Chapter Eleven
As Michael was finishing up with the signing of papers and reading of contracts, his mind was on one goal: see Jaiden.
But when he was almost done, his body guard, Dan, who had left while Michael was in the midst of his work, came back with some news.
"Brad got a call from home, Mr. Jackson." said Dan, looking somewhat concerned.
Dan was a big man. He stood quite a few inches taller than Michael and was well over 6 feet tall. He was used to showing a poker face most of the time. It was part of the job to look somewhat intimidating. Normally he didn't show much emotion, but not at that moment. The fact that he looked even remotely uneasy was enough to have Michael worried.
"What happened?? How's Rosalie? How are the kids?" Michael put down his pet and looked up at Dan.
"Rosalie is fine. But Brad's son had a scare. His appendix burst and he just went through emergency surgery." said Dan.
"Please tell me all is okay? How did the surgery go?" asked Michael.
"The surgery went okay, but they are keeping the boy in the hospital for another day just to make sure because he started an infection." explained Dan.
"Brad is pretty worked up about it, Sir."
"Of course. Can you do me a favour, Dan? Could you please have Brad meet me downstairs in an hour? And ask him to wait on his supper, okay?" smiled Michael.
"Not a problem, Mr. Jackson." Dan said as he nodded to Michael and then left the room.
Michael had wanted to see Jaiden as soon as he was finished his work, but his employers were important too. Especially Brad, who had been so loyal and good to him. He wanted to treat Brad to dinner and had something else to tell him as well.
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Brad and Michael sat at a bar-type restaurant that was significantly less fancy than most restaurants in Paris.
Michael knew Brad would be more comfortable there. Michael's bodyguard was sitting at the next table over and the manager of the restaurant was asked to keep the patrons seated a few tables away for privacy.
So far everything had been quiet with exception to a few waitresses who had asked for an autograph.
There had also been a small crowd that had begun to gather outside the restaurant once word got out that Michael was in there, but Dan had one of Michael's other bodyguards come over from the hotel and stand just outside the restaurant's doors.
Brad hadn't said a word to Michael about his son, but Michael could see the worry in his eyes. When Michael asked if Brad had eaten yet, Brad admitted to only having breakfast because he hadn't much of an appetite. Michael convinced him to eat and told him that he had heard some pretty great things about the burgers at that restaurant. So with that, Brad ordered a hamburger with so many toppings, that he could barely open his mouth wide enough to take a bite.
Michael had ordered fish and chips and enjoyed tasting something more familiar to his taste buds than the french cuisine he'd been eating while in Paris.
Brad finished his burger and thanked Michael a dozen times for taking him out for a meal. He said he needed to distraction.
"Glad you enjoyed it." smiled Michael and then took a sip from his glass of water.
"Listen, I'd like to talk to you about something, Brad." he said.
"What is it, Mr. Jackson?" asked Brad.
Michael put down his water and began to speak.
"I've asked another driver to take over for you for a bit. I thought you might enjoy going back to the US to see your son." Michael said.
Brad's face lit up with a smile.
"Are you serious? Really?" asked Brad.
"Yes, I'm quite serious. And you leave tonight. I've booked your flight. It leaves in two hours." Michael said as he motioned for the waitress to bring the check.
"And when you are ready, you give me a call and I will fly you back here" he added.
"Mr. Jackson, I can't thank you enough. I just can't. Does my wife know I am coming?" asked Brad who was standing and ready to leave. Michael stood as well.
"No. Rosalie doesn't know. I thought maybe you could surprise her." Michael shook Brad's hand and they headed toward the back of the restaurant.
"Sir, you are such a kind man. Thank you again. Please, let me drive you where you need to go before I leave." Brad insisted.
"That sounds great, Brad." said Michael as they walked out the back door of the restaurant and to the car.
"I'd really just like to go to my hotel." he said.
"Certainly, Sir." Brad opened the back car door for Michael and then went around to the driver's side of the car and got in.
They drove down the street and were off toward the hotel when Michael asked Brad to make on quick stop first.
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Jaiden sat cross legged in the chair at the desk in her hotel room. For the past half an hour, she had been writing out reasons why she should not wander around in hopes of 'accidentally' bumping in to Michael.
The more Jaiden wrote, the more she felt like crying and the more she felt like crying, the more pathetic she felt.
"Get a grip, girl." she said to herself.
Jaiden stood up and went to her night stand beside the bed. On it was one of the two ice buckets she had in her room.
She had filled it with water and placed the perfect white rose in it from her dinner with Michael.
Jaiden reached out and picked up the rose and brought it to her face. She smelled it's wonderful scent. She closed her eyes and remembered how Michael looked when he gave it to her--- the candles' reflection in his eyes and the warm smile on his face.
She touched the rose petals to her lips and felt how soft they were.
The petals almost tickled her mouth with their softness and immediately she remembered how it felt to have Michael's lips on hers.
In her mind, she was kissing him again and tasting his sweet mouth.
"This is what you need to think about." she thought to herself.
She carried the rose with her and looked out the window.
The night was clear and she saw so many stars in the sky. She opened the window a bit and felt the night air make its way into the room. It was cool, but it felt refreshing.
Jaiden took a deep breath and began to smile.
She once again brought the rose up to her face.
"Michael......." she whispered into the air.
She knew she'd feel his kiss again. She knew she'd hear him laugh again and that they'd have fun together again.
She moved over to the big, comfy chair in her room and pushed it up to the window. Then she grabbed the thick comforter off her bed and wrapped herself in it as she sat down on the chair.
The rose was still in her hand as her eyelids began to feel heavy while she was looking out at the twinkling city lights.
Soon Jaiden was asleep and dreaming only happy things, not knowing that Michael was just outside her door.
But when he was almost done, his body guard, Dan, who had left while Michael was in the midst of his work, came back with some news.
"Brad got a call from home, Mr. Jackson." said Dan, looking somewhat concerned.
Dan was a big man. He stood quite a few inches taller than Michael and was well over 6 feet tall. He was used to showing a poker face most of the time. It was part of the job to look somewhat intimidating. Normally he didn't show much emotion, but not at that moment. The fact that he looked even remotely uneasy was enough to have Michael worried.
"What happened?? How's Rosalie? How are the kids?" Michael put down his pet and looked up at Dan.
"Rosalie is fine. But Brad's son had a scare. His appendix burst and he just went through emergency surgery." said Dan.
"Please tell me all is okay? How did the surgery go?" asked Michael.
"The surgery went okay, but they are keeping the boy in the hospital for another day just to make sure because he started an infection." explained Dan.
"Brad is pretty worked up about it, Sir."
"Of course. Can you do me a favour, Dan? Could you please have Brad meet me downstairs in an hour? And ask him to wait on his supper, okay?" smiled Michael.
"Not a problem, Mr. Jackson." Dan said as he nodded to Michael and then left the room.
Michael had wanted to see Jaiden as soon as he was finished his work, but his employers were important too. Especially Brad, who had been so loyal and good to him. He wanted to treat Brad to dinner and had something else to tell him as well.
-------
Brad and Michael sat at a bar-type restaurant that was significantly less fancy than most restaurants in Paris.
Michael knew Brad would be more comfortable there. Michael's bodyguard was sitting at the next table over and the manager of the restaurant was asked to keep the patrons seated a few tables away for privacy.
So far everything had been quiet with exception to a few waitresses who had asked for an autograph.
There had also been a small crowd that had begun to gather outside the restaurant once word got out that Michael was in there, but Dan had one of Michael's other bodyguards come over from the hotel and stand just outside the restaurant's doors.
Brad hadn't said a word to Michael about his son, but Michael could see the worry in his eyes. When Michael asked if Brad had eaten yet, Brad admitted to only having breakfast because he hadn't much of an appetite. Michael convinced him to eat and told him that he had heard some pretty great things about the burgers at that restaurant. So with that, Brad ordered a hamburger with so many toppings, that he could barely open his mouth wide enough to take a bite.
Michael had ordered fish and chips and enjoyed tasting something more familiar to his taste buds than the french cuisine he'd been eating while in Paris.
Brad finished his burger and thanked Michael a dozen times for taking him out for a meal. He said he needed to distraction.
"Glad you enjoyed it." smiled Michael and then took a sip from his glass of water.
"Listen, I'd like to talk to you about something, Brad." he said.
"What is it, Mr. Jackson?" asked Brad.
Michael put down his water and began to speak.
"I've asked another driver to take over for you for a bit. I thought you might enjoy going back to the US to see your son." Michael said.
Brad's face lit up with a smile.
"Are you serious? Really?" asked Brad.
"Yes, I'm quite serious. And you leave tonight. I've booked your flight. It leaves in two hours." Michael said as he motioned for the waitress to bring the check.
"And when you are ready, you give me a call and I will fly you back here" he added.
"Mr. Jackson, I can't thank you enough. I just can't. Does my wife know I am coming?" asked Brad who was standing and ready to leave. Michael stood as well.
"No. Rosalie doesn't know. I thought maybe you could surprise her." Michael shook Brad's hand and they headed toward the back of the restaurant.
"Sir, you are such a kind man. Thank you again. Please, let me drive you where you need to go before I leave." Brad insisted.
"That sounds great, Brad." said Michael as they walked out the back door of the restaurant and to the car.
"I'd really just like to go to my hotel." he said.
"Certainly, Sir." Brad opened the back car door for Michael and then went around to the driver's side of the car and got in.
They drove down the street and were off toward the hotel when Michael asked Brad to make on quick stop first.
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Jaiden sat cross legged in the chair at the desk in her hotel room. For the past half an hour, she had been writing out reasons why she should not wander around in hopes of 'accidentally' bumping in to Michael.
The more Jaiden wrote, the more she felt like crying and the more she felt like crying, the more pathetic she felt.
"Get a grip, girl." she said to herself.
Jaiden stood up and went to her night stand beside the bed. On it was one of the two ice buckets she had in her room.
She had filled it with water and placed the perfect white rose in it from her dinner with Michael.
Jaiden reached out and picked up the rose and brought it to her face. She smelled it's wonderful scent. She closed her eyes and remembered how Michael looked when he gave it to her--- the candles' reflection in his eyes and the warm smile on his face.
She touched the rose petals to her lips and felt how soft they were.
The petals almost tickled her mouth with their softness and immediately she remembered how it felt to have Michael's lips on hers.
In her mind, she was kissing him again and tasting his sweet mouth.
"This is what you need to think about." she thought to herself.
She carried the rose with her and looked out the window.
The night was clear and she saw so many stars in the sky. She opened the window a bit and felt the night air make its way into the room. It was cool, but it felt refreshing.
Jaiden took a deep breath and began to smile.
She once again brought the rose up to her face.
"Michael......." she whispered into the air.
She knew she'd feel his kiss again. She knew she'd hear him laugh again and that they'd have fun together again.
She moved over to the big, comfy chair in her room and pushed it up to the window. Then she grabbed the thick comforter off her bed and wrapped herself in it as she sat down on the chair.
The rose was still in her hand as her eyelids began to feel heavy while she was looking out at the twinkling city lights.
Soon Jaiden was asleep and dreaming only happy things, not knowing that Michael was just outside her door.
