Art and Soul

Chapter 3 Part 1 & 2

"…….Working Day and Night"

Alem's P.O.V.

Talking to him Michael had been easy. It was brief but she found his presence stirred something deep within her. It defiantly was not the fact that he was a celebrity. There was just something about him that reached her way down. She could not put her finger on it but she was not going to let thinking about it detain her from her work. The mural beckoned her and she had fallen easily back into step after he had left her and headed back down the hallway. Before she knew it the clock read 7:39. She had been working nonstop since her chase with LL and her short run in with Michael. She had not seen either of them since. It was time for a ciggy break so she grabbed a long cinnamon cigarette from her vintage pouch and headed out the door to grab a smoke. She stood outside the studio taking a drag from her cigarette and blew it out in one long exhale. People watching was one of her favorite pastimes and it served as her entertainment when she was out for a smoke. She always marveled at how art imitated life and it was ever present in the colorful characters that graced the streets of the East Village. She had one of her smooth legs bent at the knee and propped up against the wall while she flicked the lid to her Zippo back and forth bobbing her head to Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" on her headphones. Her eyes had only been closed a minute when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She opened her eyes to find Sandy standing in front of her with a cheesy grin.

"Hey girl I'm headed out , are you leaving soon?" She asked.

"What time is it anyway? "Alem answered.

"It's almost 8pm, I have a date tonight so Im leaving a little early."

"A date ooooooh, with who?" Alem teased her know brightly blushing friend.

"Oh this guy I met a couple of weeks ago. His name is Saul. I had given him my number and he called me last night and asked me out. I have nothing better to do tonight so I decided to give him a chance, besides he's kinda sexy so wish me luck." Sandy finished.

"Well you better go for yours home girl, I think I'm going to stick around for a little while longer to finish up here." Alem added.

With a kiss on the cheek and a wave over her shoulder Sandy sauntered down west 8th street.

Alem stood outside taking in the last of her second cigarette before stubbing it out and heading back inside. On her way in she bumped into LL and his smaller than usual Addidas tracksuit clad entourage heading for the door.

"Hey James done so soon?" Alem smirked.

"Yeah girl we hittin up a club in the Bronx care to join?"

"Nah not tonight . I want to do some more work on my piece tonight before I head out I'm coming in late tomorrow so you know… the more I get done now the better."

"Suit yourself miss thang, Ill see you soon sweetheart." He leaned in and gave her a small lingering kiss on the cheek before passing her and heading out the door.

"You are such a flirt James you better behave yourself." She called after him laughing.

The small studio building suddenly felt empty. She knew she was not alone though. Michael and his crew was still there and the night janitor Hose had started his shift not so long ago.

"Oh well, back to work." She sighed clicking her walkman on and picking up her palate letting the smooth sounds of Nina Simone wash over her sensibilities. She was doing some shading on Jimi's headband and afro and her focus was intense.

Time had gone by so quickly she had not noticed the clock on the wall now read 10:45. She put her palate down and stretched her body to get the kinks out as she rolled her neck. She jerked to a sudden halt at the knot that had formed in her neck and shoulder. She had this happen to her quite often because of how hard she would focus on her work. She had also awoken several times with a stiff neck from just that. It was very painful to say the least. Her throat was also so dry she thought if she coughed hard enough she could fill the room with dust so she headed to the lounge to get a bottle of water. She walked languidly down the hallway to get to her prize. The lounge was quite large and comfortable and held all kinds of amenities to soothe the restless creative minds that wondered the halls. It also housed a plethora of concert photos of some of the artists that had recored there. She found her self staring wistfully at a picture of Freddie Mercury down on his knees bellowing into his mic.

"That guy is a trip."

Startled , Alem heard the now familiar voice and she whipped around almost choking on her water and inflaming the knot in her neck, to find Michael leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest and legs crossed at the ankles.

"I didn't mean to frighten you, Im sorry."

"Oh no worries I just didn't even hear you behind me." She said turning back to the picture.

"He seems so animated here." Alem said.

Michael was now standing next to her staring intently at the picture.

"Yeah he's quite a character, I worked with him a few years back." Michael added.

"Wow that's awesome, I love Queen." She said chewing on her bottom lip.

"Do you always stay this late in the studio." She said without taking her eyes from the picture.

"Oh yeah I practically live in the studio when I'm working on an album, Q and Bruce already left and I thought I was the only one still here so I decided to look around a little before I finished for the night. Are you always here this late?" He asked back.

Alem was absentmindedly rubbing her neck but listening to what Michael was saying. Before she got to answer his question he asked another.

"Are you ok?" He asked pointing to her neck.

"I'll be fine, I get this all the time when I work, My arm usually cramps up too." She answered giggling self-consciously and rolling her neck.

"Do you mind if I help you with that?" He asked sincerely, concern dotting his handsome visage.

"I've been told I have magic fingers." He added wiggling his fingers at her.

"Oh no I'll be fine. I don't want to take up any of your time."

"Don't be silly, it's no problem, I don't mind really. Besides it looks painful."

"Are you sure it's no trouble?" She asked looking at him questioningly.

"Come sit over here make yourself comfortable." He patted the cushion of the chair he was standing behind.

Alem made her way around to the front of the chair and sat down slowly. Her neck was killing her. Slowly she removed her baseball cap. She felt Michael move her hair to the side from her neck and place his large hands on her shoulders. This sent a shiver up her spine and blood rushing to her face and neck, some making it to unthinkable places. He bent slightly over her and his scent slowly wafted to her nostrils. His intoxicating smell caused her eyes to flutter closed and she drew in a long breath taking it all in. His thumbs were making easy work of the knot and it was slowly dissipating. His touch, as she remembered from the handshake was both soft and firm at the same time. She was completely lost in the bliss created by his hands so she had not noticed that the room was completely silent. A small moan escaped her lips jolting her out of her "moment".

"Arrggg. I hoped he did not hear that." She thought as embarrassment slowly crept up to her face.

If he did he had not acknowledged it. The knot was completely gone by now so she placed her hand on Michael's signaling him to stop.

"Was that ok?" Michael asked removing his hands slowly.

"It was, more than ok in fact. Thank you so much for rescuing me again. The knot is completely gone." She said getting up and rubbing the spot his hands had just occupied.

"Whoever told you you have magic fingers was not lying to you." She added as she turned to face him with a smile.

He chuckled lightly.

"It was my pleasure Alem, I always aim to please."

Her stomach lurched at his last comment and her ears began to get hot.

"I bet you do, stop you dirty , dirty mind" Alem scolded herself.

"Well I hate to massage and run but I'm gonna get back to work." Michael stated placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Sure, by all means. I hope I did't take up too much of you time. I should be headed home myself." They both walked slowly to the door of the lounge.

"So I guess I'll see you around." Alem added.

"Hey will you be here tomorrow?" Michael asked hopefully.

"Yeah I'll be in a little bit later tomorrow, I have an art class I teach in the morning." She answered back.

"Would you mind having dinner with me? We could order in."

"Sure that sounds good we could meet here at 9pm if that's ok."

"Well its set then." He replied a smile gracing his lips. Contentedly he turned to stroll away.

"See you tomorrow." Alem called after him.

"See ya Girl. Get home safe." Michael called back as they both headed in different directions.

It was quite late when Alem finished her clean up and headed home. She would sleep well tonight for sure.

Michael's P.O.V.

He entered the studio closing the door behind him softly. He was still thinking of what just happened back in the lounge. Alem's skin had felt so soft and warm even through the fabric of her t-shirt. Being bent over her he could smell her hair, she smelt of chocolate and roses and he could almost taste it on his tongue causing a lump to rise in his throat. He had felt the knot on her neck as soon as he touch it. He had worked fervently to release it. The room had gone completely quiet except for their soft breathing. He had heard the small moan coming from her lips and it brought a smile to his face.

"I guess I was doing a good job." He thought to himself.

He continued until he felt her small hand reach up and squeeze his and he reluctantly removed them immediately bring them to his nose to inhale her residual scent. A little creepy he thought but he did not care she smelt divine.

"I wonder if her skin tastes as good as it smelled?" It was like her scent had him in a trance.

He had to figure a way to get closer to her again and soon. As she was about to leave he came up with the idea to ask her to have dinner with him. He was more than thrilled that she had accepted his offer. He had research to do, well more like Bill had research to do. He had to find out what kind of food she liked and so on. The buzzing of the studio phone brought him back to reality.

"Hello?"

"Hey Joker are you almost ready, you said to call you at 1am." Michael had not realized he had been reminiscing that long.

"Yeah… yeah Bill you guys could swing round anytime." He should be feeling tired but for some reason he was still quite alert.

He heard the buzzer of the in studio intercom and realized Bill had arrived to take him home.

They rode home in virtual silence. Walking into the apartment he immediately walked over to survey his beautiful view. Kicking his shoes off and tossing his fedora on the couch he made his way over to his built in bar to pour himself a night cap. He was not a big drinker but he partook in libations once in a while. He poured himself some Jack Daniels on the rocks and walked over to the couch facing his view and sat down. He took a sip of the cold liquid and felt it bite it's way down his throat settling in his stomach instantly warming it. He rested the glass on one knee and laid his head back on the couch closing his eyes. Alem's beautiful heart shaped face popped into his mind and made him smile. There was something different about that girl. She did not fawn over him or become faint like its was customary with most women he met. Most of all she did not scream and attack him and he appreciated that. Those eyes, oh those eyes of hers there was something in them that seemed to capture his soul every time she looked at him and it caused his heart to flutter lightly. It had been a long while since a woman had drawn his attention so quickly. He never had to pursue women , they always seemed to fall into his lap so to speak. He did have a few one night stands that nothing came off due to lifestyle differences. Those did not happen very often and he saw not to make a habit of it. The more long term women if you could call them that had been in the biz in some way whether model, actress, musician, they had came and went. He was still close to his friend Brook but they had stopped dating a while now choosing friendship over their once very intimate relationship. Alem on the other hand he would actively pursue. She seemed very different from the women he usually encountered so he had to be careful not to come on too strong and chase her away. He was used to getting what he wanted with no question or commitment but he had to put that thinking aside and approach her differently. It was more than just her looks that attracted him so he would take it one step at a time. He wanted to know everything about her and their dinner would be a start.

He would get Bill to find out her favorite restaurant and foods so he could have everything set up for their dinner. She had mentioned them meeting in the main lounge but he figured he would move the festivities to the lounge attached to his studio. His eyes had stared to get heavy so he rose from the couch draining the last of the drink in his glass. He winced as the sharp liquid flowed down his throat. Placing the glass on the counter in the kitchen be silently climbed up the stairs to his bedroom. Fortunately he had no meetings in the morning so he did not have to worry about waking up at a specific time not that it mattered with his sleep pattern. He finished his nightly routine and flopped down on his large bed. The fact that he did not take his usual dose of pills had not escaped him before sleep enveloped him in its cocoon.

Surprisingly he had had a dreamless sleep but he had awoken with a start.

"Sh!!!!t!!" He mumbled his mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton.

He got up out of bed and trudged his way sluggishly to the bathroom. He stripped himself of his pjs and stepped into the shower allowing the warm spray to massage away the dull aching in his head. He propped himself up with one arm on the cold tiles , the other running through his ebony locks trying to sooth his head. It was still fairly early so he decided to fore go dressing for now opting for a robe instead. A cup of coffee was in order so he made his way down the stairs only to be startled half to death by the loud blearing of the phone. He walked over to it picking it up and made himself comfortable on one of the side chairs in the living room.

"Hello." He said it in almost a whisper.

"Hey Mike." It was Frank, and he was just as loud as he ever was. I swear the man was allergic to normal voice levels.

"Hey Rubber, why must you be so raucous , can you take it down a notch this once?" He half joked.

"What's the matter , ruff night kid?" Frank laughed heartily.

"You can say that, I hung out with Jack Daniels last night. To what do I owe the pleasure of your shrill voice in my ear so early in the morning Frank. "

"Just giving you a wake up call kid to go over your schedule for the day."

"Well?" Mike asked.

"Oh yeah well aahhmm, we might have a meeting with promotions later on in the evening. I'll let you know as soon as I can if its confirmed." He mentioned

"Meeting , what meeting, can you straighten that out Rubber I have dinner plans at 9. So take care of it asap ok?" He was rubbing his temples now trying to keep the ache at bay.

"Ok Mike don't worry, I'll take care of it. I'll talk to ya soon."

"Thanks Frank." Mike added hanging up the phone.

"Coffee I need you." He joked to himself.

He was well into his second cup of coffee when he decided to call Bill for him to find out the details about the dinner with Alem and her preferences. He knew Bill would get what he needed and more. That man was a wiz at getting information. Chalk it up to his stint in the LAPD. He never bothered to ask Bill how he got said info but Bill always came through. After getting off the phone with Bill he climbed the stairs and headed for his bedroom to get ready. He was looking forward to his day, for once in his life music was not the first thing he thought off when he got up this morning. It did not take long for Bill to call back and tell him he was waiting downstairs to take him to the studio. Miko and Big Bob were standing outside to escort him downstairs to his car.

"Hey Bill you got that info for me?" Michael asked approaching the him as he stood next to the car.

"Oh you know I do Joker, don't I always come through for you man?" The older man replied.

"Undoubtedly my friend now spill." Mike answered back.

"So far I found out she's a vegetarian and not one that eats chicken like you Mike, she does not eat any animal based anything man." Bill joked.

"Wow Ok interesting."

She was getting more intriguing by the minute.

"And what else?" Mike added.

"She usually orders her lunch from this vegetarian spot around the corner from the studio it's called Vegetarian Paradise I think. I got a list of what she usually eats right here." Bill mentioned.

"I wont even ask how you got this info so quickly but I trust you did so discretely."

"You know it man I have my ways." Bill chuckled.

"By the way her favorite flowers are Orchids, potted not cut. I thought you would like to now that little tid bit."

"Thanks man , so I trust you will make the arrangements for tonight and send her some Orchids to arrive tomorrow at her place. I knew you would come through for me." Mike patted his old friend on his shoulders.

"No problem Joker I'm always here man."

They arrived at the studio in record time to find Quincy and Bruce hunkered down setting things up for the "Liberian Girl" track. He greeted them both warmly and got right to it.

"So where are we at today Q?" He asked.

"We got you all queued up and ready to go for 'Liberian Girl' so you can head into the booth when you're ready." Quincy said turning to face him.

"Sure thing man, let me get to it."

He ran though the song for a couple of takes but he just was not feeling it. Something was missing and he could not put his finger on it. He had a lot of false starts before they decided to let it rest. He had been working on that song since the Thriller days so he did not know what kept going wrong.

"Sh!t man I got to get it together Q I love the song but something else is needed to make it spectacular." He said to Quincy through the mic in the recording booth.

"Lets work on 'Smooth Criminal' then Smelly. You have that one down don't you?"

"Yeah I got that one. I did work on that one at the Hayvenhurst studio, run the playback on it Q." For the next couple of hours they worked on the song from vocals to some mix down of the instruments and harmonies.

They worked through lunch and the crew was getting hungry. Finally breaking at 4pm, Mike decided to take a glimpse to see if Alem was working on her piece but she was not there. He felt a pang of disappointment and hoped she did not forget about their date.

"Date was it a date?" He thought well we'll see.

Luckily Frank had gotten their meeting moved to the next day so he did not have that hanging over his head. There was still a few hours to go before they were to meet in the lounge so he hoped against hope she would be there when the time came.

Alem's P.O.V.

It was 5:30 and Alem was just getting to the studio. She had planned to get there earlier but she had opted to go back to her loft and take a nap. She was worn out from the night before plus from her art class earlier in the day. One day a week Alem volunteered at a school that dealt exclusively with children with special needs. Alem had been volunteering since her junior year of high school and she love it so much she had continued with no questions asked. The kids were all so sweet and she loved them with all her heart but they were a rowdy bunch and today was no different. They had had a spirited session of finger painting followed by clay work. It was tons of fun but she was pooped by the end.

"Hey homie how was your date last night?" Alem greeted Sandy leaning on the reception desk wagging her eyebrows up and down.

"Did ya get some?" She joked.

"Girl stop playin, I did not get any but the date was awesome. Saul was very romantic we went to a restaurant in Midtown and we kissed but that was it." She grinned.

"So how was this kiss." Alem teased.

" From 1-10?" She added.

"Well lets just say I have something to look forward to when he decides to use his tongue in other ways." She says with a wink.

"Girl you are nasty." They both could not help but to laugh.

"Why are you so late any way." Sandy asked.

"Nap." Alem called back heading to her work set up.

"I have a long night a head I'm afraid." She added with a loud sigh.

"I hear ya girl." Was all Sandy said before answering the phone.

Alem chose not to tell Sandy about the dinner thing with Michael.

"Or was it a date?" She thought.

Well any way she knew her friend would make a big deal out of it all. She figured Michael was just being nice about the dinner plus it was in the lounge so it was not going to be all intimate or anything. Why would he be interested in her anyways the guy dated models and actresses and she was neither of those things so that was that. She put her headphones on and went to work.

She went nonstop for the next 3 and 1/2 hours. She decided to head to the bathroom and freshen up before heading to the lounge. When she got to the lounge Michael was already there surveying the photos on the back wall. From what she had seen so far she loved how he dressed especially the fedora that topped his mass of black curls. It added a lot to his appeal. He had not noticed her so she decided to announce herself.

"Hey if it isn't Dapper Dan?" She joked.

He spun around on his heels and flashed her a large grin.

"Dapper Dan huh, I didn't even know anybody even listened to that song." He answered with a laugh so infectious Alem Could not help but join in the reverie.

"So you ready to order I'm starving."

"Don't worry its all taken care of girl" He said with a smirk.

"She eyed him wryly how do you know I even eat what you got. Did you know I'm a vegetarian?" She asked playfully.

"Well I have my ways of finding things out and yes I did find out you're a vegetarian. I always do my homework girl. Come on lets go to my studio. We can eat in the lounge in there its a little more private and comfy."

"O-Ok." She smiled cocking one of her arched brows.

"Lead the way." She was a little surprised that he wanted the dinner to be private but it made her smile widen.

He reached out for her hand and she latched on to his.

Entering the studio she had expected to see Uncle Q and Bruce and some of the engineers but it was empty.

"Where is everybody?" She asked.

"They left for the night already, plus I wanted to be alone with you for dinner." He added eyeing her intently.

"O-Oh." Was all that came out her mouth all of a sudden it was like she had a stuttering problem.

When they got into the lounge area she noticed it was set up like a small apartment. It had a bed a kitchen and a place to relax in front of a TV. The dining area of the kitchen was set up with what looked like every meal she had ever ordered from her favorite restaurant.

"Oh my God, how did you find out all of this." She said letting go of his hand and binging it to join the other one on her head.

"I told you I have my ways." He says with a wink.

Her smile grew at the sight of his once again attempted wink.

"You do know you're supposed to wink with one eye don't you?" She was full out laughing now and he joined her.

"Be quite girl." He had heard that so many times in his life especially from his siblings that it did not bother him in the least bit.

At least he tried right ? He reached over and pulled out her chair for her to sit down.

"Who said chivalry was dead." She thought.

"So what do you think girl?" He motioned to the food.

"This is great no guy has ever done anything like this for me before, thank you. Now lets dig in, I'm starving."

"Have you ever had vegetarian food before?" She asked taking a giant bite of a spring roll.

"Well I basically have a vegetarian diet but I have an unholy addiction to KFC. I just started eating chicken again a few months ago because my doctor said I needed to up my protein intake." He answered matter-of -factly.

He took a bite of his spring roll and eyed her wryly. She was chewing fervently on a vegetarian buffalo wing and there was sauce on the side of her mouth. Michael reached over and wiped it with his thumb and sucked the sauce he had gathered off the tip. He was staring her directly in her eyes and her face grew hot. She took her napkin and wiped the same spot.

"How embarrassing, you didn't have to do that." She said looking down at her plate of food.

"I'm sorry I don't know what came over me to be so forward but you look like you were enjoying it a lot so I wanted a quick taste so I went for it." The butterflies in her belly were back on parade.

"So I see you have a whole apartment in here." She said finally tearing her eyes from his gaze and changing the subject.

"Yeah, I sometime stay overnight when I work." He stated.

"I know what you mean I sometimes fall asleep in the lounge on nights I decide to stay and work on my piece all night." She laughed.

"Well you are welcome to my bed when you have to stay here." He offered.

"God can this guy get any better with his innuendoes." She thought.

"That's something to think about." She mused.

Michael's P.O.V.

They had been talking for over two hours about their love for the respective arts. There was a lull in the conversation when Michael reached over and took both her wrist in his hands and turned them to examine the tattoos that adorned both her fore arms.

"What do these mean?" He asked looking back up into her eyes but before she could answer him he noticed her eyes where actually two different colors.

At first he thought he was seeing things so he edged closer to her only inches away from her face and looked back and forth from eye to eye.

"Hey your eyes are two different colors." He smiled.

"Yeah I know." She laughed.

"Its a hereditary condition called Heterochromia Iridum when their is more or less pigment in one eye. It's also common in cats if you can believe it . I got mine from my mother she had one green eye and one gray eye." She added.

"Wow they're beautiful." He said in almost a whisper.

"Thank you." She answered not taking her eyes from his.

He could feel her warm breath on his face causing him to look down at her lips. They looked like they would actually taste like chocolate and he licked his lips. He looked back up to her eyes before settling back into his seat. Alem cleared the throat.

"So you asked about my tattoos right?"

"Yeah." He returned his attention back to her arms that were still in his grasp.

"Well this one she pointed to her left arm is the feather of Maat which means balance and God knows we all need balance and this one she switched to her right arm is a scarab beetle it is a symbol of creation because thats what I do. I create."

"That's fascinating." He listened intently.

"I have a strong interest in Egyptology. I spent a whole month there one summer with my parents." The light in her eyes dimmed a little with the mention of her parents.

"Do you mind me asking what happened to your parents Q told me about the accident. I hope that wasn't crossing a line?" He asked resting his hand on her shoulder.

"I don't really want to get into that now, I'm sorry." She said getting up from the table.

"No I'm sorry . I tend to get a little inquisitive sometime. I did not mean to overstep my boundaries." He apologized.

"Hey you didn't know." She answered back taking a seat on the couch.

"Hey you wanna watch a movie?"

"Sure what you got."

"Well right now I only have one tape, Star Wars." He chuckled .

"Ooooh I love Star Wars." Alem stated and he eyed her wryly.

"What you know about Star Wars girl?" He elbowed her as he sat next to her on the couch.

Her scent was invading his nostrils being so close. He had to fight himself not to grab her and devour her neck like starving vampire. He felt a familiar tightening in his pants, he cleared his throat and adjusted himself.

"Thank God for dim lighting and couch cushions." He quipped.

He pressed play on the VCR starting the movie.

Michael found himself stealing long glances at Alem. She was sitting with her knees to her chest and one arm draped across the back of the couch. She seemed really into the movie. He had watched it so many times he knew the dialogue word for word so he was not missing anything. He took her outstretched arm into his hand and began to trace the tattoo there with his fingertips. He found her body art quite sexy.

"What are you doing Michael?" Alem asked with a cheeky grin.

"I love them." He answered in a husky whisper.

"Are these the only ones you have."

"No." She nodded.

"You have more let me see!" He sounded like a kid in a candy store.

She chuckled and scooted forward to untuck the baggy t-shirt from her tight stonewashed jeans and lifted it to display her other art work. She had two wings that wrapped around her waist from the middle of her back to her belly button. She also had Sanskrit letters going down her spine. His eyes widened

"Wow her back is so damn sexy." He thought.

He cleared his throat. "May I ……ahhmm may I touch them." He asked stifling the lump in his throat.

"Sure knock yourself out." She answered.

He lightly ran his index finger up her spine on the letters then from her back to the tip of the wing on her stomach. She flinched a little.

"Tickles." She said with a giggle.

"Good to know." He thought.

"Why do you have all these tattoos." He asked.

"Well as you know I love art and I feel my body is a canvas of sorts . I designed all of them and a friend of mine did all the work. I love them all they all have a story but that's for a different time." She finished.

The movie had long been abandoned and the credits were now rolling.

"I guess I better get going it's a little late and the trains are going to be moving at a snails speed." She said adjusting her t-shirt.

"I'll give you a ride home." Michael offered.

"I don't want to put you out Michael."

"Will you stop saying that girl. I asked you to dinner and there is no way I'm letting you get on a train at this time. There's no room for discussions girl." He made his way over to the phone .

"Hey Bill can you swing round we're ready to head out."

"No problem Joker Il'l be there in a minute."

"Are you all set?" Michael asked reaching out his large hand and enveloping her small one. They locked eyes and smiled at each other.

"Yeah I just need to get my bag." She replied.

Reaching outside Bill opened the car door to let them enter. First Alem then Mike.

"So were are we headed?" Bill asked looking at them in the rare view mirror. He already knew the answer but to save face he had to ask.

Michael looked over at Alem.

"So where are we headed?" He asked his trademark smile lighting up his face.

"Brooklyn please." She added giving Bill the directions.

"You live in Brooklyn?"

"Yeah something wrong with that?"

"No nothings wrong just curious is all." He said taping her on the nose making her giggle.

In no time Bill was pulling up to the front of her building.

"So this is you huh?"

"This is me, I live upstairs and my art studio is here on the first floor."

"Nice maybe I can have a tour sometime, it looks huge."

"Sure sometime, I don't want to keep you. I know your a busy man." She looked up into his eyes.

She reached over and kissed him first on his right cheek then on his left and again on the right according to Ethiopian tradition. Not being able to hold out any longer, before she pulled away he held her around her waist and pulled her in placing a soft lingering kiss on her lips. They slowly massaged they lips together. Slowly he pulled away and looked at her.

"Good night Alem." He whispered.

Her eyes fluttered open and met his gaze.

"Good night Dapper Dan." She smiled.

"I'll see you tomorrow right girl?"

"Yeah I'll see ya." She called before disappearing behind her large wooden door.

Michael hopped back into his waiting car he felt like he was literally floating on air. Her lips did indeed taste as he suspected. Like chocolate. Thoughts of Alem filled his head as they headed back to his apartment. Getting home Michael headed straight for his bedroom. A shower was what he needed to cool down his heated body. The kiss as brief as it was had ignited a fire in him. This girl did things to his mind and body that he could not explain. He had only known her for a few days but it felt like a lifetime. He could see himself opening up to her, how far he didn't know just yet but he knew he would.