The bus began its journey to our first destination and Michael motioned for me to follow him into his living area. I felt my jaw drop, taking in my surroundings as I heard Michael chuckle behind me. I looked back at him with wide eyes before I turned back around, assessing my surroundings once again."

The area we had walked in had plush crimson red carpeting and the walls were a lighter shade of red.  A large black leather sectional sat in the middle of the room across from a large, also black, entertainment center that encased a 50 inch Wide screen television, a sound system, a radio, and a huge assortment of movies.

I turned my head slightly and noticed that a small half wall separated the living space I had been admiring with a kitchenette that had black granite counter tops, dark mahogany cabinets, and a full size refrigerator sitting next to it. 

Across from the kitchen sat a small table and I saw a hall that I assumed led to Michael's bedroom and bathroom.

... This was a far cry from riding in the front seat of my dad's Lexus.

Michael nudged my arm and I glanced up at him realizing I had spaced out lost in thought.  He motioned for me to follow him and he plopped himself down on the carpet running a tired hand over his face before looking up at me.

I hesitated slightly before running my hands nervously down the front of my jeans and turned around and situated myself next to him.  I shifted slightly in my seat and fiddled nervously with a strand of my long, crimpy hair and bit my lip before getting up enough courage to ask him what was on my mind.

"Uh, Michael...?"

Michael cocked his head slightly and furrowed his brows.  "Yeah?"

I looked down at my shirt momentarily and then let out a hesitant breath before looking back up into his mocha brown eyes.

"I..uh, listen.  I know that you've been...doing this" I said motioning with my hand around the bus. "For a long time...and uh, I was wondering..."

I paused again and heard Michael laugh softly.

"Whitney..it's okay.  Ask what you want"

I looked up and gave him a half smile.

"I love...music.  I've always loved it. It's everything to me. Writing music has carried me through so many different periods in my life and when I sing...it's a release, an escape from the world.  I am captivated by the emotions it emits and it has eased my loneliness for so long...I want so much to do THIS for a living...But...Frank...dad...doesn't want me in this lifestyle" I said gesturing around again and looking at Michael dejectedly.

He sighed heavily, his shoulders hunching as his eyebrows knitted together in thought.

I saw a curly strand of hair fall into his eyes and he reached up pulling it back into place as he bit his lip.

His eyes met mine, choosing his words carefully.

"Whitney I don't know what to say.  I don't want to come between you and your father."

I sighed and closed my eyes for a second before looking back at him.

"I know...I mean I get that. But at some point he needs to realize I'm twenty years old.  I'm old enough to make my own choices." I gazed back at him. "How did you know when it was time for you to do this on your own?"

"When my..." He paused, biting his lip then clearing his throat before he began again.

"When Joseph wanted to keep my brothers and I to keep performing with Motown. I realized if I wanted a serious career I was going to have to do this on my own. Become a solo artist.

"...Joseph is?" I asked questioningly my brow furrowed.

"My dad he said softly his voice thick with emotion. "Firing your father is not easy..it's even more difficult to go against what they want for you."

"Do you have any of your music with you?" He asked his eyes avoiding mine as he searched around, looking for the answer to his question.

I nodded my head slightly and felt my curls brush in front of my face as I pulled a slip of paper out of my pocket.  I brushed a few of the crinkles out with my hand and handed him the piece of folded paper.

He took the paper without looking at me and opened it.  I glanced at him nervously before a large grin spread across his face and he started laughing.

I gave him an odd look and peeked over his shoulder at the music he was holding.

Holy. HECK.


I felt my heart stop, leaping to my chest as I clumsily tried to snatch the song away from him. He effortlessly dodged me, grinning as my eyes widened in horror and I realized he was reading it.

"Michael please" I said placing my hands over my face in horror before reaching back up to grab at it.

"No, no. Let's see what you have." His eyes skimmed the page, his eyes widening as he continued.

He began to hum softly putting a melody to the lyrics. I just sat there, ashamed and horrified as he began to sing, his own timbre giving it a whole new level of passion that made me blush.

"I'll make love to you, like you want me to, and I'll hold you tight...baby all through the night"

I sat there in complete awe as he quickly strung together a melody.

I was left breathless, my horror temporarily forgotten and his eyes met mine as they rose from the lyrics. His mouth softly sang the lyrics, never breaking eye contact from me as he effortlessly sang the notes until he reached the end.

I looked down and my breath hitched as I tried to think of something to say. I had written those lyrics a long time ago after watching a chick flick on television. I remember watching the movie and longingly wishing I had been one of the characters in the movie.

It looked so incredible...Having someone to love and to be loved in return. I had been so closed away from the world my entire life...and I longed for someone to share my heart with and to share life's most joyous moments.

Michael's eyes were soft and he crinkled his nose as he finished. 

"Whitney this is....this is amazing" He said looking at me and then the paper in wonder.

I gave him a small smile.  "Thanks."

He glanced up from the paper and cocked his head slightly

"What inspired it?"

I blushed and looked down for a second before focusing back on him.

I want someone special in my life, someone that's constant." I whispered wistfully. " A man, a relationship that I've only heard about in stories and songs."

He gazed at me incrediously, his eyes darting to the page back to my face. "You mean...you've never had a relationship?" He asked gently. I shook my head. "The only relationship I have is with the road, constantly going from here to there. I never stayed in one place long enough to make a friend, let alone start a relationship."

" I know what you mean" he whispered looking down at his shoes

I looked at him in amazement.

"Really? You?"

He nodded his head softly and I swallowed in astonishment.

Who would think that this man...the man that left woman breathless and that had sent women to the hospital during concerts with his intense sexuality could be so alone?

Michael gave me a look I couldn't identify and then shifted the conversation back to my music.

"Whitney...you have so much talent.  If you sing half as well as you write...I would love to give you some pointers and help you succeed."

I felt a surge of happiness and, squealing, reached up and hugged him tightly.

I heard him chuckle and, realizing what I had just done, pulled away quickly and put my hand to my mouth.

Did I just fling myself on Michael Jackson?

"I AM SO SORRY" I said my eyes wide and I cringed inwardly wondering how he would react.

Michael's eyes were kind and he chuckled softly.  "Don't worry about it."

I heard his cell phone ring and he looked down, reached in his pocket, and grabbed it.  He flipped it open and began talking and I saw his brow furrow slightly before he placed his hand on the mouthpiece and looked at me.

"Hey Whit...do you care if I take this in the back?"


I smiled and shook my head "no" and Michael smiled back before resuming his conversation and walking down the hall.

I sat for a few minutes playing with the edge of my shirt when I got restless and wondered around the room.  I saw a few pictures hanging by the entertainment center and I stood taking in the people in Michael's world.  I noticed absently there weren't a lot of pictures of his dad...and none of him alone with him.

His dull footsteps signaled his approach and I glanced down the hall to see he had finished his conversation.  He gave me a small wink and his eyes traveled to the wall I had been studying. He smiled broadly as he joined me, his own eyes surveying the memoires that hung before us.

I pointed to a picture of him when he was young and smiled.

"You were so cute" I said crinkling my nose in laughter.

Michael laughed softly.

I grinned and started imitating him singing ABC and did the hip thrust he was so famous for as a child.

"ABC...easy as 1,2,3... or as simple as Do Re Mi"

His lips spread into a sly smile, his head slightly bowing as his fingers came to rest on his jaw, intertwining themselves into the tresses of curls he was so famous for.

"Whitney...." He said his voice laced with humor.

I grinned at him bopping my head and snapping my fingers.

"Sit down girl! I THINK I LOVE YOU!"

Michael's face grew from a smile into full fledged laughter and, suddenly taking on his performing persona he spread his legs apart, held his hands out to his sides, palms open, and tapped his foot.  He continued to grin, taking where I had left off as his cue and I sat down and watched.

"No! Get up girl, show me what you can do!" he sang grinning as his hands grabbed mine, lifting me from the couch to dance with him. I laughed as we crossed the floor.

Oooh, shake it shake it baby!" I bopped along raising a surprised but please smile from Michael as he twirled on his heels, grabbing my hands to spin me around only to catch me smoothly as he dipped me to the ground, his hand supporting my back as my hair grazed the ground.


He giggled hysterically as he lifted me from the floor, stepping back as he clutched his stomach.

Girl!" he exclaimed as I bowed, laughing as he clapped his hands at the small performance.

"Thank you thank you!" I sheepishly waited for him to end his applause. "It appears you already have a bit of the performer in you!"

"Enough to be the sixth Jackson!" I exclaimed laughing at his expression as he seriously considered it

"I think we can do that...Of course you are going to have to have a manager." He smiled devilishly as he gestured towards my dad's picture hanging on the wall.

I stared at him incredulously, wondering if he was actually serious before he broke into hysterics. "Your face! Priceless!" He giggled as I lightly smacked his arm. "Soooo not funny." He grinned gingerly rubbing the spot I had assaulted.

"Really? I thought it was."

I gave him a playful glare and stuck my hands on my hips.

Michael gave me a small smile and wink.

Well...I Can't Help It..." He shuffled his feet."If you Wanna Be Startin Somethin'..." He ran his palms across the sides of his hair. I suddenly realized what he was doing and I burst into hysterical laughter. "Pretty. Young. Thing..." His hands formed a silhouette of a woman his hips thrusting three times as he shuffled his feet again. "But Why You Wanna Trip On Me?" He finished his statement with a high "OOOOOOOOOOOH!" as he kicked his leg, his foot coming down to land perfectly across the other, his hip arched with it leg as he balanced it on the ball of his foot.

I laughed so hard I doubled over in laughter

before looking back up at him and, cocking an eyebrow, smirked.

"Boy... you better Beat It before I turn into a Smooth Criminal...because I'm Dangerous!" I said wiggling my eyebrows and thrusting my hips in a circle.

We both stopped, looked at each other, and fell in a pile on the ground laughing at the other. I clutched my stomach trying to calm my breathing and felt a long strand of blonde hair fall in my eyes.  I tried to blow it out of the way but it wouldn't budge and I jerked slightly, startled, when Michael reached over and pulled it out of my eyes his own eyes still twinkling in merriment.

 He pulled back quickly, his eyes losing that sparkle of laughter as he stood reaching out his hand to help me back up from the floor.          

My smile faltered when I noticed that his eyes had dimmed slightly and I reached back and pulled a piece of hair behind my ear. I bit my lip and waited until he moved his eyes back to mine and gave him a tentative smile.

"This was really fun." I said softly assessing his face.

Michael swallowed and nodded swinging his gaze back down to the floor.

"Yea...listen, uh, I just remembered...I have some paperwork for the show to do."  He looked back up at me.  "Can I catch you later?"

I stood stunned for a moment and then nodded my head my eyes flickering their confusion. 

"O-okay"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

I let out a small sigh and walked over to the couch we had just been sitting on, lying down to turn my body towards the backing, and  tried to calm the butterflies that have been swirling in my stomach ever since I had seen him again.

I ran a frustrated hand over my face and cringed.

Where had I gone wrong...?