The Last Night (Michael Jackson & Diana Ross)

The Ride

After passing through the wall of water that the storm created, they got into the car. The pathetic umbrellas they tried to make out of some of the papers lying around the studio were of little to none of a help, they were soaked beyond recognition, but at least they were in, along with Roger and two of Michael's bodyguards.
Roger, who was already in the car, looked impatient and worried.

"Mr. Jackson, I got a radio call from Hugg saying it is virtually impossible to leave you by your hotel without using the main road to the front hall sir, and that won't be ideal." The driver said under his breath while trying to start the windshields.

"We can't have that.." Michael said while taking off his once very dry jacket and stared down, trying to think of a solution to the problem.

"I really don't know what we should do." His voice had a hint of shame in it. "These sorts of things are usually previously arrenged, the routes and hotels and everything... I'm sorry, Diana." Michael turned his head to her, sitting beside him.

"Roger dear, you can leave us both at my hotel. I'm sure we can arrange a room for Michael at least for tonight." Diana said as she tried with little success to dry her purse on the back of the front seat.

"Well, that's the problem Ms. Ross, I'm afraid the hotel we were headed to is in the same route." Roger's voice made it feel like he was feeling personally guilty for the storm.

"Oh God..." Diana mumbled. "I just want to get out of these wet rags and get to bed."

"Is there any other place we could go? I don't know whats around the area.." Michael said, more to himself than than to anyone else. "We could always sleep here at the studio.." He pondered, already knowing the consequences of those words.

"What? Are you out of your mind, Michael?!" Diana cried, making him smirk like he would when he was younger, teasing her around.

"Actually, I know a place. Well, there's a small hotel close by, but..." Roger mumbled, he was regretting having started talking.

"What?" Diana stared at him.

"Well, it's not really.. suited to both of you. It's really.. simple, I'm not sure any of you would approve it. And the security is not familiar with it." Roger finally said.

"Roger.." Diana let out a sigh of disbelief, closing her eyes.

"If you'd said it was a strip club with vacancy at this time in the night I'd still say yes." Michael giggled even more at her response.

"Just take us there. Michael has undercover security here with us. There's nothing that these men can't protect us from, right fellas?" Diana sounded slightly desperate now.

"That's our job, ma'am." One of the bodyguard's responded.

"See? Besides, the press knows nothing about this, so I don't think we'll have much of a problem. Tomorrow we'll solve everything out." She concluded.

"But wait.." Michael straightened himself up on the back seat of the car. "Is it really safe to go there? I mean, how will we enter without getting... attention?" Michael asked, concerned for their safety, but mostly because he knew Diana wouldn't want to be framed getting into a shady hotel alone with him. Not after the announcement.

"Don't worry Mr. Jackson, I know the place, just trust me." Roger bragged.

. . .

The hotel was normally not more than 15 minutes away from the recording place, but with the rain and the traffic, it took them almost an hour to reach it.

The trip was mostly silent, with it only being broken by Roger and the bodyguard's here and there comments about the storm and how the water level on the streets was rising absurdly fast.

Michael stared out the window the whole time. This would probably be one of the last occasions he and Diana would be this close in a long time.
She would get married the next year.

He didn't want to think about that. He wanted to forget it. Forget her, forget her fiancee, who he didn't even know prior to her announcement, he wanted to forget everything they had, and everything they could've had. But he couldn't. His mind kept circling back to it. He had already cried every tear he had in him, he had been angry with her, he had even been rude to her. But finally, he decided it wasn't worth it. He didn't want to throw away the friendship they had grown throughout most of his life like that, even if it meant playing happy and watching her walking down the aisle in a white dress to some other man.

He'd turn his look sideways a few times during the ride, just to get a glimpse of her wet hair, momentanely tamed by the water, and her white shirt, almost translucent now.

Diana was awfully quiet. The same realization that passed through his mind was a constant presence in hers. She was processing what they had just experienced.

It was truly amazing watching him in all his glory. It absolutely mesmerized her. The cleverness of his words, the sweetness of his melodies, the softness, but also power, of his voice, the pureness of his reasons, the almost angelic aura he had to him. She couldn't help but grin slightly thinking about how that 10 year old little boy she used to scold would grow up to become one of the highest standards of art she had ever witnessed. She couldn't explain to anyone, not even to herself, what she felt for him. She would've never imagined she would feel what she had felt for him, or what she felt even now. As much as she tried to let it go, it kept dragging her back, though she struggled to keep it hidden most of the time.

He had a way of captivating people, he had a given glow to him, it was almost as if he could keep anyone hostage just by opening up to them. If he gained someone, it was over. She had already fallen deep down into that hole, and although she thought she had climbed more than halfway out of it, after that night it was like she had slipped, and the hole felt twice deeper than she remembered.

~