"Hey guys!" Liliana said to her guests as they walked into her new condo. She gave Ryan, Cynthia, and Mandy long hugs. She hadn't seen them since she quit her job.
Mandy noticed Liliana's mood was more happy-go-lucky than usual. "What's going on missy? You're glowing."
"Nothing. Are you guys ready to paint?"
Cynthia looked around. "Where's Mikey?"
"He's in school, duh," Ryan said snapping at her.
"Oh right. How does he like his new private school?"
"He loves it actually. He looks so cute in his little uniform." Liliana just couldn't stop smiling. "Okay. Ready?"
"Umm..." Ryan spun around and stopped and stared at his best friend. "Where's all the furniture?"
"Well Ryan, we're going to paint today then tomorrow I'm officially moving in."
"Where have you been staying? A hotel?"
Liliana shrugged her shoulders and giggled. "Well if you want to call Michael's guest house a hotel room then yeah."
"Ohhh," Mandy said looking at Cynthia and Ryan, bumping elbows. "I see what's going on."
Cynthia folded her arms and shook her head. "Michael's got to you, huh?"
Liliana's smile dropped to a smirk. "Um, no. Not Michael."
"He sneaks to your room at night?" Ryan asked.
"No." She was disappointed in her friends for not believing her. "I don't even know when he's home. I stay in the guest house and he doesn't come near it. He's probably out of the country for all I know."
Mandy cleared her throat. "Sorry, so you're saying you stay on his property but don't know when he's in and out?"
"Yeah. The guest house isn't near the main house. Plus, I don't stare out the window all day."
"And he's paying for this place though?"
"He owns it." Liliana walked away leaving her friends speechless.
She put them to work. She didn't want to hear anything more about Michael. She was in a happy mood because of other things, nothing to do with Michael. She didn't talk to him. They didn't chat online, they didn't call each other, and there were definitely no secret ventures in the middle of the night. The last time she saw him was when she met his mother with him and Mikey. After that luncheon, she didn't see him again and he even was giving her the cold shoulder that day.
So when he showed up one night at her condo alone, knowing Mikey was staying with Ryan and Cynthia, she was very surprised to see him.
She let him in after he rang the doorbell. He had a key to the place but he respected her privacy.
"Hey Mr. Cool guy."
He flashed a smile and walked to her couch.
"I was eating. Come in here."
Michael followed her to kitchen and sat across from her at the kitchen table.
"Why is this like deja-vu?" Liliana received instant flashbacks, looking at Michael in his shades. His hair was curly was but cut short. He still had yet to say one word to her since he walked in. "What's going on?"
"I need to talk to you."
She could tell he wanted something by the way he continued to smile at her. "What do you want Michael? And take those damn glasses off." She reached over the table and took them off for him.
