as well get it over with...
“What?” he asked confused.
“Michael, I'm so sorry,” she whispered, tears now spilling from her eyes. “I tried... I sat in my car for an hour today, parked outside of Dominic's house, but I couldn't bring myself to go in and tell him I quit.”
Unsure why, perhaps because he didn't want her to see the disappointment in his eyes, he pulled her back into his arms and whispered into her ear, “do you not want to quit, Lily?”
“Of course I do. I hate this, Michael! I hate what I'm doing, I hate it!” she screamed into his shoulder. “... I just... I have no clue how he'll react to me quitting,” she confessed in a quieter voice.
“What do you mean?” he asked, pulling away so that he could see her face.
“Michael, I'm scared... I mean, Dominic has a temper. When something upsets him, it's not a pretty sight. I've been at his house when one of the other girls has done something to upset him, and it's scary...”
“You... he hasn't ever hurt any of the girls, has he?”
“Not that I've seen, no. Although once it seemed like it he was close to it...” her voice trailed off at the thought of the incident when one of the girls, Danica, had done something to cause of her clients to send her away and refused to pay. He had her pinned against the wall, screaming in her face. It only seemed natural that his next move would be to hit her... messing with Dominic's potential income was not a smart thing to do. Luckily one of the “big payers” who frequented the house happened to walk in before anything happened, distracting Dominic's attention.
“He's never done this to you, has he?” he asked. The thought sent a wave of anger done his spine.
“No, no... he hasn't.”
He let out a sigh of relief. “If you can't do it in person, can't you call him?”
“I tried! I've had the phone in my hand so many times this week ready to call him, but I chicken out... I almost broke down and told my best friend what I've been doing, just so she can be there when I do it, but I can't tell her! Nobody knows about this...”
“Lily, I''m here for you... call him now, I'll support you, you know I will.”
Suddenly Lily's heart began to race. Images of what Dominic could possibly do upon hearing she was leaving raced through her mind.
As if he could read her mind, Michael placed his hand on her cheek gently. “I won't let him do anything to you, Lily. I will protect you with my life. Please believe me when I say that.”
“Thank you, Michael.” Lily looked into his eyes and smiled. The tone in his voice told that he was telling the truth.
“Do you want to do it now? Are you ready?”
“No, but I'm not sure I'll ever be ready. I think I can do it, though.”
“You can. I know you can,” he assured her.
Pulling her cell phone from her purse, she turned to walk out onto the back deck and began to dial the familiar number. She could feel Michael standing close behind her. Each passing ring added to the anxiety she currently felt.
“Dominic speaking,” his voice came through the line after the fifth ring.
Lily took in a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself down and gain some courage.
“Dominic, it's Lily,” she finally spoke after a moment.
“Lily, it's good to hear your voice. Actually I was just about call you, I have a client who is interested in your services tomorrow night.”
Her heart sank.
“Dominic, I don't think I'll be able to do that.”
“Why not?” he asked, a mix of curiosity and annoyance in his voice.
Michael moved closer, placing his hand on Lily's shoulder, which instantly filled her with a sense of comfort. He seemed to know at that exact moment she needed it the most.
“I called to let you know that I'm... I'm leaving, Dominic.”
“You're leaving?”
“I'm quitting.”
His voice turned cold. “Well this is a sudden turn of events. May I ask why? Have you found another job?”
“No, I haven't found another job. I just... I can't do it anymore, Dominic. I can't continue to compromise myself and my values for money.”
“Lily, come on. Why don't you take a day or two to think about this. You need the money that this job provides. You're not going to make the kind of money you do now doing anything else.”
Lily could tell that his worry about her financial well-being was a mask for the truth. The only thing on his mind was dollar signs and the amount he'd be losing with her leaving... and unknowingly to him, now with Michael no longer as a client.
“You're right, I do need the money. But I can find a way to do without it.”
“Your sudden change of heart wouldn't by any chance have anything to do with Michael Jackson, would it?”
His question took her by surprise. She turned around to face Michael. “No, why would you think this had anything to do with Michael Jackson?”
“Lily, do you think I'm stupid? You were absolutely fine with this job until he became a client. He's used your services a number of times in a short period of time and suddenly you want to quit?”
“I...”
Dominic cut her off. “Lily, honey, you're attractive and from what I've heard, good in bed, but you're in no way the best escort I've had in my employment. No client has ever used one of my girls as often as Michael has you. It cannot just be a coincidence.”
“Dominic, even if it did have anything to do with him, I don't see how that would be any of your business.”
Lily kept her eyes on Michael, gaining courage from his. He kept his stare equally fixed on her.
“Do you realize how much potential income I'll be losing without you? I'm a businessman, Lily. Anything that negatively affects my bank account is always my business. You generate a lot of money for me.”
“I'm sorry for that. I am, Dominic. I don't want to take anything from you, but I can't do this anymore. I can't.”
“You better be careful, Lily.”
“Excuse me?”
“You don't think that he'll stick around, do you? He's the biggest celebrity in the world, he'll move on once he's done with you, which I doubt will take very long. And you'll be left dry with nothing.”
Her cheeks became flush with anger. “It's so nice of you to be concerned about me like that, Dominic. It's unnecessary though, because as I told you, this has nothing to do with him.”
“You'll be back soon enough,” he stated with confidence before hanging up the phone without warning.
Lily moved the phone away from her ear. “He hung up.”
“What did he say?” Michael asked, curious.
“He knows that you're a part of the reason. Or he thinks he knows.”
“Lily, sweetheart, it wouldn't matter if he knew. He can't do anything to you, I won't let him.”
“What about you, though? Michael, he could leak it to the tabloids that you hired a hooker!”
“Worse stories have been told about me. I don't care.”
“Michael, I don't think he's going to just let this go easily though. The last thing he said before hanging up was 'you'll be back soon enough' and...” she trailed off, starting to panic again.
Michael interrupted her. “It's going to be okay, I promise.” He walked up to her, pacing her hand on her cheek once again. “Do you believe me?”
Looking into his eyes, a hypnotizing pool of chocolate brown, she felt an ache between her legs. She suddenly could only think of one thing; she wanted him.
“Michael...” she began, but was quickly silenced by his lips crushing against hers, as if his mind was now in the same place as hers.
Losing herself in his kiss, letting the feeling of the urgency and need his kiss showed, everything prior disappeared. His tongue sought access to her mouth, which she quickly granted; melting instantly at the sensation that flowed through her entire body at the contact.
“I missed you so much, baby...” he whispered once they parted ways for air.
“I missed you too,” she whispered back, pulling him back in for another kiss.
Michael began to push Lily back towards the direction of the house, neither of them breaking the kiss once. As soon as they were inside and the door shut behind them, Michael caught Lily by surprise, picking her up, quickly taking her into the direction of the bedroom.
