Dangerous Diaries

Chapter 15 - Animal City

There were still more scenes to be shot for the commercial so she tried to bring his spirits back up rather quickly.

"Come on."  She nudged his shoulder to gain eye contact from him.

His wet hands peeled away from his face and he lifted his eyes to meet hers.

"Let's just get through this and then go home together, okay?"

The thought caused a much needed jolt of happiness.  "I really love the sound of that.  You have no idea."  Michael finally stood back up to his feet and immediately grabbed Shakira to hold her in his arms.  "I love you, Button."

"I love you too," she whispered due to his weakening hold.

"Thanks for coming here today.  I knew I would need you around once I heard they were coming.  I just didn't want to give you the heads up.  Sorry," he said with his eyes narrowing of guilt.

"Oh, it's fine.  I have a surprise for you at the house so let's just hurry."

"I probably won't be getting out of here until late."

"I know."

"You don't have to stay, dear," he said with a snicker.

"I want to watch."

Shakira didn't know he had hours on top of hours to go so she ended up leaving before him.

She drove back to Neverland to finish preparing the surprise.  The surprise was something some would call irrational behavior, an act only caused by the damage he'd done to her heart.  But she felt it was right and the only thing she could do to keep her sane and their love secured.

Around 11 p.m., Michael finally made it back home.  As he walked through the main house looking for Shakira, he was startled by a sudden appearance coming from behind him.

"She's outside, Mr. Jackson."

"Oh," he said turning to see Maria.  "You scared me."

"I'm sorry.  But she's waiting for you in the garden in the back of the house." A tricky smirk formed on her face just before she turned to leave.

Michael then remembered Shakira said she had a surprise for him.

Without taking time to change out of his clothes from the set, he made his way out to the Neverland Gardens, looking as if he just stepped out of the Black or White music video with his black jeans and white shirts.

"Oh my God," he whispered to himself as he walked into the beautiful scene his woman had created for him.  There were tea light candles flickering all around, randomly in place and a large white blanket laid across the fresh cut green grass with red rose petals thrown about.

Shakira was sitting behind a grand white piano.  "Hi," she said excited to finally see him.  She jumped out of her seat and ran into his arms.

"Hi.  Is this my surprise?  A date?"

"No, not really.  This is just a small part of it."

"I think the real surprise here is your attire."  He took a step back to look her up and down.

Shakira felt embarrassed.  She hated to dress up.  She hadn't really done so since The Bad Tour.  She vouched to never wear heels on stage again.  That's why she would always perform barefoot.

But tonight, she mustered up the courage to throw on a small tight, red dress and a pair of heels for him.  She hadn't felt that girly since the shooting of her video Illegal.