(18+) RED (Complete)

Ch. 64: Blind love

"You went on a date with Madonna?"

"Yeah. A tragedy," he muttered and rolled his eyes.

"Well, I can understand why your manager wants to hook you up with her."

"What do you mean?"

I snorted and pursed my lips for a moment.

"Come on. She's hot, famous and she has a career similar to yours. I don't even have a career yet."

"Why in the world does that matter? She has nothing on you, babe."

His reply came so promptly and he sounded so convincing that I blushed. And when he kissed me right there in the hallway, I giggled because all the butterflies in my stomach suddenly took off at once. The glow in his eyes and the tiny smile he gave me afterwards, told me that he probably felt the same.

Oh, what I would give to know what he was thinking.

I'd felt so detached from him all week. So far from how it felt when I visited him last time. And now? Everything felt good again. No, better than good. Perfect. He was perfect.

"I lo..." I started, but my voice was just a whisper that nobody heard when the door to what turned out to be his studio opened with a bang.

"About time! I called you three times. Why didn't you answer?"

"But I was on my way, Frank. And I already talked to you at the airport."

The thin haired and rather corpulent man in front of us was shorter than Michael, but still a bit intimidating. It was pretty clear what he thought of me. But Michael took my hand and led the way past him and into a room that was a lot bigger than I expected. There was a huge instrument panel where a young man was busy twisting and turning all kinds of knobs, while he talked into a microphone. He nodded quickly when he saw us almost without turning around, before he turned back to face us again and took off his headset. His eyes were set on me. Maybe it was because they weren't used to Michael bringing girls around? I liked the thought of that. It made me feel special.

"Uh. Hi. I'm Devon," he said. Then he rubbed his palms on his thighs, before he reached out to shake my hand.

"Mind your business," Michael told him, when Devon held my hand a little too long. He immediately pulled back, cleared his throat and continued what he was doing, and Michael grabbed the microphone to talk to the man in what could only be described as a giant glass cage.

"Hey, Stevie! We've got company today."

Michael smiled at me and gently guided me inside, until I stood face to face with the legend himself.

"Mia, I want you to meet my good friend and colleague, Stevie. Stevie? This is my girlfriend, Mia," he announced solemnly and I grabbed Stevie's large, warm hand and greeted him.

"I knew it had to be a girl involved!" he exclaimed, and chuckled.

"Nice to meet you, Mia. I'm glad someone finally captured his heart."

I blushed and smiled shyly, and showed my gratitude with body language, until I remembered that he couldn't see.

"Nice to meet you too, sir. My family and I are great fans, so I wondered if I could get an autograph to bring home to my mom?"

I cussed inwardly of my pathetic fangirling.

"Most certainly, miss," he chuckled, giving me a hint to drop the formal talk.

"Do you mind if I feel how you look?"

Michael nodded for me to step closer to him, and Stevie cradled my cheeks and gently used his finger tips to grace my facial contours.

"Ahh. A beautiful girl, Mike. You're a lucky man."

Michael giggled and smiled at me.

"I know," he said. Then we were interrupted by his manager again, telling him to listen to a track they'd recorded before we came, and I was left alone with Stevie. It didn't feel weird at all, though. I helped him back to his piano like I'd done it hundreds of times before, and listened to him playing a song I hadn't heard before.

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

Our love is blind but I can still see
All I need is your love for me
Then I'll be lucky to share mine with you
Because I see you with my soul
I see you with my soul

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

He turned to me when he was done, and it was first then I discovered that my cheeks were full of tears. I giggled and sniffled.

"Gosh, that was amazing," I said with admiration thick in my voice.

"You think so?"

"Yeah. Amazing doesn't even cover it. I really felt that."

"That's good. I wrote it to my first wife."

He chuckled again, a laughter that was strangely soothing and soft, and that I already was starting to love.

"And even though you might think it's odd to play a song from a marriage that didn't last, the words are still true. They just didn't bring me as much luck as they might do for you."

I smiled. Then, when he patted on the seat and moved sideways on the little piano bench, I sat down next to him. And I don't know how long we sat there, laughing and talking about whatever crossed our minds. He taught me how to play his song by using one finger on the keys, and we talked some more, until Michael returned after a short knock on the door.

"Get your hands off my girl, man," he joked, and Stevie immediately picked up on it and held up his hand, pretending to surrender.

"By all means, Michael. She's all yours. But you better treat her right, boy, because this one here has a heart of gold."

I had tears in my eyes when I returned to Michael's side, and he kissed my forehead when I wiped away a tear.

"Now, look what you did. You made her cry," he whined to Stevie.

"I'm not crying," I protested, and wiped away the rest of the tears, annoyed at myself for getting emotional so easily.

"You better not run off with him, because you might crash into something," he said and winked at me, and Stevie laughed out loud. A lot louder than when he was talking to me.

"Smack his head for me, will you?" he said to me, but Michael ducked just in time.

"Security!" he yelled.

"I'm being assaulted here!"

Then he leaned close and whispered:

"Sexually."

"Mike! You mic is on!" we heard from the speaker, and Michael flushed beet red. And it didn't help that Stevie laughed even louder. A clear evidence that he'd heard it too.

"Oh, get a room, you two."

"Anyways! Let's go to work," Michael exclaimed and tried to stop everyone from laughing. And when they finally did, I stepped outside and watched my boyfriend work his magic together with a Wonderful man named Stevie.

And the autograph?

Sorry, mom.