I didn’t know why I was in there, I didn’t know how the hell it got to this point, but oh God, how fucking amazing did it feel? Jade melted beneath me as if she were surrendering every inhibition that had ever encumbered her tortured soul. I could feel the softness of her skin rubbing against mine and it quite frankly turned me on.

I embraced her warmly, my body covered hers lightly. My mouth lingered over hers. I didn’t want to be too pushy, I didn’t want to be too much too soon, but she entered my mouth first. I didn’t remember the last time I had felt so physically exhilarated; excited and aroused. The touch of her warm tongue against mine hit all of my senses at once and jumbled my mind. Her hands wandered so slowly over my shoulders, I was aware of every single touch. Her eyes were tightly closed, but I couldn’t bear to do the same with mine for fear that I would miss glimpsing a second of her beauty.

There was the unmistakable sound of silence except for the soft noises of our breathing and occasionally our kissing. I ran my fingers through her hair as she lay back on a soft pillow. Her hands crept down to my buttons and I could feel her undoing them one…. By…. One.

I shivered and deepened my kiss. I was surprised that she was being so forward with me. I could hear her growing breathless. I let my hands slide down the pliable, smooth skin of her shoulders, to her arms until I could feel the rise of goose bumps upon the surface of her flesh. Her tongue cajoled against mine with so much intimation. She pushed my shirt from my shoulders and I was okay to discard it without a word. We didn’t even break our passionate kisses.

I knew it was inevitable. I could feel an erection growing. The smell of her skin fresh from the shower was like honey. It was a scent so sweet that I could almost taste it. All my senses were sharpened. I had to shift my weight, I didn’t want to freak her out, but it was something that couldn’t be ignored anymore. I wanted it to go further. I wanted to make love to her so strongly, and I was sure that we were so caught up in the moment, that it could have gone ahead, but my reservations were just as strong.

My hands caressed her soft skin of her stomach beneath the plain t-shirt she was wearing to bed. I could feel her body shifting to mould back against mine. I had no self-control and I hated myself for it. I prided myself on not being like my brothers – or every other asshole out there. Instead of breaking off the kiss, I continued it – along her neck. She gave made a quiet noise that I took to be one of pleasure. I let my hand creep up, grazing across her breasts. I heard her breath catch in her throat, unsuspecting, but not protesting once. Her breathing was growing ragged though and I knew that I was inches away from letting any self-control that I had left go flying right out the window.

Sluggishly, I broke off the warm, feathery kisses I was leaving upon her collarbone, and kissed her gently on the lips before pulling away completely.

I sat up and swallowed hard. “We should stop.” I said breathlessly.

She said nothing but lay, probably as dazed as I felt. I kissed her again on the forehead. “Jade, I’m sorry.” I said, hoping that she wouldn’t be disappointed. I had a healthy dose of sex-drive filling me at that point, that I wished I could have just expended, but I cared for her so much. I looked down at her in the dimly lit light.

She looked gorgeous. She gave me a sweet smile. I felt my heart flutter and there was a mild sense of embarrassment about a growing sense of suffocation that was going on downstairs, but I knew she understood. She was wearing a pair of striped silk pajama pants and a white tee, that showed that I wasn’t the only one with a slight erection.

“Good idea.” She replied. I could see her chest rising and falling as if she had been running. I felt much the same despite how fit I was. I couldn’t help but to stare at her just a little. I repositioned myself on the edge of her bed, and ran my forefinger up the inside of her thin wrist with affection. “You’re so beautiful, you know that?”

I could see her cheeks immediately turn red. Her light laughter filled the air and sang to my ears. She covered her face with a small cushion that was on the other side of the bed. I chuckled and took it away from her. “It’s true.” I added, in case there was any doubt. I took her small hand and opened her palm in front of me and studied it. Her skin was malleable and silken-smooth. I bowed my head and kissed it.

I knew she was embarrassed and didn’t know what to say, but that was fine. I didn’t expect her to say anything. I simply kissed her once more as I got up albeit stiffly and said goodnight. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Goodnight Michael.” She smiled at me, taking my hand, and almost not letting go. She pulled me back toward her. I didn’t need to be told that she wanted me to kiss her again on the lips. So I did.

“Sweet dreams.” I smiled and closed her bedroom door.

She had shown me to the spare room earlier, but I’d entered her room just to ask for a towel for the shower. It had turned in to a brief conversation … and then this… I looked down to my pants and sighed. I needed that shower.

**

Once I was alone in bed with my thoughts, I found that the weariness from spending the day doing absolutely nothing disappeared and I couldn’t get the thought of Jade out of my head. The poor thing had had such a rough day but I knew my presence had helped her get through most of it and it made me feel so good.

I couldn’t believe the way she was being treated by Gabrielle’s parents, and neither could she. I thought about the way her mother had yelled and accused her, how twisted with heartbreak Jade had been as we got out to the car. I wished there was something that I could do to help the situation, but all we could do was pray that Gabrielle would wake and be able to tell what had really happened.

I thought about how the night had ended, passionately, making out in a way that I didn’t ever think would happen so quickly and I felt almost bad. I hoped that Jade wouldn’t think that I was taking advantage of the situation she was in. I knew she was a willing participant as well and she had made the first move, but there was no question that she was in a vulnerable position. I hoped within myself that I hadn’t subconsciously considered that before letting it get so far.

At least I had stopped. And honestly? I didn’t want my first sexual encounter with such a beautiful girl to take place so soon. I knew she had her personal vows to wait, and there was no way I was going to let her beliefs falter just because she was a bit vulnerable. The respect she had for herself meant as much to me as it did, her. It built the respect that I already had for her just that little bit stronger.

As I lay there in the dark I sort of came to the realization that my life was about to change dramatically if all went well. There would be someone else that I would be always considering in my plans. I thought of the trip to London I was taking in just a few weeks time and how I wouldn’t get to see Jade for at least 3 weeks.

There was no doubt in my mind that she was going to become my girlfriend. We hadn’t called it anything yet, but once everything calmed down around us I was certainly going to talk about it with her.

I felt my eyes slowly growing heavy with a strange feeling of happiness mixed with concern that she was going through such a troubling time. I turned to my side and adjusted the warm blanket that she had supplied me with and tried to go to sleep. It was already so late, at least after 2am.

**

I stretched out and opened my eyes and looked around a little disorientated. For just a very short moment I thought that I was in a hotel somewhere on tour. This was what living from a suitcase did for me. I yawned, suddenly realizing with a smile where I was. I stretched again lay back just relaxing for a few moments. I listened out for signs that Jade could be awake, but the apartment was so silent that I was sure I could hear a pin drop.

I saw that it was after 10am on the wall clock that hung on the wall across the other side of the room. I felt so lazy, but also a bit rebellious too. I wasn’t at home – no one knew where I was. My phone would be ringing off the hook back at my place. I could imagine Sarah spazzing out, telling me I had obligations to fulfill; and here I was.

Sometimes we all needed a break. Hell, I was tired of my entire life having to revolve around work. I had a sneaky little smirk on my face, thinking of how angry they would be when I finally called the office to find out what my schedule was.

I rolled over and decided I’d try to rest a little longer, but the urge to pee was way too strong. I got up begrudgingly and trundled down the short hallway to the bathroom. I washed my face firstly. My hair was in the biggest mess. I tried to smooth it down with water, but I knew that as soon as the water dried it would go back to being a fuzz ball. I had to admit; I was pretty self-conscious. Some people tried to insinuate that I was obsessed with the way that I looked – but I just hated my exterior so much that I’d try to look as best as I possibly could.

Shit, I had to face people – I couldn’t afford to look bad. And besides, I had a pretty smoking hot girl in the next room to impress.

I fussed at the mirror for a few minutes and heard a door opening. I smiled, knowing I was just about to see Jade. I needed to go put my shirt back on before she saw me. I wasn’t about to walk around half-naked in her house, bare-chested or not, I didn’t want to act too comfortably.

I took down my boxers to pee. I began to relieve myself and thought about other things. The door opened and startled me just as I was finishing up. I yelped with shock mixed with horror as I came face-to-face with someone who clearly wasn’t Jade.

He was male, he yelped as well – obviously just as shocked as I was. He began yelling at me. “Who the hell are you!?” He screamed.

What the fuck was I supposed to say to that? “Haven’t you heard of me? Yeah, you may own one of my many cds… I’m Michael Jackson from the Jackson 5.” Oh sure, that would have went down real great. The man’s eyes were ablaze as he stared at me with such contempt as I tried to stuff myself back in to my pants, mortified.

“Why are you in my daughters house!?” He yelled. I expected some kind of change in his tone after he would recognize who I was, I know that perhaps that sounded egotistical, but it was usually the case.

I needed to take a piss so I randomly let myself in to a strangers place. What the fuck do you th- Oh shit, it was her father. What a fucked up way to meet him, I thought. The whole time I had stammered for something to say, but he glared at me with his eyes full of such hatred for me that I didn’t know what to say that would adequately answer his questions. It was clear he was protective of his little girl.

I went to offer him my hand to shake and realized that it wasn’t a good idea and quickly retracted it. “I … I uh… I’m her friend.” I replied in a quiet voice. I felt like I was trying to answer my father. All the kind things that Jade had told me about her Dad had painted such a great picture of a warm-hearted man, but the tall, burly man that stood before me was everything but what my imagination and conjured up.

“DAD!” Jade called from the hallway, obviously having been woken. “Shit, Dad, it’s okay – it’s just Michael.” She told him as if it should have explained everything. When she realized that her father had just walked in on me she gave me a look of deep apology; she too was mortified. “Michael, I’m so sorry.” She said to me and pulled her Dads arm, “Dad, get out of the bathroom.”

Her father turned to her and threw her a questioning look and then turned back to me. “Jade—what’s going on?” He wanted to know.

“Just leave him to do his business, Dad.” She said, getting irate. Her father didn’t turn back to look at me. I closed the door and leaned against it. Oh jeez, I’d never been so fucking humiliated in my entire life. I knew my face was beet red and I know that my first impression had not been one that either of us would care to remember.

I let my heartbeat calm down but I didn’t know if I could ever face Jade or her father ever again. He had copped an eyeful of my penis as he’d walked in, that wasn’t something I was going to be able to let go of too easily.

I washed my hands and sat down on the toilet seat and tried to relax and console myself that the situation wasn’t as bad as it seemed. But who was I kidding? Her father was going to hate me for life. And I wasn’t a wuss, but shit, he scared me. He made me want to sneak out of the apartment, get in to my car and drive off into the sunset.

A few moments later there was a knock on the bathroom door. “Yeah?” I heard my voice call meekly.

“Michael, it’s me…” Jade’s soft voice spoke through the timber frame. “Are you okay in there?”

“Yeah.” I repeated even if it was a lie.

“Do you wanna come out?” She asked. I looked down to see again that I was shirtless. My skin scars were about as evident as they’d ever been. I felt suddenly very self-conscious. “Okay.” I said, feeling stupid.

I opened the bathroom door and slid out back toward the spare room without a word to Jade. I wanted to throw my shirt on as quick as I could. She called after me and followed me down the hall. “Are you mad with me?” She asked. I had my back to her and pulled my shirt over my head.

I shook my head when I turned around to face her. “No…not at all. Just a bit…”

“Embarrassed?” She supplied. She was wearing her pajamas still but her hair was pulled back and she looked so different in the light without make up. I’d never seen her without.

Even when she’d turned up to my house in such a state, she’d been wearing a little and even after she’d showered at my place, she’d obviously re-applied. In the light of the morning sun that was glaring through the window, she looked so beautiful natural and fresh with a glow in her adorable cheeks. I stepped toward her and felt my mouth curl in to a smile. “Your Dad completely walked in on me.” I said quietly, “he saw everything.” I hissed.

Jade couldn’t help but to laugh, and suddenly it didn’t seem so bad anymore. “I’m so sorry.” She covered her mouth, trying hard not to giggle at my embarrassment. “He’s just as mortified as you are, Michael, I promise.”

“Stop laughing…” I whined, “It’s not funny, he probably thinks I’m some kind of sick perve walking around your place half naked.”

“No he doesn’t. Just the last thing he was expecting to find was another man in the house, considering they know absolutely nothing about you or any interest I may or may not have in any male.” She told me in a hushed voice. “And you know, he’s very overprotective.”

I slid my hands to her waist and pulled her toward me. It was hard to know if I was overstepping any boundaries, but I figured that she was so straightforward, that she would tell me right away if I was. So far so good, she didn’t protest. I was finding it also hard to keep my hands off her and to keep from showering her with my affection. I was probably a terribly affectionate person by default. I didn’t want to be smothering though.

She surprised me and wrapped her arms around my waist and rested her head against my chest. I hugged her, and I guessed that this was our good morning, as crazy as it had been.

I deeply sighed and kissed her head. “I’m sorry that the day had to start like this.” She apologized. “But I promise everything is fine.”

“It’s not your fault...” I found myself stroking her hair. She looked up at me and pecked me on the lips.

“Come on, come out and meet my Dad properly.” She kind of commanded me.

“Let me put my clothes on properly. I don’t want half-naked Michael Jackson to burn in to his memory forever.”

She left me to it and went back to the kitchen where her Dad had been waiting. I needed a few minutes by myself to regain my composure and throw on my best behavior. I had to make a fantastic impression, I was about to meet her Jade’s Father. This had to go perfect.

**

I walked out in to the living area gingerly. I didn’t know if her Father had recognized me as Michael Jackson, and I wasn’t completely looking forward to it. I hadn’t ever bothered with meeting the father’s of the girls that I was dating – this was a first for me.

The hallway seemed shorter than usual and before I knew it I was standing before Jade and her Dad. I mustered up a false smile. I didn’t know if I should apologize, or if I should put on a bit of an act. I knew I was a good guy, but I’m not sure if I’d painted that picture though.

“Hi Michael.” Her Dad took the initiative and extended his hand just as I stupidly had in the bathroom. “I’m Jade’s father, John.”

I breathed a silent sigh of relief as I smiled and shook his hand. He squeezed my hand so firmly that it almost began to hurt. “It’s nice to meet you, sir.” I said respectfully.

I glanced at Jade, she was smiling and seemed pleased. I had to make this the best of this, I thought drawing in as much courage as I could muster. I was so nervous.

“Please.” John waved his hand, “Call me John. I apologize for startling you before. That was my mistake.”

He seemed like a completely different person. He was a bit taller than I was, with a reasonably muscular build. He looked way too young to be her father. Although, Jade really didn’t look her age, either. Good genes, I commented to myself.

“So Jadey here never told me she had a boyfriend!” He announced to me. I noticed her blushing. I was more impressed by the fact that he wasn’t pissing his pants over the notion of Michael Jackson in his daughter’s apartment.

“Dad.” She threw him a glare. He held up his hands in surrender. “Hey, if it walks like a duck…” His voice trailed off.

I laughed nervously, also pleased that he’d assumed his daughter would be with someone like me. Jade turned to me, “Michael would you like something to eat? My Dad here opened his big mouth and promised to impress his cooking skills upon us. Are you game?”

Great, he’s probably being nice so as he can just spike my food with arsenic when we’re least expecting. I thought. Instead I just nodded politely, “Of course.”

“Pancakes okay?” John asked me.

“Sure.” I hardly ate breakfast, but my stomach was growling. I sincerely hoped her father could cook and that he had no plans to poison me, because I intended on eating. Anything had to be better then the empty nervousness that swirled in my stomach. “That would be great.”

He slid past me and entered the kitchen, pushing Jade out. “Why don’t you go set the table.” He told her as he began taking items out of the fridge. “In fact, why don’t you call Mom and invite her over.”

My heart almost stopped. Not two parents, oh man, I couldn’t handle this. I realized I had been holding my breath up until Jade answered him.

“No, Mom’s at work, and anyway, one parent at a time.” She joked and glanced at me, giving me the most sympathetic look.

It was okay though – I dreaded the day when I took her home to meet my family. That was going to be more awkward for her than it would be for me. My Dad was convinced that everyone who I was interested in, was only interested in me because of my money or having the Jackson last name. I was indeed a Mommy’s boy, and of course my Mother believed that no girl was good enough…. And then there were my brothers and sisters, an assortment of characters, unfortunately not all the kind I’d want to subject her to.

Oh family day at my place would be a ball.

I realized how far ahead of myself I was getting and just decided to focus on the present.

“I’ll get you some juice.” Jade told me, touching upper arm lightly. I looked down at her beautiful little hand and thanked her. Every time she touched me I felt my senses tingle. “Why don’t you sit down. You waited on me for the past 24 hours, I’m going to return the favor.”

I liked the idea of her taking care of me and catering to everything that I wanted. I sure wasn’t used to that—it sounded nice. It reminded me though, of the situation with Gabrielle. I guessed that her father still didn’t know. I wondered if maybe she’d wanted some time to tell him. She must have still been hurting. I knew that she was doing a fantastic job of shoving it to the back of her mind hoping not to have to remember it. I noticed that that was the way she dealt with a lot of things.

I went to go to sit in the small dining area but her Dad called me back, “Michael, I was wondering if you would mind giving me a hand in here.”

“I will.” Jade quickly piped up.

“No…I asked Michael, you go and set the table sweet heart.”

“It’s okay.” I intervened, so as Jade wouldn’t argue the point with her Dad, and I didn’t want him to think that I was lazy. Her kitchen was a tight squeeze. I hoped that her Dad wouldn’t expect me to cook anything after my last kitchen disaster the night before. I felt nervous again as I approached him at the stove. He was making pancakes with what seemed like such a skill. Or maybe I was just cooking-retarded.

“What would you like me to do, Sir?” I asked.

“Firstly.” John looked up as he poured the batter in to the pan, “Stop calling me sir, would be a good one. You make me feel old.”

I smiled modestly. “I’m sorry.” I apologized. I suppose it had just been the way I was raised. I didn’t call anyone that didn’t work for me by their full name unless they specifically asked, especially if they were older than I was.

“That’s okay. At least you have good manners, that’s a plus.” He remarked kindly. “I had no idea that Jade was seeing anyone.” He commented for the second time. I didn’t really know what to say to that, but I figured that I shouldn’t let him jump ahead of things.

“Oh, no. Jade and I… we’re just friends.” I replied, wishing that the time would pass really quickly. I watched on as he flipped the pancakes and made them exactly as my mother would have. I felt my stomach growling. At least from standing there talking to him, I could make sure he didn’t administer any extra ingredients to my serving.

“Ah, just friends.” He smiled and nodded as if he didn’t even believe me for a second. Hell, I didn’t believe my own hype for a second either. And I was a startling bad liar. “Jade has mentioned nothing at all about you… until just 30 minutes ago…” He added.

I just shrugged, “We haven’t really been friends that long. I guess just a couple months. We don’t see each other a lot.” I wondered if her father perhaps lived under a rock because he showed no signs what-so-ever of recognizing me as Michael Jackson, the celebrity.

“And you slept here last night?”

“Yes.” I admitted as if I should have been ashamed, “But I slept in the spare room.” I quickly added.

John laughed. “I know my daughter is a good girl.” He replied to me, as if implying that she wouldn’t have slept with me if I’d put the hard word on her.

I smiled. “She is.”

“Now listen here…” He began gently, lowering his voice so that there would be no chance of Jade overhearing. “I worry about my daughter very, very much. She’s been through a lot.” I gulped. I expected him to pick up the knife that was beside him and brandish it in front of my face. He didn’t though—he wasn’t showing any signs of nastiness, nor was he using bully tactics, he was being straight with me. I nodded with understanding. “I know you say you are just friends and it’s not my business either way—but I used to be a roadie when I was your age, I know how your industry works.”

I was stunned. He knew exactly who I was. I was so overcome with shock that he hadn’t acted a fool or treated me any different. Suddenly whatever he was trying to tell me didn’t matter, cause I was so happy that he was treating me so normally.

“I know your concerns.” I said quickly, trying to focus back on the subject. “I don’t like the industry as you and I know it.” I tried to explain, “it’s seedy and pretentious and I stay as far away from it as I can.”

Her Dad stared at me a little surprised that I was being so frank with him. “Sir-“ I paused, “I mean—John…” My nerves were completely gone, and I felt comfortable quite suddenly. “You know Jade is special. I know that too. I care about her a lot.”

“I know how you young people work. I was a young man once too.” He informed me. I laughed, I’d heard my Dad tell me that at least once or twice. “I know it may be hard to believe.” I liked this guy, he was cool. He was just an overprotective Dad, that was fine. “So I know the way your mind works, Michael, but she doesn’t deserve to have her heartbroken a second time. I don’t think she ever quite recovered from it after the first time.”

Something about the way he ended his sentence made me feel sad. The very blunt honesty of what he had just confided to me had made my heart physically hurt. Jade thought that her parents didn’t know, but I was aware just by the way he spoke, the tone of his voice, the emotion in his eyes – that he knew everything.

My mother once told me that parents are incredibly intuitive when something is troubling their children almost to the degree of being able to exactly pinpoint the problem. I supposed that perhaps Jade didn’t disguise her pain as well as she thought she did. I suspected that her Dad got it.

“I will never break her heart.” I assured him with sincerity in my words. John gave me a smile and nudged my shoulder a little too earnestly. He almost pushed me over. “Ah what am I raving on about? You’re a good kid, I’ve seen you out and about always giving your money away and keeping all the little sick kids happy.”

I smiled. It was nice to see someone taking notice of my good deeds rather than the bizarre lifestyle they had recently began lying about. “Thanks.”

“And hey.” He said, resuming his regular voice, “I’m real sorry about walking in on you this morning.”

I laughed nervously, “That’s okay.”

“We’ll never speak of it again.” He promised me. And I, for one, was down with that.

**

The food was good. Her Dad really could cook. I was impressed. Jade seemed non-phased by the idea of her father in the kitchen. I was eating soft, delicious pancakes with sugar and lemon juice I wasn’t afraid to thoroughly enjoy myself. I thought of how funny it would be to have my own parents reverse roles for a day. My Dad couldn’t boil an egg.

There had still not been one mention of Gabrielle, and I wondered why Jade was hiding it from her Dad. Perhaps she wanted some time alone to tell him. I decided after breakfast I would leave and give her time to talk to him alone. Jade gave me a smile as she watched me dig in.

“Do you guys have breakfast together a lot?” I wondered. Maybe it was a silly question, but to me it seemed foreign that someone would make a special visit to share a meal—although it was such a beautiful gesture and showed me how much her family meant to her. I imagined us; a family, our two beautiful children sitting between us and their grandparents as well; all gathering around the table, feasting on an amazing meal.

Don’t get so carried away, dammit. You accuse the tabloids of wanting to marry you off to the first girl you have your eye on, but you’re the worst offender! My conscience pulled my head back in.

John glanced at his daughter and gave me a grin, “Of course we do. We get together all the time to eat, we usually invite her Mom, too.”  He replied to me swallowing a mouthful of food. “Why, do you not do that with your family?”

I smiled and shook my head, almost embarrassed. “Not really, everyone is always too busy to get together.”

Jade gave me a sympathetic look. I knew she pitied me, but I didn’t mind. “That’s a shame Michael. You’ll just have to come and join us more often.” She told me. I gave her a long stare with a vague smile. I realized how much of a fraud she was on the surface and it made me appreciate her more. She tried so hard to come across as a cold-hearted, mean-spirited bitch, but her heart was so big and her kindness reached me in every imaginable way. I saw it all along – I knew it wouldn’t take me a long time to strip her down to her raw personality.

“I guess I will.” I replied with a smile. I looked to her father and knew I owed him a compliment. “Thank you very much for this breakfast—it’s great.” I hoped I sounded sincere.

“Your welcome.” He answered with a kind glance. I liked her Dad. He was definitely easy-going and nothing to be afraid of at all. There was silence as we ate until finally he broke it again, “So how is your work going?” He asked, “You’ve really done well.” He complimented me.

I was humbled by his compliment and felt my cheeks glowing. “Dad, don’t embarrass him.” Jade told her father good-naturedly.

“Well it’s true. Jade, you remember what I told you about how you can tell if a man is good or not, don’t you?”

I started to laugh, if for no other reason, but to relieve the tension that I knew was overwhelming her. I knew that there was a part of her that wanted to murder her Dad for embarrassing her, but the other part of her just loved him even more. “Yes Dad. You judge a boy on his actions toward other people, not just the ones he shows me.” She recited as if it was a mantra that he instilled to her.

We all laughed. “I taught my baby well.”

“Shouldn’t you always just treat people how they treat you, and judge them only on how they conduct themselves around you?” I asked thoughtfully. I wondered why her Dad had given her that piece of advice.

“No.” John shook his head. “Sometimes people’s intentions and ulterior motives can give them the self-control to be nice until they get the one thing that they want. If the person is consistent within their personality; and by that, I mean treating every person in the same, kind way – then you can know that they are being sincere with you.”

I thought about that logic and it made sense. “I suppose you have a point.” I replied scratching my chin. “That’s a good way of looking at it.” Suddenly I felt kinda naïve, no wonder why people were always screwing me over.

“And you seem like a nice, kind, good-hearted kind of person, Michael.” John added. I knew by that stage I was blushing so badly.

“Well that’s like-wise, sir.” I replied, not really knowing what else to say.

He turned to Jade and laughed, “See, I’ve told him not to call me sir, three times now, and still his manners supercede. He’s a keeper.” He winked at her.

“Oh GOD!” She raised her voice, “Dad you are so embarrassing. Stop!” She spoke loudly, rolling her eyes, but I knew that she was secretly loving it.

John laughed, “Jadey, relax.” He pushed her shoulder gently. “She’s scared I’m going to start telling the old stories about the first she mistook dog poop for chocolate, and all those things.”

I burst out laughing. “The first time? There was actually a second time!”

“Yes. And the second time she was five.” I turned to Jade for confirmation, but she had covered her face with her hands. I laughed loudly. “I’m sorry, Jade, but that’s pretty funny.”

I knew she was laughing as well. She finally removed her hands from her face and revealed her bright red cheeks.

“Don’t feel bad, once I wet my pants on stage when I was about 8 and everyone noticed. It was one of our first gigs after being signed.” I told her, to hopefully make up for the embarrassment she felt.

Jade and her father laughed, but I saw the pitying face again. “Aww Michael… that’s terrible.”

I laughed too. “Yeah. Funny though. My brothers were disgusted. They nicknamed me Pee Wee for awhile.”

“The good news is, we’re all safe with our bladders and bowels these days – but ol’e Dad here is just about to lose all his good training, what with, getting on in age and all that.” Jade teased him.

“You’re not too old for me to give you a kick up the backside, you know?” He threatened her back mockingly. He had a smile. I loved their banter. It was great, they were both quite funny.

“You’re not too young for me to put you in a nursing home, you know?” She shot back, as they both laughed. I smiled vacantly, suddenly realizing what I was missing out on with my family. I knew it was sincere too, not just a happy family show that they were putting on for me. John loved his daughter so very much, and every breath that he took, I could tell that he lived for her.

I was amazed. When Jade told me she was very close to her Mom and Dad, I didn’t doubt her, but I didn’t know it was ever possible to have such a loving relationship. I knew it didn’t go like that in our family. Even though I was close with my Mother, it was still nothing like this.

I gave a contented sigh as I sat back in my chair. I was happy, stuffed and in love.

In LOVE? WHAT!  My Conscience began to scream at me and alarm bells had sounded in my head. So this was what it felt like. Yep. I was in love. Each time Jade’s smile reached me or her hands touched me, or her laughter filled my ears, I just got an indescribable surge of overwhelming emotion that I couldn’t control.

A person once told me that if I were ever in love with someone, I wouldn’t have to stop and ask myself, “Am I in love?” I would just know.

And I knew.

I was in love.