I can't believe he just kissed her.
I stood there with my mouth wide open as I watched her grabbing his shirt and his hand on her hip as their lips locked. He was actually smiling.
Suddenly I felt sick and had to put my hand up against the wall as I looked on from backstage. I couldn't believe him. Everyone in the crowd screamed and cheered for them and in the same minute she let him go and started strutting away, finishing the rest of the number.
***Flashback***
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"Okay, I'm gonna follow Tatiana here and when she turns, I'll jump back and let her come to me."
Michael gave his directions as all the dancers watched in awe and attentiveness.
"The guys, you'll be doing your own thing on the side and won't come over to me until my signal, like this.." He wrenched his face into a pout and turned his body into a pose showing what he was talking about. I smiled watching him. If only he knew how cute he looked when he pouted. Sexy, rather. But I'd never tell him that. He'd probably stop doing it if I did.
"Christina, I'll have you work with the males while I work with Tatiana and uh..you can go through the rest of steps with them."
"Yup, sure!" I nodded. I grabbed the guys, rounded them up and went over the dance break that they'd be doing on stage with Mike. Michael had called me up and asked me to help choreograph for his upcoming "Bad" Tour. Of course I'd said yes. We'd been friends forever and I was the only one he knew who could dance just as well as he could. And that's why he abosolutely needed my assistance, so he told me.
So here I was, going over the moves with the guys. We went through the sequence several times and the boys caught on quick...I was proud of them. A couple of times Michael looked over to see how we were doing and smiled at me in approval. I smiled back and kept on with boys. I looked over again and saw Tatiana strutting and flipping her hair and Michael ran after her and did his moves too. I quickly looked away. I felt a tight feeling in my stomach whenever I saw them doing their number together. I knew it was just for show...but there was something about the way she looked at him that worried me. Like she knew what just she wanted and was ready to go after it. I shook it off and asked the boys to do the routine again, and counted them off as they went, correcting any mistakes that I caught. Soon they were polished and clean and looked great.
"Looking good," I heard a gentle voice announce as I felt an arm go around me.
"You guys are doing great," Michael commended them.
I turned to see Mike in his costume, blue shirt unbuttoned, white undershirt, and cropped black pants with his favorite worn down loafers.
"When are you gonna practice with them?" I asked.
"In just a minute, I just have to finish running through with Tatiana a bit."
I looked over at Tatiana and she stood in her skimpy dress with her hand on her hips, smiling wide. I nodded and smiled at her. I liked her, I really did. It was just...
"So are you done with these guys?" Mike asked.
"Yeah, we're finished..." I turned back to the dancers and Michael removed his arm from me. "You guys did a great job, we're done for the day!"
Everyone clapped and cheered for a job well done and seperated to grab their stuff and chill to watch Michael and Tati practice again. The intro to "The Way You Make Me Feel" started and immediately she put those hips to work. She strutted and strolled around on stage and Michael followed right after, grinning and smiling and teasing her. Just like they'd practiced before. I crossed my arms and watched half-heartedly, feeling my stomach tighten again. It wasn't too bad this time. Michael was still working it though. He did the body curve move with his hands and thrust into his imaginary partner and I felt jolt deep down in my stomach.
Tati flipped her hair and turned and skipped away and quickly he followed. After several minutes she turned around suddenly and grabbed his jacket, pulling him so close that their lips were only an inch away.
Michael froze in his spot and immediately stepped back and away from her laughing nervously and patting her shoulder.
"Okay that's good, that was good. Good job. But be careful not to get too close so our lips don't accidentally touch next time okay?"
"Okay," her deep sensual voice hummed to him. "So no kissing?"
"No kissing," he smiled.
"Okay then," she smirked at him.
I let out the breath that I hadn't even realized that I'd been holding. I turned to grab my bags and busy myself with something, anything that I could do.
"Chrissy!" I heard him call as I calmly walked away with my gym bags. He skipped after me until he was walking at my pace. "You're leaving early?"
"Yeah, I'm done with the guys so I'm heading out."
"And you weren't even gonna say goodbye to me.." he tut-tutted.
"Yes I was! I just had to put my stuff away first," I lied.
"Uh huh," he grinned. I hated when he did that. He looked so perfect when he bared all of his straight pearly whites...and when his almond eyes locked onto mine. I couldn't look away.
"Can you believe that the shows start in a week?" he asked, snapping me out of my trance.
"Oh I know, already! You nervous?"
"Me? No...I never get nervous." he grinned wide at me with a knowing look melting my mind again. I couldn't help smiling at his cuteness.
"Ah, yes I remember now," I teased back.
He couldn't stop smiling and I loved it.
"So uh.." he started, "I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Yeah you'll see me tomorrow." I smiled.
"Okay.." his light Indiana accent drawled. "Get some good rest, we have a lot of work to do in the morning."
"Got it," I walked back and turned away from him smiling leaving him in my tracks, the image of his perfect face still embedded in my mind.
***Back to Present***
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We were into our 5th show and everything had gone smoothly and pretty much perfect, until now that is.
What was she doing?!
She walked around again strutting and smiling and Michael kept singing and dancing, a little out of breath from the stunt that she just pulled. They carried on with the song until the guys came in and started the dance break that they now had down pat.
I could barely pay attention though, my mind kept going back to that dang kiss. I couldn't believe he'd kissed her back. I mean I knew that he couldn't exactly push her away on stage...but god, did that hurt to watch. I couldn't believe him. I couldn't believe her! I grew was too upset now and had to get up off of the wall and turned to head back to my trailer.
I closed my door behind me and leant against it, breathing deep. I felt so hurt and betrayed. How could he do that..how could he kiss her back like that? I remembered his hand on her hips and his lips smiling against hers and felt myself go heady with pain. I was deeply regretting agreeing to help out with this tour. But I had to be professional about this. I knew that I shouldn't have decided to stick around and watch the show though.. idiot. I took in another deep breath and walked over to my nightstand. I heard a knock on the door and turned and walked over to open it, hoping it wasn't who I thought it was.
Michael's angel face appeared and my breath caught in my throat again. He was sweating profusely and his curls were drenched and some stuck to his broad face. He'd changed into his sparkly black jacket on top of his white t-shirt and his open chest gleamed with sweat also. I quickly looked back up to his face and waited for what he wanted.
"Can I come in?" he asked.
"Uh, Sure," I stuttered, moving aside to let him in.
I watched him slowly walk deeper into the room of my trailer and closed my door behind me wondering what he wanted.
He turned to me and put out his hand to show me.
"I cut my hand."
I moved forward to look at his palm and sure enough there was a little gash bleeding a crimson red. Not too huge but it still bled.
"Michael, what did you do?" I scolded.
"I don't even remember.." he shook his head.
"You're always cutting yourself," I shook my head at him. "Wait here, I'll get my things."
I rushed to the bathroom and opened the cabinet and pulled out my First-aid kit and grabbed the rubbing alchohol too. I came back out and Michael was standing in the same position that I'd left him in, standing straight and tall, hand open and out towards him and waiting for me to take care of him.
"Sit on the bed," I ordered.
He did as he was told and sat down, still holding his hand out. I joined him and sat down, facing him.
"Give me your hand."
He brought it over to me and I took it by the wrist and rested it into my lap. I went for the cotton balls in my first-aid kit and then grabbed the alchohol bottle with my free hand. Once I put it down next to us, I went back to take his bleeding hand and held it up.
I warned him, "This is gonna sting..."
I pressed the soaked cotton to his gash and his hand jerked out of my grip as he hissed in pain.
"Sorry..." I said and grabbed his hand again to press the cotton to his skin once more. He jerked a little but not as much this time. I watched his smooth, slender fingers uncurl and spread as he continues letting me treat him. His toffee-colored skin contrasted well with the white of the cotton ball. I poured more alchohol into a different cotton ball and pressed it to him again.
"Ouch! That stings..." he sounded like a little child. But it sounded so cute coming from him.
"Well maybe next time you'll learn to be more careful..." I disguised my adoration with scolding him again.
"I know...I'm sorry." he said softly.
I looked up at him and his eyes...they were so serene and beautiful. His mouth was in a straight serious line and it took everything in me not to bring my hand up and lightly touch them. I looked back into his eyes and they burned right through me. I tried to look away but I couldn't. I was mezmerized. Finally I broke from his gaze and looked back down into his hand. I cleaned him up well and saw a less intimidating cut before me. I grabbed the bandage wrap and unravelled it to place it around his hand. I slowly wrapped it around and around, brushing my fingers against his warm skin in silence.
"Why did you leave so early?" he broke the quiet.
"Because you didn't need me anymore," I lied.
"That's not true," he said. "I always need you."
I tried not to look up at him and kept wrapping.
"You did fine without me," I muttered.
"And how would you know?" he quickly spoke up. "You didn't even get to see the rest of the show."
"I saw enough."
"Like what?" he persisted.
"You and Tatiana," I tried to keep the jealousy out of my voice.
"Then you didn't see enough to know that she's off the tour."
I had to pause at that one to look at him. "What?"
"I asked Frank to fire her."
"Why?" I questioned.
"I think you know why."
"Oh ok.." Not exactly the answer I was looking for but I let it go. I didn't want to talk about it either.
He searched my eyes and his dark gaze bore into mine again.
I looked down and wrapped the rest of the bandage around him and fastened it with a safety-pin.
"Okay..your all done," I sighed.
I passed my hands over his to admire my work and make sure that everything was on secure. His fingers brushed against my hand and his skin was so very soft. I rubbed over his smooth fingers again, more than I needed to this time. His hand gently closed around mine as I watched and my gaze went up to look at him in surprise. He stared on at me and I quickly looked back down.
"Just be more careful next time," I muttered and felt his thumb brushing against my skin. I looked up at him again to see what he could possibly be thinking.
He looked deep into my eyes and once again I couldn't pull away. His face stood frozen, his eyes searching mine. I wanted to kiss him so badly, but then again I didn't. I didn't want to give in to him, I was still upset and hurt. He looked like he was holding back too. He always did. I started to pull my hand away but he moved his arms forward to gently grab my wrist.
"Don't move," he whispered.
His face slowly came closer and closer and his eyes grew heavy. I sat frozen in my spot as he closed the distant between us and softly covered my lips with his. My eyes instantly closed as I felt his lips touching mine. I was paralyzed now. He moved in closer and his scent filled my senses. Sweat and another musky scent. HIS musky scent. Feeling him this close, his body right in front of mine..I didn't know what to do with myself. So I just received his kisses. Oh god this felt amazing. I couldn't think straight now. He moved his lips against me and my loins jumped. He bobbed his head into mine and my hand instinctively went up to hold his face to me.
The more we kissed the more I tasted him. He tasted salty from performing. I moved my lips more so I could keep tasting his saltiness. Oh god he tasted good..He played his lips onto mine even more and I felt him rest his hand next to me on the bed so that he could lean into me. My fingers dug up and into his wet curls and both of our lips simultaneously opened to tease each other with our tongues. His wounded hand grabbed my thigh and now he towered over me kissing and teasing me with his tongue. I moved my hand from his hair to his chest and instantly felt his slippery sweat under my hand which got me even more excited. I dove my tongue into his and greedily tasted his salty sweetness. I'd waited for this forever, I wasn't going back now. He got just as agressive and suctioned his lips with mine breathing heavily through his nose and not letting me go. We kissed harder and more intense and stayed at that pace for the longest time. It took us both being completely out of breath to calm down and kiss each other lightly until we finally seperated and kissed each other every two seconds until we stopped completely, even then we didn't let go.
I still held on to his chest and his bandaged hand still gripped onto my thigh. I felt drugged now. I finally opened my eyes wider and looked into his eyes that looked almost pained. I lost my breath at how unbelievably gorgeous he looked to me at that moment. He opened his eyes slowly and gazed at me as he tried to breath more evenly and smiled.
If only he knew how long I'd waited for him to kiss me like that. That had felt so amazing. I smiled weakly at him, still feeling heady and high and thought to myself, better late than never.