FOR ALL TIME

6. Bare It All

Michael took her in the dance studio and asked her to have a seat on the floor with him. They did, crossing their legs across from each other. 

Grinning, Michael took Jasmine's hands in his. "Don't get me wrong, I think your dancing is beautiful, but the fact that you didn't tell me scares me because now I don't know what else your hiding."

"I'm sorry. I didn't even think it'd be that big of a deal."

"How could it not?" he asked snickering. "It's clearly something you love. You can't dance like that and not be in love with it."

"Well, I'm sorry, honey. I apologize for hiding it from you. I still don't think it's that's serious that we have to be sitting here on the floor right now but..."

"We're here so I can ask you if there's anything else that you're hiding." He looked her in the face but she refused to look back at him in the eyes. "When we talked on the phone, I asked 'any hidden talents' and you said none at all."

"It wasn't that serious to mention, not worth losing your interest. I didn't want you to think I was after anything other than you." 

"Well." He shrugged, taking his hands back and sitting them on his knees. "Anything else? You sing too?" he said, laughing the joke off. But Jasmine looked away. 

"Wait a minute, now hold on here. You-sing?"

She sighed. "Yes, I sing but it's not a passion."

Michael's eyes went big and round.

"Well, I don't sing, I just know how to I guess. People hear me having a little hum moment and suddenly I'm getting compliments. My mother and grandmother... I get it from them."

Michael's body was growing warm. Anger was brewing. "Trust" just got 10 times harder. He didn't know what to believe anymore. 

"Oh, you're mad at me now?" she asked with an attitude.

"What else?"

"Nothing," Jasmine said back quickly.

"So you have no desire to dance or sing professionally?"

"Honestly..."

Oh, here it goes. 

"Dance maybe but definitely not singing. I belt in the shower and that's about it," she said with a quiet laugh. 

"Okay." Michael didn't believe her. "Are you really in school for nursing?" he asked.

"Yes! Oh my God, of course. Look, I really don't want anything from you except you; you at your core."  A pool of tears began forming in her eyes.

"There's no need to cry."  He grabbed her hand.  "I just don't want you hiding anything from me, okay?"

She nodded, causing a tear to fall. 

"But that's it, right? Anything else you think I ought'a know?"

"Ummm..." 

"God, Jasmine."

"No, no. It's just that... Well, remember when I first met you?"

Michael jumped to a conclusion. "You knew who I was, didn't you?" Because that was too good to be true. 

"I told you I knew who you were," she said.

"You know what I'm saying," he said getting frustrated.

"Well, the truth is I was a fan of yours. Not one of those crazy ones though-"

"Don't call my fans crazy."

She raised both hands in defense.  "Sorry."  She slapped her hands down on her lap then continued.  "I am a huge Janet fan, more than I am for you, but I knew exactly who you were when I first saw you.  I pretended I didn't know you that well because I was attracted to you, not because you're famous, but physically attracted to you and I knew if I was to act like a fan, you would treat me like one and I didn't want that."