Fateful Encounters

Chapter 29

"Just tell him I want to see him, and he better get his ass down here now." Lisa felt like her head was about to explode. She was tempted to take another pain pill, even though she knew full well that it probably was not a good idea. The doctor had told her the headaches should get better if she just watched her blood pressure and avoided stress. Well, her doctor obviously did not know Michael. Of course, if he did, he would realize that that annoying man was indeed the source of her headaches- and the source of so much more. She closed her eyes and tried taking in deep, abdominal breaths, counting to ten. She had driven out to Neverland in record time, and she intended to see Michael, come hell or high water. He needed to understand that he really had crossed the line this time.

"Mrs. Jackson, ah, Miss Presley, he was told that you are here. After all, he cleared you to enter the property. So, he should be down shortly. Can I get you some coffee, water, or anything else while you wait?"

"Could you page him again? I really don't feel like waiting for him all day. Oh, and if you have some chamomile tea, I would really appreciate it."

Or a double vodka on the rocks. If only!

Jim, whom she knew from when she was married to Michael, left the room. Lisa nervously played with her keys. If there had been any other way to settle this, she would have moved mountains to avoid being in this house again. Actually, the house was not the problem; its owner and other occupant were. Her sources had told her that Debbie was at a doctor's appointment in the city, so at least she should be safe from running into that bitch. Had Michael seen it fit to talk to her on the phone for longer than ten seconds, she could have saved the miles on her car as well as the strain on her nerves, but he told her that he wanted to talk to her in person and that he was not going to "get into it all" over the phone. Whatever that meant.

She had no plans to get into anything with him at all. Other than to make it clear that she would lay him out cold if he ever followed her anywhere again. Not only had he trailed her car on her way to Cedar Sinai Medical Center the other day, he also had the nerve to attempt to get her doctor to give him information on her condition. As if her doc was not aware that Miss Presley was not Mrs. Jackson anymore and that Mister Jackson therefore had no right whatsoever to be privy to anything about her health. A small voice inside whispered that maybe she was wrong, that he probably did have a right to get some information, but she buried it beneath her anger and indignation.

"Miss Presley? Mister Jackson asked if you could join him in his bedroom suite. We already had your tea brought up, and he will meet you in the sitting area shortly."

Just perfect! This day had gone from bad to abominable. If there was another place on earth she wanted to be less than in the receiving salon of Neverland, it was in Michael's private quarters. Why could he not at least meet her on somewhat neutral territory? His bedroom suite held all kinds of memories she wanted to avoid right now. She was still too raw from having finally broken away from him. Part of her was scared to death that all it would take was to be in the familiar surroundings, to see his smile, look into his eyes, and once again, for the millionth time, cast her firm resolve to leave off with her panties. Well, not this time, she reminded herself. Things had progressed too far. Furthermore, from the icy tone of his voice on the phone, he was not in business of seducing her anymore. What was wrong with her to feel annoyed and hurt at that thought?

She decided to save her strength for the real battle and made her way to his bedroom suite. Let him have this small victory. She knew the way only too well, having spent enough time at the main house to find her way around in the dark. That was if it was not cluttered by new toys or mannequins. She entered beneath those two figures of children holding hands over the bedroom door. She really hated those figures- they gave her the creeps. Whatever happened to thinking they were charming and that his eccentricities were cute and quirky?