Chapter Three
Jaiden was warm and wet and covered in what was left of the bubbles from her bath. She was lying in the tub and she had fallen asleep.
The marble bathroom was almost dark because she didn't turn on the lights for the bathroom and instead left the bedroom lights on to cast a more relaxing glow into the bathroom.
Earlier on as her bath was running, Jaiden had ordered up a glass of wine. It arrived just in time for her to enjoy it while laying in the jacuzzi style tub. The tub was over-sized and Jaiden was able to fully stretch out and immerse herself in the warmth.
She didn't know how long she had been asleep or how long she would have stayed asleep if a knock at her door hadn't woken her.
She stepped out of the bath to answer the door and realized that housekeeping had taken her robe earlier to clean it and had not brought her a new one.
Grabbing a large bath towel, she wrapped herself in it and immediately felt a chill as she stepped from the bathroom into the bedroom. She had left one of the windows open slightly to listen to the rain earlier. Her head was still foggy from her nap, but she remembered that she had a very odd dream while asleep in the tub and made a mental note to tell Sam about it when she was back in Chicago.
As she walked by the bed, she turned to look at the clock. It read 1:30am.
It was so late, yet someone was knocking at her door? She became a bit hesitant to open it, so she tip toed to the door so no one on the other side of it would hear her, then she looked out the peep hole to see who was there.
Her mouth fell open and a chill moved throughout her body that wasn't caused by the cool night air coming in from the window.
"Oh my God." she whispered. "It wasn't a dream."
There was more knocking at her door.
Snapping out of her shock, she looked down at her towel and gasped. Her eyes were big and she bit her lip as she wondered what to do. She didn't have time to get dressed.
It was now or never... Slowly she reached for the door knob and turned it. She opened the door a tiny bit and peeked out.
"Uhm. Hi. Michael." she said nervously.
"Hi Jaiden. I know it's late, but is it okay if I come in?" asked Michael quietly.
"How did you find my room?" Jaiden asked while her whole body, except her head, hid behind the door.
"I was worried about you earlier...you know, in the elevator. So when you walked away, I...well...I followed you to make sure you got to your room alright." he answered.
"Oh. ya. Sorry about that." said Jaiden looking down at the floor and feeling embarrassed.
"So. Can I come in?" Michael asked again. He had such a sweet smile on his face.
"Sure. Yes. Sorry. Come in." she said and opened the door all the way for him while she was still hiding behind it. When she closed the door, she turned and faced him and did her best to feel comfortable in her towel.
"I interrupted you." Michael said as he looked Jaiden up and down and grinned a shy grin. He quickly admired her curves and a very small part of him was glad he had interrupted her.
Jaiden felt Michael's eyes on her and noticed the chill she had felt earlier was replaced by feeling very, very warm all of a sudden.
"No. It's fine. I was finished anyway." she blushed and smiled at him.
She slowly moved past him and over to the edge of the bed and sat down. She gestured toward the large oak desk chair and Michael sat down and then looked over at her.
His eyes. Those gorgeous eyes. His lips. They were so full. His hair was so thick and curly and she felt the urge to run her hands through it. And those giant hands.....He was breathtaking.
Jaiden knew exactly who he was. She was just not ready to say it to herself yet, let alone say it out loud.
"You know who I am." Michael said, giving Jaiden no choice. She HAD to say it out loud now.
"Yes." was all she could seem to say as she looked away from him.
"I wish you would look at me." Michael said softly.
Jaiden's eyes really were trying to look at Michael. She had no trouble looking at him when he didn't know she was.
Slowly she raised her head. Her big, brown eyes met Michael's eyes.
"That's better." He smiled at her and sat back a bit in his chair.
Jaiden decided to just say everything she was thinking. It couldn't get any more awkward than she felt it was right now, so she figured she might as well.
"Michael?"
"Yes?"
Jaiden took a deep breath...
"Okay. So I know who you are. But I didn't know who you were until the second time in the elevator. At first I just thought you were a stranger who smelled really, REALLY good, but I didn't know who you were. Honestly. And now that I do, it doesn't make a difference and I want you to know that."
She let out all she had to say in one breath.
"I believe you. But I have to ask you something." Michael said to her as a puzzled look appeared on his face.
"What?" Jaiden wondered what it could possibly be. She had just told him everything.
Michael leaned forward in the chair and said "You said you didn't know who I was until the 'second' time in the elevator. When was the FIRST time?"
Jaiden hadn't thought that he didn't know about the first time she saw him.
"Well, I was in the elevator earlier and you came in right after." She explained.
"I don't remember you being in the elevator. Then again, I try to do things quickly and quietly so I don't attract too much attention. Especially when I don't have my body guards with me." Michael told her.
"You seemed to be trying to cover yourself as much as you could. Especially by wearing a hat and those...sunglasses." Jaiden had to keep herself from laughing as she remembered how silly she thought it was that someone was wearing sunglasses on a rainy day and indoors.
Michael shifted in his chair.
"You're right. I was trying to be incognito. As much as I could be at the time." he said.
Jaiden was still sitting at the edge of the bed and listening quite intently to Michael when she realized she was still damp and still only wearing a towel.
"I should change." She said as she stood up.
"No. It's ok. I'll go. I don't want to disturb you. I really just wanted to make sure you were okay." Michael said as he stood and walked toward the door.
"It doesn't bother me you know..." Jaiden blurted out.
"Pardon?" Michael turned and asked.
"That, you know, that you're you." She said as she fidgeted with her towel.
"Well, that's good. Because I can't be anyone but me." Michael laughed.
"I'm not really in to your stuff anyway." Jaiden said as she grinned a cheeky grin.
Michael lifted one beautiful eyebrow.
"Really? And what ARE you in to?" he asked.
"I was raised pretty much on opera and jazz." Jaiden told him.
He smiled at her.
"That's interesting." he said.
He was also smiling on the inside because he was well aware that she had said she should change in to some clothes, but he actually wasn't minding looking at her in a towel. He decided to keep the conversation going.
"Why opera and jazz?" He asked.
"My mother was born in Italy. She loves opera. She used to have it playing all the time. Especially when she was cooking."
Jaiden smiled as she recalled her mother singing and dancing in the kitchen while she would prepare big meals. Her mother would tell Jaiden that she made so much food just in case any more family would stop in. It was polite to have enough food to offer anyone who came to their home. And Jaiden's mother always made enough food. And then some.
"And what about the love of jazz?" Michael asked her.
"My father. He's a musician. Well, he's a lawyer, but he's also a musician. I listened to him and his band as a kid and still do. Although, it's a different band now. He plays saxophone." She explained.
Michael was clearly impressed.
"That's great! Do you play any instruments?"
"No. Not at all. I'm afraid that gene wasn't passed along to me. I just take pictures." Jaiden said.
"You're a photographer then?" Michael asked curiously.
"Free-lance. Yes." Jaiden said. She had noticed that Michael had made his way back to the desk chair and was standing beside it with his hand resting on the back of it. Was he wanting to stay?
"So. I should get dressed..." Jaiden said. But she didn't really want him to go. The more she spoke with him, the less he seemed like how she thought Michael Jackson would be like.
There. She admitted it to herself and even said his name. And maybe she HAD listened to a song or two of his, but she never had considered herself a fan. Although, right now, she could understand why most women went nuts over him. He was stunning to look at. And he was so sweet. And so polite and funny... and ....
Why was she saying all of this to herself? She was practically gushing over the man.
"Did you want me to go?" Michael's voice almost startled Jaiden because she was so deep in thought.
"Go? It IS late. But. I'm enjoying talking to you. Besides, I had a little nap earlier." She said, remembering that she had dozed off in the tub.
"I'm not even tired yet actually. But if you are, then..." she didn't have a chance to finish her sentence.
"No. I'm okay." Michael interjected.
Jaiden smiled as she looked down at her towel.
"If you will excuse me, I think I'll put on something else." she said.
"If you insist..." she heard Michael say as she walked in to the bathroom.
Was he flirting? She repeated what he had said in her head 'if you insist'...Did he mean that he wouldn't mind if she stayed in her towel?
Jaiden wondered this as she slipped her men's pajama top over her head. She then reached for her panties that were beside the tub and put them on.
Where were the damn pajama bottoms?
Jaiden's heart began to beat faster as she remembered that she had left them beside the bed the night before because she had gotten too warm in the night and had taken them off.
"Oh boy." She said as she looked down at her bare legs. This will have to do, she thought to herself as she tugged at the pajama top in a desperate attempt to make it longer...
........................................
Michael hadn't realized there was an art exhibit so close to the hotel. He was usually very observant, but he had missed seeing it somehow. He thumbed his way through the pamphlet he had found on the giant oak desk in the room. He noticed how amazing the room was. It was so warm and had large furnishings that didn't over power the room because the room itself was so big.
He waited for Jaiden who seemed to be taking a long time to change. How much clothing was she putting on? He wondered.
Michael could smell the faint scent of bubble bath when he came in to the room earlier. That scent was still lingering in the air. It smelled so good. He imagined Jaiden smelled like it too.
Putting down the pamphlet, he got up to stretch his legs a bit and looked over at the ice bucket that was also sitting on the desk.
Inside was a tiny white bowl with three ripe cherries in it. He decided it wouldn't matter if he took just one of the cherries. They looked so tasty.
As he reached in to the bowl, he heard the bathroom door begin to open.
Michael dropped the cherry back in to the bowl at the same time as his jaw dropped when he saw Jaiden walk out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a men's pajama top.
The marble bathroom was almost dark because she didn't turn on the lights for the bathroom and instead left the bedroom lights on to cast a more relaxing glow into the bathroom.
Earlier on as her bath was running, Jaiden had ordered up a glass of wine. It arrived just in time for her to enjoy it while laying in the jacuzzi style tub. The tub was over-sized and Jaiden was able to fully stretch out and immerse herself in the warmth.
She didn't know how long she had been asleep or how long she would have stayed asleep if a knock at her door hadn't woken her.
She stepped out of the bath to answer the door and realized that housekeeping had taken her robe earlier to clean it and had not brought her a new one.
Grabbing a large bath towel, she wrapped herself in it and immediately felt a chill as she stepped from the bathroom into the bedroom. She had left one of the windows open slightly to listen to the rain earlier. Her head was still foggy from her nap, but she remembered that she had a very odd dream while asleep in the tub and made a mental note to tell Sam about it when she was back in Chicago.
As she walked by the bed, she turned to look at the clock. It read 1:30am.
It was so late, yet someone was knocking at her door? She became a bit hesitant to open it, so she tip toed to the door so no one on the other side of it would hear her, then she looked out the peep hole to see who was there.
Her mouth fell open and a chill moved throughout her body that wasn't caused by the cool night air coming in from the window.
"Oh my God." she whispered. "It wasn't a dream."
There was more knocking at her door.
Snapping out of her shock, she looked down at her towel and gasped. Her eyes were big and she bit her lip as she wondered what to do. She didn't have time to get dressed.
It was now or never... Slowly she reached for the door knob and turned it. She opened the door a tiny bit and peeked out.
"Uhm. Hi. Michael." she said nervously.
"Hi Jaiden. I know it's late, but is it okay if I come in?" asked Michael quietly.
"How did you find my room?" Jaiden asked while her whole body, except her head, hid behind the door.
"I was worried about you earlier...you know, in the elevator. So when you walked away, I...well...I followed you to make sure you got to your room alright." he answered.
"Oh. ya. Sorry about that." said Jaiden looking down at the floor and feeling embarrassed.
"So. Can I come in?" Michael asked again. He had such a sweet smile on his face.
"Sure. Yes. Sorry. Come in." she said and opened the door all the way for him while she was still hiding behind it. When she closed the door, she turned and faced him and did her best to feel comfortable in her towel.
"I interrupted you." Michael said as he looked Jaiden up and down and grinned a shy grin. He quickly admired her curves and a very small part of him was glad he had interrupted her.
Jaiden felt Michael's eyes on her and noticed the chill she had felt earlier was replaced by feeling very, very warm all of a sudden.
"No. It's fine. I was finished anyway." she blushed and smiled at him.
She slowly moved past him and over to the edge of the bed and sat down. She gestured toward the large oak desk chair and Michael sat down and then looked over at her.
His eyes. Those gorgeous eyes. His lips. They were so full. His hair was so thick and curly and she felt the urge to run her hands through it. And those giant hands.....He was breathtaking.
Jaiden knew exactly who he was. She was just not ready to say it to herself yet, let alone say it out loud.
"You know who I am." Michael said, giving Jaiden no choice. She HAD to say it out loud now.
"Yes." was all she could seem to say as she looked away from him.
"I wish you would look at me." Michael said softly.
Jaiden's eyes really were trying to look at Michael. She had no trouble looking at him when he didn't know she was.
Slowly she raised her head. Her big, brown eyes met Michael's eyes.
"That's better." He smiled at her and sat back a bit in his chair.
Jaiden decided to just say everything she was thinking. It couldn't get any more awkward than she felt it was right now, so she figured she might as well.
"Michael?"
"Yes?"
Jaiden took a deep breath...
"Okay. So I know who you are. But I didn't know who you were until the second time in the elevator. At first I just thought you were a stranger who smelled really, REALLY good, but I didn't know who you were. Honestly. And now that I do, it doesn't make a difference and I want you to know that."
She let out all she had to say in one breath.
"I believe you. But I have to ask you something." Michael said to her as a puzzled look appeared on his face.
"What?" Jaiden wondered what it could possibly be. She had just told him everything.
Michael leaned forward in the chair and said "You said you didn't know who I was until the 'second' time in the elevator. When was the FIRST time?"
Jaiden hadn't thought that he didn't know about the first time she saw him.
"Well, I was in the elevator earlier and you came in right after." She explained.
"I don't remember you being in the elevator. Then again, I try to do things quickly and quietly so I don't attract too much attention. Especially when I don't have my body guards with me." Michael told her.
"You seemed to be trying to cover yourself as much as you could. Especially by wearing a hat and those...sunglasses." Jaiden had to keep herself from laughing as she remembered how silly she thought it was that someone was wearing sunglasses on a rainy day and indoors.
Michael shifted in his chair.
"You're right. I was trying to be incognito. As much as I could be at the time." he said.
Jaiden was still sitting at the edge of the bed and listening quite intently to Michael when she realized she was still damp and still only wearing a towel.
"I should change." She said as she stood up.
"No. It's ok. I'll go. I don't want to disturb you. I really just wanted to make sure you were okay." Michael said as he stood and walked toward the door.
"It doesn't bother me you know..." Jaiden blurted out.
"Pardon?" Michael turned and asked.
"That, you know, that you're you." She said as she fidgeted with her towel.
"Well, that's good. Because I can't be anyone but me." Michael laughed.
"I'm not really in to your stuff anyway." Jaiden said as she grinned a cheeky grin.
Michael lifted one beautiful eyebrow.
"Really? And what ARE you in to?" he asked.
"I was raised pretty much on opera and jazz." Jaiden told him.
He smiled at her.
"That's interesting." he said.
He was also smiling on the inside because he was well aware that she had said she should change in to some clothes, but he actually wasn't minding looking at her in a towel. He decided to keep the conversation going.
"Why opera and jazz?" He asked.
"My mother was born in Italy. She loves opera. She used to have it playing all the time. Especially when she was cooking."
Jaiden smiled as she recalled her mother singing and dancing in the kitchen while she would prepare big meals. Her mother would tell Jaiden that she made so much food just in case any more family would stop in. It was polite to have enough food to offer anyone who came to their home. And Jaiden's mother always made enough food. And then some.
"And what about the love of jazz?" Michael asked her.
"My father. He's a musician. Well, he's a lawyer, but he's also a musician. I listened to him and his band as a kid and still do. Although, it's a different band now. He plays saxophone." She explained.
Michael was clearly impressed.
"That's great! Do you play any instruments?"
"No. Not at all. I'm afraid that gene wasn't passed along to me. I just take pictures." Jaiden said.
"You're a photographer then?" Michael asked curiously.
"Free-lance. Yes." Jaiden said. She had noticed that Michael had made his way back to the desk chair and was standing beside it with his hand resting on the back of it. Was he wanting to stay?
"So. I should get dressed..." Jaiden said. But she didn't really want him to go. The more she spoke with him, the less he seemed like how she thought Michael Jackson would be like.
There. She admitted it to herself and even said his name. And maybe she HAD listened to a song or two of his, but she never had considered herself a fan. Although, right now, she could understand why most women went nuts over him. He was stunning to look at. And he was so sweet. And so polite and funny... and ....
Why was she saying all of this to herself? She was practically gushing over the man.
"Did you want me to go?" Michael's voice almost startled Jaiden because she was so deep in thought.
"Go? It IS late. But. I'm enjoying talking to you. Besides, I had a little nap earlier." She said, remembering that she had dozed off in the tub.
"I'm not even tired yet actually. But if you are, then..." she didn't have a chance to finish her sentence.
"No. I'm okay." Michael interjected.
Jaiden smiled as she looked down at her towel.
"If you will excuse me, I think I'll put on something else." she said.
"If you insist..." she heard Michael say as she walked in to the bathroom.
Was he flirting? She repeated what he had said in her head 'if you insist'...Did he mean that he wouldn't mind if she stayed in her towel?
Jaiden wondered this as she slipped her men's pajama top over her head. She then reached for her panties that were beside the tub and put them on.
Where were the damn pajama bottoms?
Jaiden's heart began to beat faster as she remembered that she had left them beside the bed the night before because she had gotten too warm in the night and had taken them off.
"Oh boy." She said as she looked down at her bare legs. This will have to do, she thought to herself as she tugged at the pajama top in a desperate attempt to make it longer...
........................................
Michael hadn't realized there was an art exhibit so close to the hotel. He was usually very observant, but he had missed seeing it somehow. He thumbed his way through the pamphlet he had found on the giant oak desk in the room. He noticed how amazing the room was. It was so warm and had large furnishings that didn't over power the room because the room itself was so big.
He waited for Jaiden who seemed to be taking a long time to change. How much clothing was she putting on? He wondered.
Michael could smell the faint scent of bubble bath when he came in to the room earlier. That scent was still lingering in the air. It smelled so good. He imagined Jaiden smelled like it too.
Putting down the pamphlet, he got up to stretch his legs a bit and looked over at the ice bucket that was also sitting on the desk.
Inside was a tiny white bowl with three ripe cherries in it. He decided it wouldn't matter if he took just one of the cherries. They looked so tasty.
As he reached in to the bowl, he heard the bathroom door begin to open.
Michael dropped the cherry back in to the bowl at the same time as his jaw dropped when he saw Jaiden walk out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a men's pajama top.
